Overview–zambia

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. Luambe Camp, the only accommodation in the park, consists of just four safari tents. Perched on the east bank of the Luangwa River, this remote hideaway offers the perfect bush retreat for those wanting to get away from it all.

Best Time to Visit

Luambe Camp, the only accommodation in Luambe National Park, only operates in the Dry season months of June through to October. The remoteness of the park and the bad roads make it almost impossible to visit during the Wet season. The middle and end of the Dry season, from July to October, is the best time for wildlife viewing as animals gather around the rivers and lagoons. Be warned though, October is extremely hot.

May to October –Dry Season

The best months for viewing animals
It is sunny and it rarely rains
Malaria risk is minimal
The bush looks parched and the sky is very hazy
October is very hot
Warm clothing is necessary for cold mornings from June to August

November to April –Wet Season

The scenery is lush and the air crisp
Best time for birding as migrants are in the park
Many newborn animals can be seen
The only camp in the park is closed
Black cotton soil means game-drive tracks become impassable
Wildlife viewing is at its best in the Dry season
High levels of humidity and heat
Malaria is a concern in the Wet season

Scenery

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.

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Jan

Feb

Mar

April

Nov

Dec

May

Jun

Rates

From: $204 to $1,223 pp/day

Best Time to Go

From: July to October (Animals are easier to find)

High Season

From: July to October (The park is little visited)

Size

From: 254km² / 98mi²

Wildlife & Animals

After years of poaching, Luambe National Park is slowly returning to its former glory. Aside from the black rhino, all the usual wildlife is present. Elephants and buffalo are regular visitors to the lagoon, and there is a good variety of antelopes. Hundreds of hippos gather in the river in front of Luambe Camp in the Dry season and crocodiles are abundant too.

Luambe is home to several very localized subspecies. Herds of Thornicroft's giraffe, endemic to the Luangwa Valley, form a perfect picture when feeding on shady sausage trees. Another subspecies unique to the valley is Cookson's wildebeest, the numbers of which are increasing rapidly. Also of interest is the local subspecies of plains zebra, the Crawshay's zebra with its distinct narrow stripes.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The middle until the end of the Dry season – July to October – is the best time for wildlife viewing in Luambe. At this time, animals gather at the lagoons, and the vegetation thins out making spotting easier. The park becomes totally inaccessible in the Wet season (November to April), and the only camp operates from June to October.

General Wheather

The climate in Luambe National Park tends to be hot, and there is a distinct Wet and Dry season. Due to its tropical location, the temperature doesn’t change much throughout the year. Nights are notably cooler in the Dry season though, and there is a spike in daytime temperatures in October in the buildup to the rains.

Dry Season –May to October

There is almost no rain at all in the Dry season. This is the best time for wildlife viewing. It is hot during the day, but cool at night. The only lodge in the park is open from June to October only.

May – The bush is still thick, and there is plenty of water around at the beginning of the Dry season. This is not a good time to visit the park as roads are still waterlogged.
June & July – The rains have come to an end, and the park is drying out. The coolest months of the year are experienced – daytime temperatures climb to 28°C/82°F. Nighttime gets chilly with temperatures of 12°C/54°F. Warm clothing for morning game drives is essential.
August & September – The dry conditions mean the bush is starting to look scorched from the heat. It is getting hotter – September has an average daytime temperature of 32°C/90°F. Mornings are milder.
October – Peak temperatures can be unrelenting during the day. Average temperatures are about 34°C/93°F. Mornings are cooler at around 20°C/68°F. Temperatures drop after the first rains, which usually fall at the end of this month.

Wet Season –November to April

This is the hot Wet season. The only lodge in the park is closed during this period. The roads are black cotton soil and become impassable after the first rains. Access during the Wet season is very difficult and not recommended.

November – The rain starts in October or November and is a relief because the bush is extremely dry. The average daytime temperature is 34°C/93°F. Rain mostly comes in afternoon thunderstorms, but not every day.
December, January, February & March – The wettest period brings rain most days, although it doesn’t usually last all day. Temperatures average 33°C/91°F in the daytime, while at night and in the early morning it’s around 20°C/68°F.
April – Rain is diminishing, but the landscape is lush and green. Road conditions are very bad.

Prons

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

Cons

Less wildlife than in South Luangwa
Small game-drive circuit
Roads are bad in the Dry season and impassable in the Wet season

How To Get There

Luambe National Park is located 140km/86mi from Mfuwe, the village at the entrance to South Luangwa National Park. Most people fly into Mfuwe International Airport (MFU). Luambe Camp, the only accommodation in Luambe, can organize a transfer from Mfuwe airport or any lodge in the Mfuwe area. The drive takes about 4 hours*. There is also an airstrip for charter flights.

You’ll likely enter the country by air via Zambia’s main airport, Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN), located 14km/9 mi from the capital, Lusaka. From there you can catch a flight to Mfuwe.

Self-drive visitors with good 4x4s can visit too. Even if not overnighting in the park, you’ll pass through Luambe when driving between South and North Luangwa National Parks.

*Driving times are only a rough indication. You should always consider the possibility of significant delays.

Airlines & Ticket Prices

Please check Skyscanner to see which airlines can take you to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN), and what tickets would cost.

www.skyscanner.com

Domestic Flights

Charter flights operating between parks are normally incorporated into your tour package and should be booked by your tour operator.

Proflight is Zambia’s only domestic carrier running scheduled flights between Lusaka and Mfuwe. It is also possible to fly directly between Lower Zambezi National Park and Mfuwe.

Passport, Visa & Other Entry Requirements

Please check our Getting There – Zambia page to learn more about passports, visas, COVID-19, and other entry requirements.