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The Zambian Safari Circuit is a 'collection' of safari camps, in the pristine Zambian wilderness of the Kafue National Park, the South Luangwa National Park & the Lower Zambezi National Park, accessed via light aircraft. Thompsons Africa can assist you with all your safari arrangements to this 'wild' and romantic safari destination. |
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The KAFUE NATIONAL PARK experiences mild winter days from May to September with chilly evenings, however summers are generally hot with temperatures reaching as high as 35° celcius. Kafue National Park is seasonal, and traditionally only accessible from May to October, during the dry season, which also provides the best game viewing opportunities. With the advent of the rainy season, many of the parks roads are inaccessible between November and April.
The SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK also experiences pronounced seasonal changes. The dry season begins in April and intensifies through to October. October is the hottest month, but is also when the game concentrations are at their peak. From May to August, the weather is typical of warm sunny days and chilly nights. The wet season begins in November and lasts up until the end of March, which is the time that the migrant birds arrive in staggering numbers.
The LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK is best accessed June to September, with the coolest and driest months from June to August, hot and dry from September to December and wet and humid from January to April. Temperatures during the summer months can climb to above 35 degrees celcius. |
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In the past, the Zambian safari circuit was seen as quite an inaccessible wilderness, however with increased air access, and the investment of the private sector into quality safari camps within the National Parks, the area has 'opened up' in recent years and is fast developing a reputation as a superb safari experience in a wild, romantic and utterly beautiful African wilderness.
* * * The safari package that we have put together for you is concentrated in the Kafue National Park, however should you wish to combine other National Parks into your safari, please do speak to one of our consultants who will be able to guide you further.
Access into the KAFUE NATIONAL PARK:
Kafue National Park is a vast and beautiful wilderness, where driving is not an advisable option. Kafue is far from main roads and towns, with air access being the most viable option, as is the case with the majority of Zambia's National Parks. One would fly into Lunga Airstrip in the north west of the Kafue National Park either from Livingstone (at Victoria Falls) or Lusaka. Flying from Livingstone is less than 2 hours and approximately 1½ hours from Lusaka.
* * * With our suggested safari package in the Kafue National Park, on landing at the Lunga Airstrip, there is a 10 minute transfer to Lunga River Lodge, and approximately a 3 hour game drive/transfer to Kapinga, Busanga and Shumba Bush Camps. Alternatively another awesome transfer option into these three camps is via helicopter which is a quick 20 minute transfer. This transfer would be at an additional surcharge to the published packaged safari price.
Access into SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK is via Mfuwe Airport, which has direct flights from Lusaka Airport
Access into the LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK is via Lusaka Airport by light aircraft direct into the safari camps. |
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- Dynamic wildlife sightings with the opportunity to view and photograph wildlife at close quarters.
Vast National Parks, remote and largely untouched.
- As the reserves cover great areas, the terrain and environments are varied, combined with seasonal influences (rainy season versus dry season), you are assured of a wonderful variety of flora, fauna and wildlife.
- Wildlife populations are robust, therefore one can view large herds of antelope from zebra, to wildebeest, buffalo and more.
- As the antelope flourish in the reserves, they in turn support a dynamic predator population - you will be awed by prides of lion 20-strong, cheetah, leopard, hyena, black backed jackals, side striped jackals and more.
- The lodges and camps are tucked deep within the Zambian wilderness, with a hint of the romance of African safaris of yesteryear.
- The sheer beauty of this natural environment, with blazing sunsets will amaze... and the wildlife are the 'cherry on the top'.
- Awesome birdlife.
- Tiger fishing.
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The Zambian Safari circuit is largely 'an unknown' as it was traditionally seen as a difficult area to access. This is no longer the case. The draw card to this wildlife circuit is that the areas visited are mostly untouched and quite beautifully wild and remote - you will not be disappointed - the wilderness is pristine with excellent game sightings. It was in Zambia that the concept of the 'walking safari' originated, as the best way of enjoying the rich flora and fauna of the country's National Parks. Birdlife is prolific in all of the National Parks (particularly Kafue) and draws birders from all over the world. |
* * * Our suggested package takes in two camps in the Kafue National Park, however there are many other camps and lodges within the other Zambian wildlife reserves, which you are able to discuss with our consultants for further packaged safari options.
| MAP |
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Click on this icon to view a map of Zambia's National Parks. |
KAFUE NATIONAL PARK
Kafue National Park is one of the largest in Africa, covering about 22 500 square kilometres of vast, remote and diverse tracts of virtually untouched wilderness (about the size of Wales!). It is also the oldest of the Zambian National Parks and covers such a vast area, that the park encompasses a variety of landcapes.
The Lunga River in the east is a permanent tributary of the Kafue River and beyond its narrow strip of riverine forest the landscape is patterned with broad-leafed woodlands, open plains, floodplains and island thickets. In the north and north-west of Kafue, the Basunga Plains is a vast savannah of seasonally inundated grasslands dotted with tree islands and areas of broad-leafed woodlands. The Basunga Plains is one of Zambia's most significant wetland resources and is largely untouched by development or human activity.
Birdlife in Kafue is abundant and includes many species that do not occur elsewhere in Southern Africa, add to this the more than 150 species of mammals recorded in the park, it is not hard to see why the reserve is growing in popularity as a safari destination of choice, well noted for its quality game viewing and wildlife experience. Renowned for regular sightings of lion (large prides of 20 strong), leopard, elephant, buffalo, cheetah, hippo and good numbers of plains game from zebra, wildebeest, red lechwe, puku, sable and roan , waterbuck to tsessebe and more. Guests will also be thrilled to view endemic species not easily viewed in many parts of Southern Africa, such as roan, oribi, Lichtenstein's hartebeest and yellow baboon.
* * * The camps that we have used within our packaged Zambian safari are found within the north east and north west of the Kafue National Park.
SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK
For intense game viewing, South Luangwa is a dynamic wildlife sanctuary with great concentrations of wildlife that converge on the Luangwa River, the life blood of this 9050 square kilometre park. The now famous 'walking safari' actually originated in this park and is still one of the best ways to discover the more intricate workings of the African wilderness from the vegetation, to the insect and reptile life, with the ever present anticipation of coming upon Africa's larger mammal species at close quarters - a walking safari is a far more intimate experience with the bush.
The park covers a vast area and boasts a huge variety of vegetation, that in turn support an astounding variety of wildlife. From the many antelope species, Thornicroft's giraffe, zebra, bushbuck, duiker, impala, puku, kudu, reedbuck, roan, sable, hartebeest and more, you will also see large herds of elephant 70 strong, buffalo are abundant and hippo you just can't miss. The park has healthy prides of lion, sometimes up to 30 strong, leopard, caracal, wild dog, serval, side striped jackal and hyena. Bird watching is superb.
LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK
Zambia's newest National Park is largely untouched and lies opposite the Mana Pools Reserve in Zimbabwe and the entire area on both sides of the river is an enormous wildlife sanctuary. The lower Zambezi River is the section that runs from Kariba down to the Mozambican border. Covering an area of 4092 square kilometers, with most of the game concentrated onto the valley floor below the escarpment at the northern end of the park, which acts as a kind of barrier to most of the parks animal species. The park is well known for large herds of elephant, with family groups of up to 100 strong, 'island hopping' buffalo and waterbuck are common and the park also has good populations of lion and leopard. Other animals seen in the park are impala, warthog, roan, eland, hyena, porcupine, civet, genet, honeybadger, crocodile and Samango monkey amongst others. River and canoe safaris are popular along the many channels of the Zambezi River. The guides are adept at getting up close to wildlife on the river banks and in the waters of the channels, who appear totall unaffected by your close poximity/scruitiny.
Other noted National Parks
LOCHINVAR NATIONAL PARK
This National Park is particularly noted for its birding opportunities, with over 420 species recorded in its 428 square kilometers. The park is situated on the southern edge of the Kafue Flats, a wide floodplain of the Kafue River. The park also includes the large, but shallow Chunga Lagoon, which fluctuates considerably in size with variations in river levels. The park is well known for large herds of Kafue lechwe, unique to the Kafue Flats - more than 30 000 lechwe make 'the flats' their home. There are no dangerous animals in the park and visitors are encouraged to discover the park on foot. The park is accessible any time of the year, but game is easier to spot in the dry season, with the water at its lowest during October and November (dry season: June to November). Peak floods are reached during May at the end of the rainy season (rainy season: December to May).
VICTORIA FALLS is the perfect beginning or ending to your Zambian safari. Victoria Falls, Africa's adventure capital offers travellers amazing opportunities for white-knuckle adventures from river boarding, extreme rapids for white water rafting, bungi jumping... so you can either begin or end your vacation with a 'rush of adrenaline'. You will be thrilled with the myriad of activities on offer at Victoria Falls.... elephant back safaris, heli flips, quad biking, walking safaris and more... and of course there is the breath taking Victoria Falls themselves. |
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