Lower Zambezi National Park

Zambia

Lower Zambezi National Park

The Lower Zambezi National Park encompasses a small but pristine wilderness on the northern bank of the Zambezi River, in south eastern Zambia. Declared a national park in 1983, the Lower Zambezi has fewer camps than Kafue and the Luangwa Valley, but its wildlife is equally plentiful. Water-based safaris are the highlight, but most of the Lower Zambezi's camps place an equal emphasis on walking safaris and game drives.

We would really like to thank you for putting together a honeymoon that provided everything we hoped for.
Dean & Sarah

The Lower Zambezi National Park encompasses an area of pristine wilderness on the northern bank of the Zambezi River, which forms the border with Zimbabwe in south eastern Zambia. It is a remote and comparatively small park (approx. 4,000 sq km), but it boasts an abundance of game, which it shares with Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park on the opposite side of the Zambezi River (the parks are unfenced allowing the wildlife to move freely).

For many years, the Lower Zambezi National Park was the private reserve of Zambia’s president. It was only in the 1980s that the park was founded and the region made accessible to the public. The late development of the park, and its relative remoteness, has been something of a blessing, as it has allowed it to largely escape the problems of overdevelopment that have harmed so many of Africa’s other great wildernesses. There are only a small number of camps in the Lower Zambezi, all of which are well spread out to ensure a very private, intimate game-viewing experience wherever you choose to stay.

The Lower Zambezi is rich in game, both big (elephant, hippo, buffalo, lion and leopard) and small (zebra, kudu, impala, wild dog, hyena). Much of the park is forested, with tall ebony and leadwood trees hiding leopard and much else besides. Of course, you’ll also find extensive grasslands, populated with buffalo, lion and all manner of antelope. These open floodplains offer marvellous game-viewing opportunities, as does the Zambezi River itself, with its many tributaries and channels, which can be explored by motorboat or canoe.

In and around the Lower Zambezi, Zambia
The Lower Zambezi National Park is remote and generally best reached by air. Light aircraft departing from Lusaka, Livingstone or Mfuwe will drop you off at one of the park’s small airstrips, which connect with most of the camps. It is possible to drive, but rarely practical to do so.

Most of the camps in the Lower Zambezi focus their safari activities on the river, with boat trips and canoeing safaris the main highlights. Game drives and walking safaris are also popular, and allow you to get closer to the wildlife. Some camps offer fishing in the Zambezi River – please ask us for suggestions.

The beautiful leopard cub photo is used with the kind permission of R. Newsum, who travelled with us to the Lower Zambezi in 2015 (you can see a larger version on our blog!)

Featured itineraries

Two Rivers Zambia Safari

An 8-day Zambia safari taking place on and around two of Zambia’s primary rivers, the Luangwa and the Zambezi, both of which offer excellent game-viewing activities - by foot, by vehicle and by boat. The Luangwa Valley is one of the great unspoilt wilderness areas of Zambia, and, indeed, one of the finest wildlife sanctuaries in Africa.

Destination

Zambia

Experience

Safari and Wildlife Holidays

Prices from £6500 pp

Lower Zambezi and Liuwa Plain

10-night guided safari visiting Zambia’s wildest and most remote wilderness parks, the Lower Zambezi and Liuwa Plain, including a 5-night stay at the fabulous King Lewanika Lodge.

Destination

Zambia

Experience

Safari and Wildlife Holidays
Honeymoons and Weddings

Price on application

Anabezi Camp

Opened in 2014, Anabezi is the newest and most luxurious camp in the Lower Zambezi National Park. It offer fabulous tented accommodation for one a small number of guests in its 11 tented rooms, split between two sites.

Chiawa Camp

One of the oldest camps in the Lower Zambezi National Park, Chiawa Camp is situated on the edge of the Zambezi River. Luxury tented rooms, consistently good game-viewing, and stunning scenery make Chiawa Camp an excellent choice.

Chongwe River Camp

Chongwe River Camp is set in a game management area just outside the Lower Zambezi National Park. It offers fabulous views of the Lower Zambezi as well generally superb game viewing.

Kayila Camp

This luxury safari camp opened at the tail end of 2019 and is the latest addition to the Anabezi portfolio. The camp is located within the Kayila Private Game Reserve, adjacent to the Lower Zambezi National Park, so wildlife sightings are frequent.

Old Mondoro

Old Mondoro is a lovely family-run bush camp. It has just four guest tents set in a remote region of the Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia.

Thank you to you all for a job extremely well done, we will definitely be back.
Tanya & Kieran