Located in the very west of Zambia is the most remote and secluded national park in the country - Liuwa Plains. Meaning ‘plains’ in the local Lozi language, the vast grassland is home to the second largest wildebeest migration on earth (after East Africa). An impressive 47,000 or so wildebeest migrate from the Greater Liuwa Ecosystem into the park, their movement dependent on water, grazing, fire and human establishment.
Lusaka is the capital of Zambia and is by far, the largest city in the country. Although the city’s population is increasing, there is a sense of space in the city, and as far as African cities are concerned, Lusaka makes a pleasant overnight stay. The international airport makes it often the starting or finishing point of a Zambian itinerary.
First discovered by explorer David Livingstone in 1855, Victoria Falls, referred to locally as ‘the Smoke that Thunders’, is one of the world’s most impressive waterfalls. At a towering height of just over 100 metres, and a staggering volume of water cascading over the lip every minute (750 million litres at its peak), it is clear why a visit to the falls is often high on the list when visitors come to Zambia!
The Lower Zambezi Valley is a huge rift in the earth’s crust that homes the mighty Zambezi River and two national parks either side (Mana Pools National Park sits on the Zimbabwean side and on the Zambian side, is the infamous Lower Zambezi National Park). With the exception of rhino, giraffe and cheetah, the Lower Zambezi homes all of the desirable big game. On the land, plentiful predators, herds of elephant and buffalo can be seen; and on the water, boat trips along the Zambezi give you the chance to see hippos, crocodile and an array of bird life.
North Luangwa National Park is a park known for its wild, untouched and ‘Africa as it once was’ feel. Often referred to as simply the ‘north park’, North Luangwa is sat north of the South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia, and is half the size than its neighbour, at 4,630 square kilometres. Sharing the same ecosystem as south park – bordered by the dramatic Muchinga Escarpment to the west and the Luangwa River to the east – the main difference between the two parks is that the North park is truly remote, with only three camps and a handful of visitors at one time.
South Luangwa National Park is located on Zambia’s eastern side and is considered the finest safari park in Zambia! The park is famed for its plentiful game, its variety of game viewing activities and most importantly, its exceptionally high quality of guiding and walking safaris that has raised the bar across all of Africa! At a size of nine thousand square kilometres, the topography of the park is one of the most varied in Zambia as the Luangwa River winds through vast open plains, dense woodlands and waterlogged marshes.
