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Trapperjem
Visited:
August 2011
Reviewed: Apr 24, 2012
Fantastic first safari, few people and lots of animals.
This was a fantastic 4 day safari, 2 days at Kapani Lodge and 2 days at a very luxurious bush at Mchenji with Norman Carr Safaris. We saw more than 60 different species of animals and birds during those days. The guides and scout were exceptionally well trained and knowledgeable on most aspects of the wildlife and plants. A very personal service was provided and the night drives were terrific for seeing hippos feeding on land and several leopards, a very special treat. A great destination for all the great African mammals except cheetah and rhino.
During the two 3-4 hour drives each day we only met other a couple of 4x4. There was none of that following along in a queue of traffic! The food and the accommodation were also 1st class. I highly recommend this place.
There are safari parks, and there is South Luangwa.
I visited with my eldest son in early August 2107, the beginning of the busy season. We wanted to a walking safari, and our tour operator recommended Remote Safaris, as they have three lodges an easy walking distance apart towards the northern part of the reserve. Although the lodges were fully booked in the peak period of September and October, they were less than 50% occupied. We stayed three nights in the main camp of before walking to … Crocodile River. We were the only occupants in the two satellite camps.
The combination
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of walking and vehicle game experiences meant we had many sightings, including leopard (three times from vehicle), lion, and wild dog, who passed within five metres of us when walking on our final day.Hippos are abundant in the Luangwa river; elephants abound, and we had many sightings of zebra, giraffe, and antelopes. Every sighting even of the common herbivores gave us a different perspective, especially when walking; there is that extra feeling of adventure when you tiptoe slowly near an antelope, or freeze when elephant is close.
The scenery adds to the experience. The sublime mapone forest, with many trees devastated by elephants, contrasts with the rich vegetation around the river. According to our guide, some guests request a long walk simply to experience the feeling of isolation and peace.
The birdlife is amazing. We viewed 78 species and photographed many close up. Our guide told us much about footprints and plant life as we made our way through the bush.
South Luangwa is expensive. It is difficult to visit for overseas travellers, requiring a flight into ….and then on onward journey to your camp. But the reward is experiencing something very special: abundant wildlife in a remote location where, for the most part, you alone are the sole human participant.
Close to being the finest National Park in Africa
I've already been to South Luangwa National park 3 times and will be going again next year. This is simply an outstanding place in every way, shape and form. It has an outstanding bush vibe as well as exceptional guiding. The night drives and walking are unbeatable.
The wildlife is just superb. I saw so many elephants, hippos, lions, leopards and antelope. The birdlife was just superb.
You will love it - see lots without huge crowds.
It has almost all major animals except rhino. Not overwhelmed with tourist vehicles - a bit more private experience. Our guide was super - including positioning the vehicle for best photo angles. Have been to parks in 4 countries and this is my favorite for the overall experience.
Jennifer
CA
Visited:
October 2017
Reviewed: Nov 11, 2017
Email Jennifer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond our imagination and exceeded our wildest dreams
South luangwa national park is truly the most "natural" place we have ever visited. And we are avid wildlife hikers. The sheer volume of wildlife - of many many species - everywhere was something we'd never experienced. The number of species of birds, animals, insects was wondrous. The bush camp company guides are local and very very knowledgeable about the wildlife and also reading the 'signs', watching the animal interactions, behaviour to know what was happening. I cannot recommend enough helping to keep this park as it is. For some of these animals it is the last bastion. And our outings were respectful of nature and animals.
Payam Mazloum
CA
Visited:
December 2015
Reviewed: May 17, 2016
Email Payam Mazloum | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The park of never ending experiences
I have traveled to this park over 20 different times over the last 10 years and really that should say it all!
Every time I go without a doubt I experience something new. This attests to the diversity of the park and the general quality of the guides available.
As a photographer, this is the park in which I have captured my most amazing shots! (Google Payam Mazloum Photography to see for yourselves).
As for accommodations, depending on how much you are willing to spend, there is a large variety of quality locations, but regardless of where you stay, the safari experience will be consistently amazing.
Alberto Rametta
IT
Visited:
October 2015
Reviewed: Dec 29, 2015
Email Alberto Rametta | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A surprising experience
For the first time in Africa I saw lions hunting buffalos, just meters from our car (I know, there is a big part of luck in that ...), a lot of leopards, a lot of herbivores, not forgetting elephants and ippos.
We enjoy so much also "the walking safari" also if I was afraid before to go, but the experience of our guide (unluckly I forgot the name) made it only a pleasant walk.
Also the accomodation at Croc Valley Camp was excellent: nice cottages in the middle of the bush and a nice restaurant, and you know how italians are demaning on food.
Hope this short text could explain our satisfaction
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to stay at South Luangwa National Park and a great thank to our tour operator Africa Wild Truck from Blantyre (Malawi) who supported us in Zambia.Alberto Rametta
Allen
GB
Visited:
July 2015
Reviewed: Aug 26, 2015
Email Allen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
First Safari and after this trip will not be my last
The Park is fantastic, not crowded with load of vehicles and people, the wildlife is always very close and relatively safe, the guides really know there stuff and are brilliant at their job, we stayed at the Lion Camp, which is up market for a Safari, very comfortable, brilliant food and transportation was always there on time and always safe. Highlights were the six Leopards we saw - beautiful animals, we also saw Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Antelope and too many bird species to mention. Night Drives were fun, but you need a good camera to capture the views on film, walking safari's are very educational - you will learn a lot about POO. Overall a great experience, wish we had seen two camps rather than just one to allow us to make a comparison, apart from that fantastic, but we were very tired when we got home - not used to 05.30 starts.
D. Armstrong
Visited:
November 2010
Reviewed: May 26, 2015
Even in Ultra-Dry Conditions, South Luangwa NP is not to be Missed
I traveled to South Luangwa National Park in late November, during one of the driest portion of an already dry-spell. Even so, the scenic beauty and wildlife were spectacular - and concentrated around the dwindling river systems. Although not a "birder" per se, the southern portions of the park are highly recommended for bird lovers.
Allan_Grey
GB
Visited:
October 2014
Reviewed: May 24, 2015
Email Allan_Grey | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
If Remote, Luxury & Lions are the some of criteria you seek, then South Luangwa has it in spades!
Breakfast at Bush Camp was taken on old camp chairs circled around the braai over which we toasted the most delicious home baked bread, then it was off on a walking safari to learn about all creatures great and small that make up the local ecosystem, and of course the evening walks always finished adjacent to a
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river, with a sundowner, mine's a G&T please. The other delight of this remote camp, apart from there only being six guests there, was Klaus, the elderly German camp manager. What a wealth of knowledge about all things Africa, could just sit and listen to him for hours, very entertaining.Although I'm not a "Birder", I am a photographer and I was able to take many shots of my favourite bird, the Lilac Breasted Roller, such beautiful colours, and they do pose longer and allow you to get closer than some of the others, they are obviously the posers of the bird world, and don't they know it. On the other hand the Carmine Bee Eater, hundreds of them, just will not stay still, and I never managed to get any shots quite as good as those of the the Roller.
Plenty of elephants, some fairly docile, others quite aggressive, just hope your driver doesn't switch the engine off when they decide to come closer. Some of the most beautiful giraffe we had seen, large herds of buffalo, lots of antelope, especially Puku, and Kudu.
Then on to Lion Camp, about three hours drive through the park from Mfuwe, and as usual sitting in the jeep is like sitting behind a jet engine prior to take off, very hot air blasting through, hold on to your hat and make sure you have plenty of water. The reward for all this is an extremely remote camp in a beautiful corner of the park alongside the South Luangwa river, and of course the famous Hollywood pride. The pride was 19 strong when we visited, a dominant male, six or seven lionesses and numerous cubs from just a few months old to stroppy teenagers, always looking for trouble when the elders wanted to sleep. They are called the Hollywood pride because they have been featured in several wildlife films, and it was no different when we saw them, they were being filmed from afar by a seriously big camera outfit.
Five glorious days at Lion camp, being waited on hand and foot, served the most delicious food, along with a maximum of six other guests was heaven, well all except for one mega-opinionated retired US marine Colonel, just had to blank him out, tosser!
Game drives each morning and evening, each day concluded by the ubiquitous sundowner, with many sightings including one drive where we sat in the same riverbank position for two hours just watching the Hollywood pride resting and playing, and keeping their wary eyes on a group of five elderly buffalo; little did we know what awaited us the following morning, our last day and our last game drive.
Just two vehicles from Lion camp on an open plain looking for the first sighting of the day, and what a sighting, maybe a once in a lifetime sighting, the male and six lionesses chasing, catching and bringing down one of the elderly buffalo we had seen by the river the previous evening. If you haven't seen a kill before, or more to the point if you haven't heard a kill before, it's not easy viewing or listening, especially from a mere 20 metres away, for the hour it took the buffalo to succumb. In some parks there would have been dozens of jeeps homing in on such an event, here in South Luangwa, there was just the two vehicles from our camp, and the film crew, some mile away across the river.
We took a break and drove a safe distance for coffee and cake, and to look at the photos we had all taken. While we were doing this, the male and one of the lionesses strolled off across the river, and after a few rests along the way, brought all the cubs back for some grub, but woe betide they got in the way of the grown ups, if they did a swift thwack with a giant paw soon taught them some meal time etiquette.
We will never forget this spellbinding experience in South Luangwa National Park, shared with just the small number of friends we had made at Lion camp; the marine Colonel had left the previous day, such a shame!
