Kafue National Park

Exploration Tours


Highlights
Kafue National Park
Busanga Plains
Nanzhila Plains

Sample Tours; Any number of tours can be arranged easily from Lusaka into the Kafue National Park. We custom fit every tour. Please consult with us for the best options for you. 2 to 10 Days exploring all the corners of this Park can be arranged, on a budget, comfort or luxury basis.

Kafue National Park
Kafue National Park is one of the best-kept secrets in Africa. Just 190 km west from Lusaka, down the Lusaka-Mongu road, lies this largest national park of Africa and second largest in the world. Kafue National Park is almost 23.000sq km, which is roughly the size of Wales or half of Holland. In size, the park still exceeds Kruger National Park in South Africa (20.000sq km) and Etosha National Park in Namibia (22.000sq km).

Of all the Zambian parks, Kafue National Park has the widest range of mammal species. The numbers and diversity of game reflect the size and variety of the landscape. Being part of Zambia's high central plateau, this park is between 970 and 1.470 meters above sea level and has several distinct eco-systems: riverine forests, miombo woodland, mopane woodland, teak forest, savannah and even wetlands (Busanga Plains), associated with the huge Kafue river which provides a permanent source of water.

Kafue National Park is best visited during the dry season, running from May to October. During the wet season most roads are impassable. However, some destinations are open all year round and even easy to reach in the rainy season, since some lodges are located near the main Lusaka-Mongu road. From the lodges 3-4 hour game drives can be made in the dry season within the near vicinity (may to november), but also one-day or multi-day safaris to more remote areas of the park can be made (like Busanga Plains) which is very much recommended, so you are able to take in the full diversity of this park.

Animals that you are likely to encounter are elephant, buffalo, warthog, zebra, hippo and several antelope species like impala, puku, sable, hartebeest, bushbuck, roan and eland. As for the predators, all are present: lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, serval, caracal and jackal. In the northern part of the park, the wetlands of Busanga Plains, is also a good place to see sitatunga and red lechwe. Only three major representatives of African wildlife cannot be found in Kafue National Park: giraffe (strangely enough this mammal never occurred in this part of Zambia), ostrich and rhino (the last sighting of black rhino is from 1996).

The diversity of habitats makes Kafue National Park also one of the best locations in Africa for birding and it boasts an impressive list of 478 of Zambia's 733-recorded species. Bird species in the park include African fish eagle, woolly-necked stork, marabou stork, saddle billed stork, goliath heron, crowned crane, wattled crane, ground hornbill, giant kingfisher, sacred ibis, Pel's owl and purple-crested lourie amongst others.

The Kafue river itself is an excellent spot to enjoy the beauty of the African wilderness. Surrounded by hippos, crocodiles and monitor lizards you can enjoy the wildlife coming to the river to drink or bath during a relaxing boat cruise and you might even find out what a squaker, Kafue bream, silver barble or Kafue pike looks like while trying your luck at fishing. The sunsets from the river are among the best you will ever experience.

While it is understandable for a visitor to want to see the larger mammals and birds, it is equally important to observe other features of the park. These may include the unusual knobbly termite mounds scattered across the plains, the beauty of the wild hibiscus flower and the dung beetle in action. All of these can be admired to their utmost during a walking safari, enhancing your experience of the Kafue National Park.

Busanga Plains is a wetland area in the far northern region of Kafue National Park. During most of the year the Plains are flooded and make a perfect but inaccessible bird sanctuary. However, during the dry season (normally from July to October) the plains are accessible by four wheel drive and it makes every effort going there doing so very worthwhile. The vast open plains are ideal to spot wildlife and wildlife there is.

Ungulates to be found there include large groups of red lechwe, a semi-aquatic antelope, that are easy to see. Groups of the mighty roan antelope are present, as are huge herds of buffalo (up to 1000), groups of wildebeest, zebra and sometimes even eland. Lions are very abundant, not to mention cheetahs hunting for their prey in the open area or leopards roaming the tree lines bordering the plains.

The Camps we use are situated at the heart of the Busanga Plains, you can see big groups of Lechwe from the main bomas. But also, because it is perenially wet, it has a big fig tree and a forest of palm trees. During the 4 short months that it is accessible, it ranks as one of Africa's most remote and most beautiful spots.

Please contact us for this tour price and other details

Back to Zambia