The elephant crossing
In file through the river.
Geoff Gallice — CC BY 2.0 · I've Got It On Film! — CC BY 2.0 · I've Got It On Film! — CC BY 2.0 · I've Got It On Film! — CC BY 2.0 · I've Got It On Film! — CC BY 2.0
South Luangwa National Park is a reserve of 9,050 square kilometres in eastern Zambia, in the valley of the Luangwa River, which forms its eastern boundary at the end of the East African Rift. The river winds here between oxbow lagoons and sandy banks, drawing great numbers of animals. It is among the best-known parks on the continent for safari lovers. The first Luangwa Game Reserve was created in 1904, a game reserve was founded here again in 1938, and it became a national park in 1972. The British conservationist Norman Carr played a large part, opening a camp in the 1950s where guests shot with cameras and not rifles, with profits going back to the community. That is why the park is known as the home of the walking and photographic safari. Its finest sight is herds of elephants crossing the shallow river in single file below a high wooded bank. The park has more than 60 mammal species and over 400 kinds of bird, among them giraffes, buffalo, lions, hyenas and wild cats such as the serval. The steep Muchinga Escarpment closes the valley to the west and shows in the distance at sunset. It is about 47 km in a straight line from Mfuwe, whose airport has flights from Lusaka. Choose a walk with an armed ranger if you can, as that is what this place does best. The dry months from June to October suit a visit best, and roads turn difficult in the rains. Protect yourself from mosquitoes and ask your doctor about malaria.
In file through the river.
With an armed ranger.
Oxbows and sandy banks.
Luangwa Valley, near Mfuwe, eastern Zambia
They run with an armed ranger and a guide, so follow them and stay with the group.
It is easiest to fly to Mfuwe from Lusaka, then drive to the gate.