South Luangwa

There are scenes and animals you simply do not find anywhere else, with wildlife that is not sanitised by decades of human habituation.

There is still a wildness here that grabs at your soul and drags you into an exhilarating adventure.

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What to expect…

…in the ‘Valley of the Leopard’. Well as the moniker suggests, leopards are plentiful and display interesting traits that you won’t see anywhere else - hunting in sunken hippo tracks that form during the wet season and then dry in ever-deeper furrows that criss-cross the land ensuring leopards can hunt on the open plains whilst disappearing from view and popping up in bursts of energy at their chosen prey.

The meandering Luangwa River has arguably the highest concentration of hippos and crocodiles anywhere in Africa. Herds of fluffy impala-like puku with heart-shaped noses graze in the Ebony groves while olive baboons and the endemic-to-South-Luangwa Thornycroft giraffes feed. Maneless lions hunt buffaloes in the driest months and packs of wild dogs roam the valley whilst Carmine bee-eaters colonise the river banks.

The Luangwa River meanders through South Luangwa National Park

Leopard on a branch looks up and extends whiskers in South Luangwa

When to Visit

Most of the camps are closed during the rainy season as flooding and wet ground make much of the park impassable from December through March. From April through June after the rains have stopped and the ground dries, the camps open but wildlife viewing remains challenging due to the tall grasses and abundant water. In July and August wildlife viewing really picks up and the pleasant, sunny days with moderate temperatures ensure you will be happy. The temperatures really begin to climb rapidly through September and by October the temperatures regularly hover around 40ºC during the day and dont drop to much lower than mid twenties at night which can be challenging. The wildlife viewing is, however, off the charts. Animals congregate around the last remaining water source and the underbrush and grass has died right back making viewing and spotting wildlife easy. Carmine bee-eaters flock to the valley to make their nests in this time in a sight that is extraordinary to behold. The rains typically return some time in November and most camps begin to close towards the end of the month in preparation for the rains.