Zambia - The 10 Greatest Safari Experiences

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Is it the justified flood of praise for South Luangwa, Kafue and Lower Zambezi National Parks that drowns out any word of Zambia’s other wilderness areas? Or is it simply the fact that few visitors venture out of the great ‘big three’ and thus have nothing else to extol? Here, Stephen Cunliffe looks across Zambia to find the best safari experiences available today, finding the country is one of the continent’s most rewarding wildlife destinations. Most of us familiar with Zambia and its wildlife heritage will be aware of the ‘Big Three’:  South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi and Kafue. Although these national parks are undeniably amongst Africa’s finest wilderness areas, providing an enviable array of activities and wildlife-viewing opportunities, there is so much more to the Zambian safari circuit. The nation is actually home to 19 national parks, 36 game management areas (GMAs), seven RAMSAR wetland sites and 42 important birding areas (IBAs). Add its three trans-frontier parks and numerous forest reserves and a staggering 38 per cent of Zambia is formally protected, the highest percentage in Africa. The Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) is responsible for administering the protected areas, but a desire to improve levels of expertise and address critical funding shortfalls has led to a number of private trusts and conservation NGOs stepping in to augment their capabilities.  This has resulted in a healthy diversity of conservation areas that provides near limitless opportunities for you to enhance your Zambian safari experience, making the country one of the continent’s most rewarding safari destinations. While you certainly do not want to miss Zambia’s finest and most famous wildlife areas, you should think hard about complementing them with trips into wilder, remoter and less-known regions, or simply turning the calendar on its head and visiting them in the traditional ‘off-season’. To subscribe or buy back issues, click here  Reaping the rewards of guiding - South Luangwa National Park When planning and booking a safari, people spend much time choosing between parks and camps on the basis of the quality of accommodations, the levels of service, the food, the activities on offer... but what about the guiding? This is a crucial aspect of any and every safari.  You will spend more time with your safari guide than all the other lodge staff put together. The guide’s knowledge, enthusiasm, experience and safety ethic will undoubtedly make the difference between a safari-of-a-lifetime experience and a potentially disastrous safari plagued by problems and frustrations. So, why not consider guiding standards as an essential part of planning every safari experience? In South Luangwa National Park, they do. Despite boasting what might be Zambia’s highest wildlife densities, with healthy populations of lion, leopard and wild dog, and arguably its greatest diversity of species, the park is not resting on its laurels. South Luangwa has not only pioneered the nation’s guide training and certification process, but it continues to set the standards. Potential safari guides are chosen for several key attributes: passion for nature, ability to communicate, willingness to learn and grow, and enthusiastic personalities. Those selected undergo formal training courses and an apprenticeship with an experienced field guide who mentors and advises them as they build up experience. Candidates need to have logged over 200 hours of safari drives before they are even allowed to sit a general written examination. Those who pass the theory paper are then eligible for a practical wildlife-drive evaluation, which is conducted by two examiners. On successfully passing the practical, and completing a first aid course, a class two guiding licence will be awarded. This allows the new guide to conduct safaris from vehicles only. Walking guides take many seasons to train. Candidates slowly accumulate their 200 hours of walking safari experience and in the process amass a wealth of in-depth knowledge of animal behaviour and spoor, birdlife, calls, vegetation and safety procedures. The written and practical exams for walking safari guides are more thorough and extremely challenging. The park’s exceptionally tough guiding standards ensure that guests are delivered an enriching, informative, exciting and safe safari experience. This was ably demonstrated by South Luangwa’s Manda Chisanga winning the inaugural Paul Morrison Guide Award in 2006 for being the world’s best guide. So, when you are approaching some of Luangwa’s elephants on foot or tracking down a lion pride on a safari drive, spare a thought for your guide; their professionalism, detailed bush knowledge, communicative ability and understanding of animal behaviour are not simply luck – they are the result of many years of training and hard work. The success in South Luangwa has now led to the guide-licensing programme spreading to other major Zambian national parks like the Lower Zambezi and, more recently, Kafue. This will further boost the country’s reputation for providing some of the continent’s best safaris. Experiencing Emerald Season - Kafue and South Luangwa National Parks A mother warthog trots along with her tail raised like an antenna, five tiny piglets scampering close behind. Everywhere animals are dropping their young, the bush is alive with birdsong, and thunderstorms have replaced the colourless dust and smoky haze of the dry season with vibrant colours. This is Zambia’s Emerald Season. There is no shortage of great reasons to enjoy Zambia between December and April, when rains reduce the flow of incoming tourists to a trickle – for starters, you’ll practically have the two most popular national parks to yourself. The lighting from the stunning storms and the air’s exceptional clarity during this period also provide great photographic opportunities. While the big cats and other classic safari wildlife won’t be doing battle around dwindling water sources, as they do in the dry season, the bush is alive with the scents and smells of rejuvenation. Migrant birds arrive in their thousands, displaying gorgeous breeding plumages and performing elaborate courtship rituals, and the many antelope give birth in their annual baby boom. Patrolling the periphery are hungry predators searching for an easy meal. With the few vehicle tracks waterlogged and oozing with mud, safari drives in 4WDs are replaced with fun-filled and informative bush walks during this time of year. The higher river levels also allow for comfortable boat cruises and exciting canoe trips. In the past, the basic infrastructure of most parks made it difficult for many safari operators to function during the rainy season, and the majority of camps were obliged to close for its duration. However, the success of the few who remained open has led more operations to take part in the Emerald Season. This year saw seven lodges and three bush camps remain open in South Luangwa, while a further four lodges, including one in the Busanga Plains, attempted – for the first time – to continue operations into the Kafue’s wet season. To lure those unconvinced, there are excellent off-season safari rates and accommodation bargains. What are you waiting for? Making a splash - Lower Zambezi National Park The canoes float slowly downstream. Up ahead a herd of breeding elephants swim trunk-to-tail across a river channel before splashing over a shallow sandbar. Making way for their larger neighbours, a pod of hippos grunt before vacating their resting spot. The ensuing commotion causes a large crocodile to slip noiselessly from his sunny sandbank into the cool water. The scenery and sights are spectacular, but there is something missing – the sound of a diesel engine. Thank heaven for that. Canoes are quiet and unobtrusive, relieving you of an emotion you often get in a 4WD vehicle – the feeling of intruding on nature. Paddling along the Zambezi River is truly an unparalleled and awe-inspiring African safari experience. While in geographic and political terms the Zambezi separates Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park from Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, the more important reality is that it forms the life-giving heart of a massive transfrontier wilderness area. In places the river stretches over a mile wide and is composed of a maze of waterways and sandy, albida-covered islands. As the Zambezi continues its easterly journey towards the distant Indian Ocean, the myriad channels regroup and funnel through the steep-sided and spectacular Mapata Gorge. The Zambezi’s Nkalangi, Chifingulu and Discovery channels cover a combined distance of 35km, cutting through some of the Lower Zambezi’s finest wildlife viewing areas. Popular half- and full-day canoe trips focus specifically on these shallow channels, which are only accessible by canoe. Experienced, licensed guides lead the canoes in single file down the winding channels, relying on their training and exceptional local knowledge to negotiate expertly around the ubiquitous hippos, whilst still constantly pointing out interesting waterfowl and other plentiful wildlife. Provided the guide’s instructions are followed, and you don’t try to tempt a passing crocodile by dragging your hands or feet in the water, this is a safe, active and unique way to view wildlife. Lather up with sunscreen, always wear a hat and sunglasses, and keep drinking water because dehydration is actually your biggest worry on the river. The best wildlife viewing months are during the height of the dry season, from July to October, when thirst drives large numbers of elephant, buffalo and antelope to the perennial waters of the Zambezi. Elephant herds can swell to 200 strong as they come to quench their thirst, wallow in the mud and cavort in the refreshing river. An unmistakable cry of an African fish eagle always seems to float down the river and complete the scene. For those who are adventurous enough, there is time to cool down with a swim on a wide shallow sandbar as the sun climbs towards its zenith. Lying down on golden sand that sparkles with mica, with 12 inches of the cool Zambezi enveloping you, is the perfect recipe for invigorating any paddler. Top off the experience downstream with a perfect riverside picnic in the shade of a winter thorn tree, all in full view of the dramatic Zambezi Escarpment. You may have some rather large company, but it will be they who feel they are intruding. Searching for Shoebills - Bangweulu Swamps The shoebill, also known as the whaleheaded stork, is one of the rarest birds in Africa. Standing up to 1.4m tall with a huge hooked beak, it is often said to resemble the extinct dodo. One of the best places on the continent to track down this strange relative of the pelican family is Zambia’s Bangweulu Swamps. This wetland is the only known shoebill breeding site in southern Africa and is estimated to contain as many as 500 of these threatened birds. As the rainy season draws to a close in March/April the shoebills move out to the fringes of the permanent swamps to breed in the papyrus, and consequently, they can be more easily located. Visitors during this time must take great care not to disturb their nesting sites. This quality viewing window lasts through June and July. Although the aptly named Shoebill Island Camp is perfectly placed in the Bangweulu Swamps, reaching the elusive birds can be an exciting adventure in itself. Higher water levels during the viewing season necessitate the use of mekoro (dugout canoes), as well as plenty of wading (rather than walking), in order to capture memorable sightings. Although not a national park, the Bangweulu lake and wetlands have been declared a protected RAMSAR site. The area is also home to a profusion of other birdlife, including flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills and wattled cranes. However, it’s the populations of shoebills, swamp flycatchers, lesser jacanas and Fuelleborn’s and rosy-breasted longclaws that seriously impress the avid twitchers. A variety of mammals, including thousands of endemic black lechwe, inhabit the swamps, so even if the rare shoebill manages to elude you, there is still plenty to appreciate in this large and diverse wetland. Chasing cheetah - Busanga Plains, Kafue National Park I knew the sleek, long-legged animal stalking ahead was built for speed: its non-retractable claws function like a sprinter’s running spikes; its long tail acts to counterbalance the streamlined body at high speeds; its deep chest holds an oversized heart and lungs, and its large nostrils maximise oxygen intake. However, watching it in action was an education indeed. Inching forward, the cheetah used the grassy terrain to her advantage, keeping her concealed from the puku who was 50m away and blissfully unaware. In a blur of speed she broke cover, accelerating to over 100km/hr in a matter of seconds. The hunt was over in an instant, and the antelope, with its throat gripped tight in the cheetah’s jaws, was dead soon after. Before enjoying her spoils she chirped like a bird, calling her three nearby cubs to her side. While the Busanga Plains are not the only place in Zambia where cheetah are found, they undeniably provide the best opportunity to view these magnificent cats in action. Found in the northwestern region of Kafue National Park, the plains cover an area of approximately 750 square kilometres, a mere fraction of the park’s massive 22,400 square kilometres. Flooded annually by the Lufupa River system, Busanga is a rich grassland dotted with palm- and fig-dominated tree islands. This mosaic is interspersed with a scattering of seasonally-recharged pans, known locally as dambos. From late November until early June the floodwaters transform the plains into a vast swamp. During this period herds of red lechwe, numbering in the thousands, splash about and keep a wealth of birdlife company, while the cheetah withdraw to the woodlands on the plains’ fringes, making sightings of them scarce. The best time to maximise your chances of viewing cheetah is during the peak dry season months (July to October). With the floodwaters gone the plains become an expanse of nutritious grassland that attracts a variety of grazers, a population that in turn lures in lion, leopard, cheetah and even the occasional pack of wild dogs. As you explore this diverse wilderness in search of some of Zambia’s last surviving cheetahs, there is a huge variety of wildlife to keep you engrossed – some of those grazers include rare sitatunga, herds of stately sable and majestic roan. Make sure you take all its majesty in because you never know if and when good fortune and skilled guiding might lead you to a hippo-filled dambo where a family of cheetah are slaking their thirst after feasting nervously on a puku. Migrating with the masses - Liuwa Plains National Park Blue wildebeest cover the horizon, stretching as far as the eye can see. It is early November in the Liuwa Plains National Park and the herds have gathered en masse on the southern plains. This spectacular sight is the culmination of Africa’s second largest wildebeest migration. The wildebeest begin their journey some 200km away in Angola before eventually emerging from the woodland and gathering in the northwest regions of Liuwa Plains during the early part of the dry season (June). As time passes they are increasingly drawn to the plains’ natural pans and waterholes, causing them to slowly graze their way 70km southwards. Along the way they mingle with herds of zebra and other antelope, before converging on the southern plains for the arrival of the rains in November. It’s here they will remain for much of the rainy season before returning north to the woodland, and thus completing their annual cycle. The Liuwa Plains National Park is one of Zambia’s wildest wilderness areas and is located in the upper Zambezi floodplains of the nation’s west. It comprises 3660 square kilometres of vast grasslands and wooded islands that play a vital role in the Zambezi River’s catchment. These important rains cause an annual flood that inundates much of the park from late December until early June, and proves to be the driving mechanism for the mass migration. Although the area has suffered from poaching in the past, it is still home to an abundance of wildlife today, thanks largely to the Barotse people and their passion for the land and its animals. The future success of Liuwa has been greatly enhanced by a highly successful three-way partnership between the local people, the Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) and the private foundation African Parks Network (APN). The commitment of APN to invoke the cooperation of the local people in conserving their wildlife has delivered commendable results, with wildebeest numbers increasing from 15,000 to over 33,000 in just the last five years. The excellent relationship between the park and the surrounding communities make it a rare example where local people and wildlife still live in relative harmony. Migrating wildebeest and large numbers of zebra are not the only reasons to visit the stunningly diverse Liuwa Plains: tsessebe, red lechwe, oribi, southern reedbuck, the rare roan, and recently reintroduced eland are some of the other antelope species present. Spotted hyena, side-striped jackal and buffalo are common on the plains, whilst lion and cheetah occur in smaller numbers. Rare sightings of leopard and visiting packs of nomadic wild dog have also been recorded in recent years. The seasonal flooding dramatically alters the landscape and produces an extraordinary wetland that is a haven for migrating water birds. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the park, including large populations of endangered wattled and grey-crowned cranes, as well as white pelicans, marabou and saddle-billed storks, and the majestic African fish eagle. Liuwa’s tourism is in its infancy – last year just 436 tourists made the effort to reach this remote wilderness destination. However, the APN has now implemented a five-year strategic business plan to develop the park and expand the tourist infrastructure. And with quality operators like Robin Pope Safaris recently adding it to their repertoire, it won’t be long before Liuwa becomes a highlight of many  Zambian safaris. This remote and vast wilderness areas is a truly unique and untouched. Imagine taking the Mara and Serengeti, combining them with the Okavango Delta, and then evacuating all the tourists... the result will leave you in awe. Rooting for rhinos - North Luangwa National Park Most people familiar with the 4636-square-kilometre North Luangwa National Park know it for its superb walking safaris along the permanent Mwaleshi River or into the Muchinga Escarpment. Its increasing elephant population, together with massive buffalo herds and large lion prides, never fail to captivate. But where did all the rhino go? In the late 1960s the Luangwa Valley was home to an estimated 8000 black rhino. However, during the subsequent two decades they were hunted until considered locally extinct. In 2003, Zambia welcomed back its first five black rhino thanks to the hard work of the Frankfurt Zoological Society and its donor-funded North Luangwa Conservation Project. The first calf was born in 2005 and a further 10 rhino arrived in June 2006. The reintroduction of 12 more black rhino to the park’s intensive protection zone (IPZ) this June will establish a genetically diverse and viable breeding population. Although North Luangwa is already considered by safari connoisseurs to be amongst Africa’s finest safari destinations, the successful reintroduction of black rhino will further enrich the walking safari experience here. In addition to two community camps, it has a limited number of seasonal, low-impact bush camps providing a true wilderness experience. Tangoing with tigers - Sumbu National Park Tigers? Not any old tigers, but gargantuan tigerfish weighing up to 35kg. This world-renowned sports fish is desired by dedicated and casual anglers alike. And Lake Tanganyika, the host for Zambia’s national fishing competition, is a fine a place as any to try and reel one in. Other notable species patrolling its waters include gigantic Nile perch and vundu catfish. There are, however, more reasons to visit Sumbu National Park. Incorporating 100km of Tanganyika’s unspoiled southern shore and its surrounding waters, this 2020-square-kilometre park includes myth-shrouded ‘balancing boulder’ rock formations and rapidly recovering wildlife populations (poaching was previously a major problem here). There are two lodges that operate in the area: one within the park and the other seven kilometres outside. Together they maintain a decent infrastructure of tracks for safari drives and walks, and for tours of the landscape. Highly adventurous souls who remain undeterred by crocodiles have the opportunity to snorkel or scuba dive with over 250 species of colourful, endemic cichlids in the lake. Whether you are drawn to Sumbu to have the fight of your life with an energetic tigerfish, to explore uncharted territory on foot, or to savour the scenery and spectacular sunsets, you will enjoy this taste of wilderness. Taking in total tranquility - Mutinondo Wilderness A miombo woodland in flush is a resplendent sight. To avoid having their new shoots browsed immediately, the leaves of the Brachystegia and Julbernardia trees emerge red, bathing the area in a sea of scarlet during September and October. This colourful woodland dominates the Mutinondo Wilderness, 100 square kilometres of privately owned pure African bush on the edge of the Muchinga Escarpment, 30km west of the Luangwa Valley. The landscape, dotted with gigantic granite inselbergs, crystal clear rivers and breathtaking waterfalls, hosts more than just miombo; there are rare flora, such as species of cycad, orchid and protea, and wildlife too. Sitatunga, sable and roan antelope roam over the land while many unusual birds fill the sky. With an abundance of bar-winged weaver, Anchieta’s and Whyte’s barbets, and a remarkable ten species of sunbird, it’s not surprising the area is listed as an IBA (Important Bird Area) by BirdLife International. Viewing the varied life within Mutinondo can be done on foot or from atop a mountain bike or horse. Other activities include canoeing, swimming and fishing. True adventure seekers can even opt for multi-day guided walks into the Luangwa Valley. The area contains two camps, which remain open throughout the year. Whether you come to escape the stresses of everyday life, or to immerse yourself in the dizzying array of activities, your visit to the heart of undiscovered Zambia will undoubtedly seem too short.

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