North to South Luangwa Expedition

Date: 14-31 October 2023

Venue: North & South Luangwa National Parks, Zambia

Cost: R29 500 per person

Tour Details:

This tour is designed for the intrepid explorer that loves the thrill of wild, unfenced camping in Africa’s wildest destinations. The Luangwa Valley is one of Africa’s prime wildlife destinations. North Luangwa National Park, usually known just as ‘the North Park’, covers 4,636km² of the Luangwa Valley. The North Park is largely untouched, with few roads and restricted public access, offering a wilder experience of the Luangwa Valley than the much larger South Park. The game in the North Park is similar to the South Park, although there are some notable differences. This year we will explore the new Amatololo Experience in the North. The escarpment brings some more unusual mammals to the North Park, including occasional sightings of sable antelope, bushpig and blue monkeys. In the North Park you’re more likely to see Cookson’s wildebeest, one of the valley’s endemic subspecies. However, you won’t find any giraffes here, they are rarely seen north of the Mupamadzi River. Eland, the largest antelope, are more common in North Luangwa, and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest are also seen more often than in the South Park. Lion and buffalo are numerous in the North Park, with buffalo herds even larger than those in South Luangwa, and some very strong prides of lion. Experts have dubbed South Luangwa to be one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and not without reason. The concentration of animals around the Luangwa River, and its oxbow lagoons, is among the most intense in Africa. The Luangwa River is the most intact major river system in Africa and is the life-blood of this 9059 km2 Park. The Park hosts a wide variety of wildlife, birds and vegetation. Amongst South Luangwa’s many herbivores, three several stands out as being endemic to the area. The beautiful Thornicroft’s giraffe has a different (and more striking) colouration than the giraffes in the rest of southern Africa. The main predators in the Luangwa Valley is lion, leopard, spotted hyena and wild dog. Of these, lions are probably the most common, and their large pride are often easily spotted. South Luangwa has a top reputation as a first-class park for leopards. This is large because leopard hunt nocturnally, and South Luangwa is one of Africa’s few national parks to allow spotlit night drives.