Luambe National Park

The small, little-known Luambe National Park is located in the Luangwa Valley, between North and South Luangwa National Parks. Wildlife is quite skittish, but densities are increasing.

All of the wildlife present in well-known South Luangwa might be encountered in Luambe. Numbers are lower though, and animals are less habituated. There are plenty of antelope around, including puku, impala, bushbuck, greater kudu and waterbuck. Even from your tent’s balcony you won’t miss the grunting hippos bobbing up and down in the river and maybe even elephants splashing the heat of the day away.

The beautiful Luangwa River is the park’s lifeline. It floods strongly in the Wet season and it reduces to a trickle in the Dry season. At this time several lagoons holding permanent water attract lots of thirsty animals. Riverine forest flanks the waterways. Away from the river, the landscape is comprised of miombo woodland and open plains dotted with sausage trees.

Luambe has a tropical climate, which means there’s not much variation in temperature throughout the year. The main influences on the weather are the park’s two distinctive seasons. Days are warm and nights are cool in the Dry season (May to October). The hot Wet season (November to April) brings daily downpours.

Luambe is very seasonal, and Luambe Camp only operates during the Dry season months of June through to October. This coincides with the prime period for wildlife viewing when animals gather around the Luangwa River and its lagoons. The park becomes inaccessible and waterlogged from November to May.

Pros & Cons

• Reasonable wildlife viewing with four of the Big Five present (rhino is absent)
• Little visited, off-the-beaten-track destination
• Remote, luxury camp on the bank of the Luangwa River
• Game drives, night drives and guided walks offered
• Less wildlife than in South Luangwa
• Small game-drive circuit
• Roads are bad in the Dry season and impassable in the Wet season

Best Time to Go July to October (Animals are easier to find)

High Season July to October (The park is little visited)

Size 254km² / 98mi²

Altitude 553-670m / 1,814-2,198ft

Recommended Camps, Lodges & Hotels

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