Safari to South Luangwa Central

rich wildlife and all-weather roads

In some ways South Luangwa Central is the least attractive sector of the reserve, largely because it experiences both the highest volume of vehicle traffic, much of which comes into the reserve over the Mfuwe Bridge each morning.

But don’t write the area off just yet, there’s a number of good camps here, which deploy a number of different strategies to avoid this traffic and continue to offer high quality safaris.

Most of these are located in the various Game Management Areas on the eastern side of the river and access the park directly by pontoon or motorboat, thereby avoiding the Mfuwe Bridge Gate completely.

It is also important to note that this central section is the only part of the reserve to have a decent network of all-weather roads, so is the only area to remain properly open outside the Jun-Oct dry season.

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.

Here in South Luangwa Central, thanks to its network of all-weather roads, the lodges are able to open in early May and some continue to operate all the way through to early January.

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 Central area contains around a dozen decent camps and lodges, including almost all of the more substantial properties.

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 the central area.

the Nov-May green season is quieter