Lower Zambezi National Park
Lower Zambezi National Park Basics
Features: Set along the Lower Zambezi River, it has a high concentration of wildlife and stunning woodland. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has an incredible diverse ecosystem.
Wildlife: Predators include lions, leopards, African Wild Dogs, hyenas. It has many of the bigger mammals, elephant, buffalo, hippo, waterbuck, kudu, zebra, and crocodiles. Over 350 bird species are present in the park.
Park Fees: Adult per day- $25 ($30 for self driving)
Size: 4,092 km2
Distance: From Lusaka- 150km
Transport: You need a 4x4 to drive this park, as the road surfaces are uneven with bumpy roads and river beds. If you don’t want to self drive there are also airstrips inside the park.
Accommodation: There are lodges near the park, ranging from low budget to luxurious lodges. We stayed in the Lower Zambezi Lodge which ranges from $65 a night.
Additional info: If you are camping or at a self catering lodge, stock up in Lusaka as that will be your best place to stock up with supplies. Also make sure to fill up your car tank and get spare fuel.
The Adventure:
The final destination on our trip to Zambia, the Lower Zambezi National Park. A place out of a fairytale. I was definitely living my childhood dreams of what I had imagined Africa to be. Abundant with life and ancient, tall forest, it is a true paradise. I had seen photographs online of the park so I knew it would be scenic, but it blew me away by its beauty, surpassing my expectations. A land full of elephant along the Lower Zambezi River, our week there was filled with so many magical wildlife moments.
We started our journey to the Lower Zambezi in the remote Liuwa Plains National Park, passing vastly different landscapes on our way. We gave ourselves 2 days to reach the park as our drive was mainly on bumpy roads meaning it would be a slow drive. Stopping halfway for an overnight stay in a campsite near Kafue National Park. It would be another long day of driving before we would reach the Lower Zambezi.
Relying on google map to guide us, we ended up taking the “scenic route”. The scenic route being Leopard Hill, the “the shortcut”. It was a pretty crazy drive which really can hardly be called a road. Driving over the mountain, with some steep inclines and declines, there were lovely views, but quite a difficult drive. You definitely need a 4x4 for this route unless you are a very experienced driver. It was definitely a challenge, I was thankful I was not doing the driving, my partner Stephen cursing google map.
We made it in one piece along with our amazing Xena (Toyota Hilux) to our lodge “The Lower Zambezi Lodge'“ set right along the river. This a self catering lodge and budget friendly. Our chalet was beautiful , with an incredible view of the Lower Zambezi River and across the water you could see Zimbabwe side.
We settled down for the evening, enjoying the room and the view, planning our week ahead. Listening to the sounds of the river flowing and the hippos grunting in the distance, the ambient noises perfectly setting the scene.
Day 1
On our first day in the Lower Zambezi National Park we decided it was best to hire a guide for the day. This would give us an idea of the best areas for wildlife in the park and help us know our way around a bit better. It was definitely the right move, the park has so many different routes to take and you could easily get lost.
We got our permits for the park at the entrance and headed in through the park gates. We were so excited to explore this new national park, very different from the landscape of Liuwa Plains we had just spent the last week in. We entered for sunrise, passing small herds of Impala and beautiful, tall Baobab trees. We drove through scattered woodlands and as we got deeper into the park, the more abundant the wildlife got.
We drove into one particular woodland and stopped to watch the elephants come to the forest to feed. It was incredible , in every direction I could see little families of elephants walking amongst the tall, old trees. There were so many young babies with them, sticking close to their family. One mother walk by us and stopped to feed, accompanied by a very small calf. She seemed so calm and at ease in our presence. She even beckoned her baby a bit closer to us, almost like she was showing it off. It was a beautiful moment, to watch this tiny little calf with its mother, going about their morning in this peaceful forest.
Being in the dense forest is surreal, light peaking through the branches, the cool air in the shade keeping you refreshed and comfortable. Birds flying above your head, the sound of different insects humming, little herds of impala, buffalo, waterbuck, kudo grazing along the forest floor. It is a little slice of heaven.
We spent some time in the forest on the search for leopards. The illusive cat is the master of disguise, easily blending into their environment, it is easy to drive right by one, if you don’t keep your eyes peeled. We knew we were in the right area though, as we saw a fresh impala body hanging from the branches of a tree overhead. Half eaten and dangling lifelessly, with flies buzzing around the corpse. Not too long after we spotted her, lying in the shade of a dried up riverbed, resting in the heat of the day, we spent a few minutes with her, before she headed off into the dense bush.
We stopped for a bit of lunch by a scenic area, eating some snacks we packed, and watched some elephants grazing nearby. Everywhere you looked there was some form of life moving in the slow paced forest. We spent the evening with a small herd of elephants along the riverbank. One of my favourite moments were watching a baby elephant drinking from the water to cool down. Such a peaceful quiet moment, intimate with no other people or cars around. It was just us and the elephants. As our first day came to a close, we pondered on the beauty of the national park, unlike any place we had ever been. Excited for the rest of the week that lay ahead.
Day 2-4
For the rest of the week we would be self driving the national park, exploring at our own pace. We felt confident on knowing our way around and set off before sunrise each morning. Our days were filled with watching herds of elephants, and searching for leopards. Driving through the ancient woodlands, photographing the beautiful scenes on our way. The days passed in a blur as they always do when you are having fun, time going too fast even in the slow pace of the forest. We came across a beautiful leopard sitting up in the bow of a tree. We almost passed her when we saw her looking right at us. There were baboons and gazelle foraging and grazing directly under her, as if they did not know she was even there.
Day 4-6
Our mission for the next two days was to search for the African Wild Dogs that we heard were frequently seen near Jeki airstrip, deep in the park. The drive there took around 2 hours, driving over old river beds, through woodland and onto an area of open plains. We asked some of the workers at the airstrip for any information on sightings of the pack of wild dogs. They gave us directions on where their den was seen nearby and some tips on some areas they might be. We drove to their den hoping to get a glimpse of this endangered and rare dog. Instead of seeing the pack, we were met with a crew from National Geographics that were working on a documentary on the African Wild Dogs we were searching for. We got chatting to some of them, excited to meet some National Geographic filmmakers. They told us about this pack in particular were famous for their amazing ability at hunting the much larger buffalo.
We waited for a few hours near the den site but the African Wild Dogs made no appearance. We waited patiently with the hopes of seeing them but it was time to head back before the park closed.
We headed out early and drove straight to the den hoping today would be the day to see the pack. Again the National Geographics crew were waiting in the same spot. Telling us that the pack had already gone back to the den. We must have just missed them. Not losing hope, we decided again to stick it out and wait. While waiting had some beautiful sightings of a herd of elephants crossing the open plain, making their way to the forest nearby. `We watched big herds of buffalo grazing in the distance and watched all the different species of birds flying nearby.
It was one of our final days in the park, so after a few hours of waiting for the African Wild Dogs we decided to abort the mission, not wanting to miss out on other areas of the park. We drove to the woodland nearby where we had saw the elephant walk to earlier in the morning. Driving through the ancient forest we came across little herds of gazelle and waterbuck grazing in the quiet forest. We drove slowly, scanning around us for any more illusive cats. We came across 3 male lions napping in the shade and parked up nearby to watch them. This is what is so special about the National Parks in Zambia, we had the sighting all to ourselves and could stay and watch them in peace, undisturbed. We watched the males for some time, awaking for a few moments and watching us before returning to a deep slumber.
It was time to head back to the park gates as the evening approached and we still had a good drive ahead of us. Stopping by the African Wild Dogs den again on our way, but they were still asleep inside. We enjoyed our final drive back to the park gates as the sun was setting and the golden light made the park even more beautiful. We passed so many elephants on that drive back. Feeling so grateful for the week we had just spent in this magical Park.
Our trip to Zambia was drawing to a close, the 3 weeks had gone by so fast. 3 weeks spent in 3 diverse and incredible national parks. I know already I will be back to these off the beaten track and remote places again. This will be a trip that I will never forget, filled with many amazing memories and wildlife sightings. Zambia you are a real gem.
Additional Information
Lower Zambezi National Park website: Lower Zambezi
Official website for the national park with information on the park and accommodationThe Lower Zambezi Lodge website: Lower Zambezi Lodge
The lodge that I stayed at, very beautiful self catering lodge, great value for people on a budget!Hemingways 4X4 Car Rental Website: Hemingways Zambia
This is the car rental company I used, highly recommend this company, family run, reliable and the vehicles are well kitted with everything you need for your adventure!