Travel Guide

North Luangwa Safari Park

“Ille terrarum mihi super omnes anculus ridet.” This Latin quotation is carved in a wood panel in one of Zambia’s most prestigious houses in Northern Zambia. Translated it means “This corner of the Earth smiles on me above all others ” These words were in-scribed by Lt-Colonel Sir Stewart Gore Browne when he found his dream place in the middle of the dark African Continent in the early 1900’s. These same words can easily be said to describe your first sighting of the North Luangwa National Park from the top of the Muchinga Escarpment. North Park is probably one of the most spectacular surviving wilderness areas left in Africa, if not the world. This remote tract of land covers an area of over 4,600 square kilometers of the Luangwa Valley in Zambia’s Northern Province. It is bordered to the east by the mighty Luangwa Valley and to the west by the towering Muchinga Escarpment that rise majestically from the valley floor. NLNP has a number of perennial streams and rivers that flow from the escarpment down towards the Luangwa but otherwise only has two other annual rivers in the Lufila and the Mwaleshi. Whereas the Lufila forms the northern boundary, the Mwaleshi bisects the park in a south-easterly direction before flowing into the Luangwa River. The Mwaleshi River originates high in the hills of the escarpment and cascades down in a series of small waterfalls and rapids before reaching the valley floor via the delightful Chomba Waterfall. This crystal clear, cool river is the “Heart” of the North Park boasting some of the largest herds of mammals in Zambia. It is not uncommon to see herds of 1,500 or more buffalo grazing and watering along the banks of the river. The North Park was declared a Wilderness Area back in 1974 to be left untouched by man. It was only ten years later when it was realized that poaching was having a devastating effect on the wildlife population, particularly that of the elephant and the rhino that the first Safari Operator was allowed to establish his campsites along the Mwaleshi. To date there are only two operators in the whole park and these are only allowed to operate from May until October in camp sites made from semi permanent structures that must be built and removed every year. The North Park is for the discerning traveller in search of a genuine alternative to the conventional commercial safari and with this in mind the camps are situated 20 kms apart so that you, the traveller, feels that you have the park all to yourself. Most of the safaris are conducted on foot thus bringing you even closer to the ultimate wildlife experience. These walks are always designed to suit the specific needs or wishes of the client be it young or old. The North Park has a diverse habitat ranging from pure stands of mopane forests to riverine thickets. The infamous sausage tree abounds along the banks of the rivers and this leads to the park being rich in over 350 species of birds ranging from the elusive Pel’s fishing owl and Osprey to the more common Purple Crested Turaco and Bee-eaters. The true uniquiness of NLNP is that there are no busy highways in the area. The roads were originally carved out of the African bush by hand and still have to be remade at the end of every rainy season, replacing the bridges that are ineveribly washed away by the deludge that occurs in the months from November to April. North Park opens to visitors normally in May/June when the land has dried enough to enable access and game viewing reaches its peak in the months of August and September as the pools away from the main rivers dry and the animals concentrate along the Mwaleshi River and ends with the onset of the rains in October. So if you are the type of traveller that is looking for something different and totally exclusive book a safari into North Park the “Corner of the Earth that Smiles on you above all others”

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