Lower Zambezi Park
The Lower Zambezi National Park is in a superb location in Zambia and occupies an area of almost 5000 sq km with 120kms of river frontage. The park is characterised by a variety of islands, lagoons and floodplains playing host to an enormous amount of wildlife.
Lower Zambezi National Park Highlights
The Lower Zambezi National Park occupies about 120km of Zambezi River frontage in south eastern Zambia. It is situated opposite the magnificent Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe, a world heritage site renowned for fantastic game viewing. This entire area on either side of the Zambezi is one vast wildlife sanctuary.
Until 1983 when this wildlife area was named a National Park, it was the personal sanctuary of the Zambian president, which protected it from excessive tourism exposure and it maintained its pristine appeal. Still, it maintains its wild edge with a lack of tarred roads and an uncrowded busy season.
The park protects an area of unique biodiversity; the broad ecological habitat and incredible wildlife viewing opportunities make The Lower Zambezi National Park the premier wildlife attraction in Zambia. Activities include fishing, canoeing, game drives as well as walking safaris all accompanied by expert guides.
The Lower Zambezi in Zambia is famous for canoeing safaris and ideal for guests looking for an active and adventurous safari experience.
This National Park lies on the Zambezi riverbank, directly opposite Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. Both wildlife areas combine to make a vast protected sanctuary.
This is still a vastly undiscovered and wild area to go on safari and it appeals to visitors that are after something slightly different and with relative inaccessibility and lack of tourists.
A plethora of species find their home in this diverse landscape; particularly noticeable are the river-dwelling crocodiles and hippos, as well as the 100-strong herds of elephant that become almost submerged in the river while bathing.
Kasaka River Lodge is a luxury tented safari camp offering a beautiful setting on the banks of the Zambezi River. This is the only part on the Zambezi River where national parks can be found on both sides of the river offering fantastic wildlife viewing.
Old Mondoro Camp offers only 8 beds and is the Lower Zambezi’s most intimate and private safari camp situated on the banks of the Zambezi River in a remote corner overlooking a maze of hippo-inhabited islands and channels.
Sausage Tree Camp is an exclusive safari camp offering superb guiding and some of the best game viewing in Africa. Sausage Tree Camp offers world renowned tiger fishing as well as day and night safari game drives.
Chiawa Camp is a friendly and relaxed environment in the heart of the park. Guests can enjoy romantic candlelight dinners under the stars, exciting wildlife activities and beautiful sunsets, while accommodation is luxurious and intimate.
How to Get There
Getting to this wild region of Zambia can be a bumpy ride for self-drivers and we would recommend waiting until the roads are better structured. We would prefer to make use of the superb road transfers and chartered flights that smoothly transport guests around the region.
Sun Safaris agents will usually include a visit to Lower Zambezi National Park with an itinerary that visits other popular areas like Mana Pools or Victoria Falls. Flights into Zambia often land at Livingstone Airport at Victoria Falls, but the close proximity of Lower Zambezi to Lusaka makes for a shorter transfer to the lodge.
Sun Safaris will arrange for guests to take a chartered flight from Lusaka or Livingstone Airports to a local airstrip in the park. From here, hosts or safari guides from one's booked accommodation will connect with guests and drive them the last leg to their lodge.
Lower Zambezi Game Viewing and Activities
The Lower Zambezi National Park offers fantastic wildlife viewing as well as incredible bird watching and has been rated as one of the best wildlife areas in Zambia; with its unique location on the banks of the majestic Zambezi River; bordered on the northern side by the Muchinga escarpment, the park offers exceptional photographic opportunities.
The Mana Pools World Heritage Site is situated on the opposite bank forming a natural Transfrontier park and creating a large sanctuary for wildlife. The Lower Zambezi National Park is home to large herds of elephant, lion, leopard, side striped jackal, hyena, hippo, buffalo, zebra, waterbuck, and many other antelope. Less common are the African wild dog and aardvark.
The Lower Zambezi National Park is an important bird area with over 300 species of birds in the area. The African fish eagle, the national bird of Zambia is commonly seen.
