Let me be the first - SLNP*

[Kesheshe]

Hello

Firstly thank for creating this new section.

South Luangwa National Park

This trip was a few years ago but will provide you with an idea of what it is like. I will not add to much commentary but will answer any questions you may have.

Do not expect any road signs and the map is not much help either. it is basically drive and explore.

After exploring the park for several days we are of the opinion that the majority of the game viewing areas can be negotiated in 4x2. There are certain smaller roads that will require 4x4 high but we never engaged low range at any point during our stay. Looking at the road network this place must be basically restricted to the main roads during the rainy season as the side roads will either be flooded or impossible to drive. The rains normally arrive late October early November so from a planning point of few and for game viewing a would suggest late September through early October as potentially the best viewing time in the park if you can handle the heat.



You see a lot of this on the bridge before you access the park.





Then into the park.

[Kesheshe]

To summaries SLNP:
 Only an average of 3-5 self drive vehicles entered the park each day while we were their
 Most internal park roads manageable in 4x2
 Road network – many small roads with only a few main roads
 You will scratch your van a lot
 Most accommodation options in the game managed area – many pricing options
 Entry to the park fairly expensive
 Fantastic sunsets overlooking the river
 Game concentrations very high
 Hides are situated up towards lion camp – we found none at the gate side
 I would say the best way to do this park is to self drive in the morning and the remainder of the day and drive with one of the lodges at night as they can stay in the park till about 8pm where you will have to be out 6-6.30pm – this 2 hours makes a big difference
 Remember the 3 vehicle rule on sightings
 The usual watch out for Baboons and Monkeys stealing stuff
 Elephants migrate into the village at night for the mango’s
 There is a large amount of game in the game management area – we even saw Leopard, lion
 Length of stay to recommend is difficult – ours was basically 6-7 days and we did not get to explore all off the park.
 Do not waste your money on the map but the GPS was not much help either
 The park has a large population of Leopard of that there is no doubt
 Basically guaranteed to see Puku and Carmine bee eaters which seem to migrate into the park in large numbers during mid September
 Rains start towards the end of October where self driving the park becomes a real challenge
 It was starting to get quite hot in September
 Staying at accommodation with a swimming pool would be a good idea

[Kesheshe]

These are a fantastic source of food for a large section of the animals near the end of the dry season.



I have never seen so many bee eaters in any park, they are everywhere.



Puku

[Kesheshe]

[Kesheshe]

[Kesheshe]

Hi harrys

"Do you have to fly to Zambia or is the roads good to drive there"

The nearest airport is in Mfuwe, which offers flights to Lusaka and Livingstone, as well as Lilongwe (Malawi). Note that flight schedules are cut down in the green season. The airport is about 30 minutes away by car from the park entrance, and most lodges offer free transfers.

We however drove to the park from SA on an 8 week trip. The roads in Zambia are not great and have a lot of truck traffic and accidents mostly caused by the pot holes.

There are few options in entering Zambia via Namibia the easiest, Botswana is the way we took and requires a ferry photos below. the Zimbabwe board into Zambia is know for corruption big time and can be a real challenge which we used on the way out of Zambia.









Our vehicle getting onto ferry.

[Kesheshe]

Hi Mel

"Interesting! Although the fact that maps are basically not what the should be, sounds a bit scary."

Makes it very interesting a like a treasury hunt!

"Are self-catering option (not camping ) available?
How is the pricing compared to the Kgalagadi?"

No national park accommodation and very limited camping as the private lodges mostly cater for international tourist's that fly in. Very few self drive visitors when there we were one of only 4 vehicles per day. you think you have sightings to yourself well during the day after game lodges leave around 9 you basically have the entire park to yourselves.

Regarding accommodation is very expensive I would use something like trip advisor to get latest information. please make sure you are sitting down before you do this. you also need to add park entry which is As of November 2013, the basic park fee is 132 Zambian Kwacha per day for Internationals. Extra fees are levied for bringing in your own vehicles (79.2 foreign reg or 15 Kwacha for local). [6]

Note: Entry permit is valid for a single calendar day (6:00 - 18:00).

[Kesheshe]

more general info on park.

Called by some as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, South Luangwa is one of Zambia's main draws. This 9,050-sq km park is centred around the Luangwa River and is home to one of Africa's largest concentrations of wildlife.

South Luangwa is dry woodland, watered by the meandering Luangwa River and its many oxbow lakes. The dominant tree is the mopane, but stately baobabs also dot the landscape here and there. In the dry season, most plants and trees seem to shrivel up and wildlife congregates around watering holes, allowing excellent viewing.

South Luangwa is home to a dazzling array of wildlife. You'll see hippos and crocodiles as soon as you cross the bridge over the Luangwa River, and elephants are hard to miss along the river's banks. Thornicraft's giraffe, with white legs and faces, and Crawshay's zebra, without the brownish "shadow-stripe" of common (Burchell's) zebra, are both endemic to the park and easily spotted. Herds of buffalo roam the park, along with several prides of lions. The density of leopards is among the highest in the world, although spotting these nocturnal creatures can be tricky. All sorts of antelopes abound: impala are ubiquitous, the puku — rarely seen outside Zambia — is almost as common and there are plenty of waterbucks and bushbucks too.

South Luangwa is a dream come true for birdwatchers, with over 400 species recorded. Depending on who you ask, the best times to go are November-December (when the rains start), April-May (when they end) or August-September (when the water levels are at their lowest).

My Opinion

Top 6 parks in southern Africa

1. Mana pools
2. Hwange
3. SLNP
3. KTP
4. Etosha
5. Chobe

[Toko]

Beautiful Crane sighting, Kesheshe Can I add it to our AW bird book (and perhaps also any other photos still to come)?

And good to see Puku, something new for the Kruger only nuts here

[Kesheshe]

We stayed at wildlife camp which was a great choice. We did self drive morning and day time and night drive and walks with the lodge. If you are into leopards SLNP has the highest concentration.