Eastern Zambia (Southluangwa National Park): South Luangwa National Park - A Total African Experience

.ad_header {color:#a1a1a1;padding-bottom:5px;font-size:0.9em;} .ad_line1 {color:#FD4C22;font-size:1.1em;text-decoration:underline;} .ad_line1 hover {color:#FF6D34;} .ad_text {color:#000000;font-size:0.95em; text-decoration:none} .ad_url {color:#003399;font-size:0.95em;margin-bottom:12px; text-decoration:none} .wide_ads {background:#ddf8cc; padding:5px} South Luangwa National Park - A Total African Experience If you’re going to be in Zambia, a safari in South Luangwa National Park is the place to see it all. Hippos, lions, elephants & more. Its your best choice for a game park in Zambia. Base yourself somewhere near the river, closest to the Mfuwe Main Gate if possible (Like Flatdogs Camp). Even from outside the park, you will be able to hear the hippos grunting from the river, South Luangwa River. Cross the bridge over the river from the main gate & you’ll be able to look down & see dozens of hippos lazily lounging, sometimes fighting, down below. At night,(and rarely during the day) the hippos come onto land to forage for food. Take an evening game drive & you might see one of these large jelly-bean creatures out of the water. Once you’re in the park, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled. As soon as we crossed the bridge we were treated to a female lion & her cub catching some shut eye in the shrubs. We stopped for photos & she got up & did a stretch for us before she returned to her lounging. And it won’t be hard to spot elephants here. There is a huge herd that roams freely in this park. I was there in mid-November, at the start of the short rains. There were lots of fruit trees that the elephants loved. Sort of looked like a lemon. Where ever we saw one of those trees, we saw elephants. And lots of babies too. Be prepared to see huge herds of buffalo but don’t get too close. These are one the most dangerous animals in Africa. In a herd, they move as a herd, but get one on its own & look into its eyes. You won’t want to be in his pathway. There are countless other animals to see in this park, like antelope, wart hogs, zebras and crocodiles. Most tour guides will take you in on a top-less safari jeep so it’s great viewing for photography but be sure to wear a hat & sunscreen because the sun can get blistering hot when there is no roof to protect you. In this same open jeep, you also have the option of going on a night game drive. This can be fascinating, and a great chance to see the predators you may not have seen during the day, like hyenas or lions. Its also at this time when the game moves closer to the watering holes in large numbers. I highly recommend going out on a safari at night. Though, keep in mind, they use a spotlight and all bugs are attracted to the light. A night safari can quickly become a crawly experience. In conclusion, South Luangwa National Park was one of my most favourite game parks in Zambia, if not all of Africa. A photographer’s dream, and a true African Experience. Tags for this Travel Tip: safari hippos elephants south-luangwa lions game-park

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