Walking Safaris in South Luangwa Valley, Zambia
My recent blogs have been on my visit to Zambia and today I am focusing on walking safaris in the South Luangwa National Park which is one of Africa’s premier wildlife sanctuaries. The brooding Luangwa River meanders through the luxuriant valley, supporting thousands of hippo and crocodile and sustaining the park. South Luangwa has one of the greatest game concentrations in Africa. Elephant, a wide variety of antelope, buffalo, kudu, zebra, Thornycroft’s giraffe and wildebeest occur in great numbers, as well as over 400 bird species. Lion, wild dog and hyena are also common and the park is famed for its excellent leopard sightings.
Walking Safaris were pioneered in Luangwa and it is still one of the finest places for game walking in Africa. Expert guides lead you through the bush, giving you the opportunity to observe the game at close quarters and gain fascinating insights into the ways of the wild.
Several bush camps offer walking safaris. I stayed at some in the southern part of the Park. Ideally you split your time between two or three of these camps to enjoy the different terrain and then you walk from one camp to another (with your bags being taken by vehicle so that it is waiting for you on arrival.)
I stayed at Bilimungwe Bushcamp.
Bilimungwe is an intimate little camp with just four chalets. It is very shaded (so well recommended if your safari is in September or October) as the camp lies under a magnificent Mahogany trees on the edge of a small plain. The camp has a very pleasant and unpretentious ambience – the four reed and thatch chalets are comfortable and well-appointed with two double beds and en-suite shower, toilet and double vanities. The rustic dining area and fully stocked bar are constructed on a raised deck with views of Bilimungwe’s permanent water hole which attracts abundant game. Manda, the resident guide at ‘Billies’, recently won first prize at the prestigious Safari Guide of the Year awards in London, just to give you a sense of his well-ranging knowledge. Bilimungwe offers both walking safaris and night drives by game vehicle. The waterhole also offers the possibility of bird-watching and wildlife viewing from your raised deck. Bilimungwe is one of the furthest camps from the airport so we recommend that you perhaps stay here last (as the return transfer never seems to take as long as the arrival transfer!)
I also visited Chindeni camp, which is 7km away from Bilimungwe. It has a picturesque setting on the edge of a permanent lagoon with the Nchindeni Hills as a magnificent backdrop. Chindeni’s four en-suite luxury tents have raised decks from which you can view the resident game or simply enjoy the serenity of the lagoon. Each tent has two queen-sized beds, shower, toilet, double vanities and polished floors. This camp has one resident guide and also focuses on walking safaris with night drives by game vehicle. The permanent lagoon also offers the possibility of bird-watching and wildlife viewing from your raised deck. Given the tented accommodation I would not recommend staying at this camp as the season progresses into October as the tents get very hot and also the lagoon in front of Chindeni shrinks in size as the dry season progresses until it dries up completely by mid October.
Next I visited Chamilandu camp which is one of the most popular camps. This is probably because of its stunning setting in one of the Luangwa Valley’s prime river locations. It’s a small camp - three treehouse chalets (2-metre high) are very open and airy. They are simply but stylishly decorated with wrought iron four poster beds with mosquito nets and open air bathrooms with shower, vanity and toilet. Each of these reed and thatch chalets has a bird’s eye view over the waters of the Luangwa River and Nchindeni Hills beyond. A series of seven ox-box lagoons nearby yields a particularly high diversity of species and attracts abundant wildlife. As with the other bush camps there is one resident guide and the camp offers both walking safaris and night drives by game vehicle. Chamilandu is closer to the airport with a transfer time of approx 1½ to 2 hours. Given their airy nature, the treehouses could be a little cold at night during the middle of the winter (if you are someone who feels the cold) but the cooling breezes would be welcome as the temperatures rise towards late September and October.
Tips
The bush camps vary in price and one of the reasons is the number of guides. If a camp has two or more guides, then you can choose to enjoy a walking safari or a game drive. If your small bush camp has one guide only, this offers a very intimate exclusive experience but you will be expected to participate in both game walks and game drives. To put it bluntly, if everyone else in the camp has come to enjoy a walking safari, and you don’t want to walk, then this puts a strain on the safari atmosphere and the camps ability to satisfy all their client’s expectations.
If you are not sure that you want to go on a walking safari, either opt to stay at one of the central lodges, such as Nkwali, which focus more on game drives, or better still, spend a little more and stay at a bush camp which offers the choice of walks or game drives, such as Tena Tena or Nsefu.
Consider combining a walking safari at a bushcamp with one of the central lodges. These lodges focus more on game drives and though larger, offer more creature comforts such as swimming pools. Many visitors spend a couple of nights spinning off a few rolls of film here, where animals are relaxed and used to vehicles, then head into the wilderness.
Best Time to Go
As you will have gleaned, the South Luangwa gets very hot as the dry season continues. I would say that October would be too hot for most people for a walking safari. The ideal time for walking is probably late July to mid September. In July it will be cool in the mornings but you’ll be able to walk in comfort for hours if you wish. By mid September, it will be warm as you leave the camp early and you will typically be quite hot by the time you finish your walk at 10.30 or 11am.
For More information on Zambia, visit our main website at: http://cedarberg-travel.com