Wild Zambia Safari

Quick Facts

• Special Status: N/A
• Location: Eastern Zambia
• Land mass: 4,092 km²
• Mammal species: 60+
• Bird species: 400+
• Big 5 reserve: No (Rhino are absent)

Activities

• Game drives
• Night drives
• Canoeing
• Premium walking safaris
• Boating
• Fishing
• Birding

Highlights

• Beautiful destination based around the Zambezi River
• Extremely high standards of guiding
• High-quality and authentic camps
• Premium-quality walking safaris
• Night drives
• Canoeing safaris
• Reliable wild dog sightings

The Lower Zambezi National Park is located in Eastern Zambia. It is a relatively small to medium sized park with a land mass of 4092 km². It is ideally located on the banks of the Zambezi River, with South Luangwa National Park to the north and the spectacular Victoria Falls to the south.

It is possible to reach the park by road from Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. However, this isn’t practical for a multi-destination itinerary so a fly-in option is much more popular. The park links well by air with South Luangwa National Park, Lusaka, and Livingstone (Victoria Falls).

The Lower Zambezi is an exciting national park to visit due in no small measure to its exceptional array of activities on offer. Its location on the banks of the great Zambezi River ensures exciting water-based activities are offered by most of the high-quality camps and lodges we recommend. Canoeing and boating safaris on the water are complemented by land based vehicle safaris and night drives. Walking safaris are another option available to you. We love national parks and game reserves that are able to offer such a vast array of wildlife perspectives. It enhances the adventure and increases your chances of seeing more species of animals. The park is also renowned for its high quality camps and excellent guiding.

Wildlife abundance and diversity are excellent at the Lower Zambezi National Park, making it an ideal destination for a wildlife based holiday. The river is densely populated with crocodiles and hippopotamus. Carnivores are well represented by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and even the elusive African wild dog. Smaller carnivores include serval, caracal, honey badger, African civet and common genet. Herbivores are well represented with solid populations of bushbuck, waterbuck, impala and puku, as well as buffalo, elephants, and rare antelope species such as eland and roan. Notable absentees are giraffe that have never historically occurred here and black rhinoceros that have been poached to extinction.

The absence of the black rhinoceros prevents Lower Zambezi from being a Big 5 destination but this is more than made up for by the combination of wildlife abundance and diversity, vast array of exciting activities and premium guiding quality.

Best Time To Visit

The climate of Lower Zambezi National Park can be simplified by dividing it into the dry season and wet season, with two transitional shoulder seasons at the end of each. Each season, and indeed the months within each season, offers you a different experience. There is no time of year that offers you the best of everything so we provide you with a balanced account throughout the year so you are able to make an informed decision on the best time to visit based on your preferences.

The dry season runs from June to October. It is at this time of year wildlife viewing is at its best. The season, as its name suggests, is characterised by blue skies and no rain. A perfect time to be on safari. As Zambia is in the southern hemisphere this time of year is winter. The coolest months are July and August when night temperatures drop enough to necessitate warm clothing for early morning game activities. However, the sun quickly raises the mercury so expect to be basking in 30 degrees Celsius by lunch. Temperatures increase as the season draws on with October being extremely hot and dry, and uncomfortable for those who do not enjoy such high temperatures.

Wildlife viewing is at its best in the dry season as the animals migrate towards permanent sources of life-giving water. This behaviour ensures game viewing is much more reliable and predictable. Huge volumes of wildlife can be seen in one place which makes for great photographic opportunities. The negative aspects of the dry season are the premium price tags the camps carry at this time of year and also the dry and dusty park isn’t as beautiful as it is in the wet season.

The wet season runs from December to March. Rainfall is a feature of most days in the form of heavy showers and thunderstorms, yet it rarely rains all day. Travel can be difficult at this time of year and some roads may become washed out. The presence of water throughout the park and beyond its boundaries allows wildlife to disperse into the hinterland making wildlife viewing generally more of a challenge. However, many species of animals give birth at this time of year so it is the best time to travel for the cuteness factor.

Prices are at their lowest at this time of year but it must be noted most of the remote camps are closed. However, permanent lodges stay open and offer attractive rates.

The wet season is definitely the best time if you are looking for an exclusive safari where other tourist vehicles are a rare sighting. Although Lower Zambezi National Park certainly isn’t a busy park it can suffer occasional crowding around water sources in the dry season.

The transitional shoulder seasons are November and April and May. At these times of year they represent a transition from the dry to wet season and wet to dry season respectively. These months are considered to offer a compromise between the two main seasons.