Zambia Travel Guide
Zambia Travel Guide
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The Luangwa Valley
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Zambia Travel Guide

The Luangwa Valley



This lush rift valley, enclosed by steep escarpment walls, is one of the continent's finest areas for wildlife. Four national parks protect parts of this area: South Luangwa, North Luangwa, Luambe and Lukusuzi. Separating these are game management areas (GMAs), which also contain good populations of game. This entire valley is remote but, for the enthusiast, the wildlife is well worth the effort made to get here.

For most visitors, South Luangwa National Park is by far the most practical park to visit in the valley. This is the largest of the parks, with superb wildlife and many excellent camps. Organising a trip to South Luangwa is not difficult, and its infrastructure is easily the best. However, it is still a very remote park, and so most visitors arrive on trips organised outside Zambia. A few arrive independently and, though this is possible, it does limit their accommodation and activity choices.

The more intrepid might organise a safari from the South Park into North Luangwa, which is even more remote and exclusive. Its wildlife is now flourishing, thanks to some intensive conservation efforts over the past decade, and the few safaris that do run concentrate on taking small groups for purely walking trips.

Luambe National Park is much smaller than either the South or the North Park, and there's one very promising new camp there that makes a perfect stop-over if you're heading that way. The birdwatching is good, as with the other parks, though there is less game.

Finally, Lukusuzi National Park is something of an unknown quantity. Few people have even visited this park and there are currently no facilities or camps there.


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