Trip Report - North and South Luangwa National Parks

Luangwa didn't make travel writer Patricia Schultz's list of "1000 Places to Visit Before You Die" but then she chose Kenya's Maasai Mara as the place to see East Africa's wildebeest migration over Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. That's certainly debatable! February (wildebeest birthing season) in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is magic!

View from the microlight

Luangwa has made my traveler's life list. It is a park that as soon as I leave it I want to go back. I like a lot of things about it, all of which are already mentioned in my list of Zambia's assets: the availability of walking and night safaris, smaller lodges and bush camps, less people, Zambian safari industry hospitality, the quality of guiding, and its tangible history since the people who made the park into what it is today join you for dinner. I love the increased chances of seeing wild dogs and leopards there (although that is never guaranteed, of course). I also love the microlight rides that John Coppinger of Remote Safaris (another of those Zambian bush masters) offers from his mother lodge, Tafika. I prefer the microlight to hot air ballooning, even though it's noisier. I feel like a bird up there.

The Luangwa valley actually consists of more than just South Luangwa National Park. There is a North Luangwa National Park too. North Luangwa is less developed than the south with only three dry season (June to November) camps from which to choose. These camps focus exclusively on walking. The only way in to these camps is by bush plane, so this is how I started my visit to John Coppinger's North Luangwa Mwaleshi Camp, in a little Cessna operated by a fresh-faced pilot, who at first glance looked too young to be driving a car let alone an airplane but who, of course, was perfectly up to the task. She was very helpful too, explaining what geographical features we looked at below. For the most part we followed the Luangwa River with its numerous hippo pods in pinwheel formation below, on its way to meet the Mwaleshi River, along which the north's few camps are located. A camp vehicle met passengers at the lonely airstrip. After a short drive, final access to the camp was a wade across the river.

I spent three days in the north. Each morning, and again in late afternoon, a small group of us walked, accompanied by one of Zambia's excellent guides as well as a scout, who served as the all important weapon-bearer. Grasses were long, and wildlife skittish, but the overall feel of the place was wonderful remoteness. John chose the name of his company well. Game sightings included Cape buffalo, impala, wildebeest, zebra, puku, hippo and lion.

Every foot safaris is also accompanied by the very important "tea man", who halfway through the morning rustles up refreshments. At one such tea stop in the north, around a magnificent ancient tree with gargantuan limbs that spread parallel to the earth, our conversation was abruptly silenced by growls. They came from behind the tree, and from not too far away. Furthermore, they moved, first to the left of us, then to the right, and then to the left again. Just before the tea break, we had awakened and frightened away some sleeping lions. It was possible that one had returned. North Luangwa lions have a reputation for feistiness according to John Coppinger. He told stories about the pride that took exception to Remote Safari's crew when they first arrived to establish Mwaleshi Camp years ago. Still, our cheeky lion theory had competition. Our tea tree was covered in deep grooves made by a leopard's claws as it climbed its hefty limbs to sleep or stash his prey. Since the guides weren't 100 percent certain who was creating the disturbance and making our hearts beat faster, I preferred to think it was the leopard who had arrived for a snooze and was annoyed to find us there. After tea, we beat a swift retreat.

I continue my reporting on Luangwa National Park in the December newsletter when I discuss traveling with Norman Carr Safaris and Shenton Safaris, both established and well respected companies in Zambia.

14-10-2009