Lower Zambezi National Park

The Lower Zambezi National Park occupies much of the northern bank of the Zambezi River in south eastern Zambia, on the border with Zimbabwe. It is a remote and relatively 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, 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, have been 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.

The Lower Zambezi NP 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 – 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!)