South Luangwa National Park, following the Luangwa River through Zambia's remote east, is where the walking safari was pioneered in the 1950s by conservationist Norman Carr, an approach to wildlife viewing on foot, with an armed guide and tracker, that remains rarer and more intimate than the vehicle-based game drives found in most other African parks.
Walking Safaris
A walking safari moves at a fundamentally different pace than a vehicle game drive, tracking spoor, reading dung, and identifying birdsong become part of the experience rather than incidental details, and encounters with larger animals are approached cautiously and respectfully rather than driven up close.
Multi-day walking safaris, moving between simple bush camps, allow for a genuinely immersive few days in the wilderness, camping under the stars with only a guide, tracker, and the sounds of the bush for company.
Wildlife Along the River
The Luangwa River sustains an unusually high density of wildlife, including one of Africa's largest concentrations of hippos and crocodiles, along with leopards that South Luangwa is particularly renowned for spotting, thanks to excellent night drive access not permitted in many other parks.
The park's ebony groves and lagoons attract elephant herds and a significant population of Thornicroft's giraffe, a subspecies found only in this region of Zambia and nowhere else on earth.
Recommended Stay · South Luangwa · Luangwa River
Chinzombo Safari Lodge
A riverside lodge of glass-walled villas within the park itself, offering both walking safaris and night drives led by expert Zambian guides.
