Safari to South Luangwa

renowned for authentic and intimate safari camps

At 9050 square kilometres, South Luangwa is a truly wonderful wildlife area, one of the leading national parks in Africa, offering authentic safari experiences and with very rich wildlife, notably including lions, leopards and elephants.

It is a beautiful and hypnotic place, a broad valley centred on a very scenic river, with open plains and low hills, backed to the south by a substantial rift valley escarpment. It is one of those safari areas which people really fall in love with and return to time and again.

Based on fossil evidence, South Luangwa is thought to have acted as a corridor for the migration of early humans across Africa and it is believed that the hominid genus Australopithecines originated right here in the valley.

The area is very rich in wildlife, especially during the Jun-Oct dry season, when the animals migrate in towards the river. It is particularly strong for lions, leopards and elephants, with a very broad range of other animals also present.

The valley contains some superb owner-operated camps and is particularly renowned for excellent walking safari and night vehicle safari.

Key locations

We subdivide South Luangwa into three separate areas, each of which has a very different character. It is very common to combine camps in two or even all three areas into a single trip…

The central sector of South Luangwa is the most accessible and has the most accessible wildlife, especially during the Nov-May green season, but is also the most busy, with larger lodges and higher vehicle densities.

Link : South Luangwa Central

The northern sector of South Luangwa is relatively remote and very strong for wildlife, with guest accommodation in a fine selection of intimate camps and offering a range of very strong dry safari activities.

Link : South Luangwa North

The southern sector of South Luangwa is the most remote and scenic part of the reserve, with guest accommodation several excellent small camps and offering a range of very strong dry safari activities.

Link : South Luangwa South

South Luangwa is a very high quality safari area that often serves as the primary location in a trip.

The stay duration tends to be 5-8 nights split between two camps, or more occasionally 3-5 nights at one camp. Three camp combinations are also possible.

Seasonality

The best time to visit South Luangwa is during the May-Oct dry season, when the wildlife is focused on the riverine areas and easy to find.

Within that period, May-Jul is pleasantly cool at night, but the animals may not yet be fully migrated back into the river.

Towards the end of that period, Oct-Nov the wildlife should be at its strongest, but the weather is likely to be uncomfortably hot, especially at night. Bear in mind that most camps do not have air-conditioning.

Getting around

South Luangwa lies to the east of the country and is usually accessed by light aircraft services from Lusaka or Livingstone.

Once at Mfuwe Airport it is a road transfer of 1-2 hours to the camps. Travelling between camps in the central, northern and southern parts of the reserve usually involves a safari transfer of 1-5 hours.

Where to stay

The South Luangwa area contains at least thirty high quality camps, almost all of which are small and relatively outdoorsy.

During the Jul-Sep dry season we generally like to combine a camp in the nearby South Luangwa North with another in South Luangwa South, with a total stay of six or more nights. We tend to avoid the South Luangwa Central area, since they tend to experience greater visitor traffic. However, if you are looking for a larger lodge (especially if you need air-conditioning), then it might be worth making an exception.

During the remainder of the year we are more likely to include a camp in the South Luangwa Central area. In fact in the wettest months (Dec-Mar) we may even reduce down to only recommending a single camp in this central area.

best for wildlife during the Jun-Oct dry season