At 4750 square kilometres, Lower Zambezi National Park is a comparatively new addition to the crown of attractions available in Zambia. What a jewel it is at the heart of a very important conservation area which also includes Mana Pools National Park across the river in Zimbabwe and several substantial game management areas. Flying in low over the Escarpment is just start of your adventure into this amazing corner of the world.
The scenery in Lower Zambezi is magnificent, centred on the mighty Zambezi River, whose meandering waters are responsible for depositing the unusually rich soils that line the river, creating broad grassy floodplains and impressive stands of open mahogany and ebony forests. Your first Glimpse of this valley will leave you in awe of this majestic river and its surroundings.
The ever constant and reassuring Zambezi Escarpment rises a short distance from the river creates a majestic backdrop for this hidden world and forms a natural barrier for the wildlife of the Lower Zambezi National park
The area contains excellent densities of wildlife, notably elephants, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, hippos and crocodiles. There are also good chances for interaction with wild-dogs.
From a safari perspective, the most outstanding aspect of this area is the very wide range of activities on offer, including vehicle safari, night vehicle safari, walking safari, motorboat safari and canoe safari. Viewing elephants, hippos, crocodiles and other animals from the water is a particular highlight.
The national park itself is home a handful of exceptionally good safari camps, whilst the Game Management Area to the west contains a much larger number of lodges offering lower rates than the camps inside the National Park.
The area is also greatly advantaged by the fact that most of the camps here are privately owned and operated. It is one of those places where you actually get to meet the people involved, benefit from their experience and share their passion.
Habitat
For a national park relatively small in size, the variety of habitat is surprisingly large. There are thickets, there are open plains, park-like woodland and rocky river gorges draining off the escarpment. Secret and new metres-wide channels of river waters, as the Zambezi continues her never-ending search for her journey to the ocean.
Seasons
Lower Zambezi National park is accessible from beginning of April to early January, however most camps close down with the start of the rains in early November.
The winter months of May to October are the best time for game viewing as no thick vegetation obscures the view. Late October temperatures can soar prior to the rains. Elephants are commonly seen crossing through the Zambezi often just their trunks and tails are visible. Tiger fishing is best in the hotter months from about September onwards.
Sightings
The thrill of gliding silently past a browsing bull elephant as you pilot your canoe near curious hippo with hats of purple-flowering water hyacinth is to enter a realm where every emotion is sharp, vivid and treasured. To enjoy a cold sundowner drink on the prow of a hippo-grazed lawn on an island mid-river, while the waters smokily change from Champagne pink to Burgundy red in front of you is bliss!
In later months as inland waters dry, the Zambezi becomes a regular draw. From her banks prides of lion may rest in the mid-day heat, clouds of bee-eaters give sudden bloom to a fallen tree and crocodiles patiently wait. Impala dine on dropped flowers beneath Sausage Trees and Elephant stretch to reach the apple-peel rings of the Winterthorn fruit. They are seldom better observed in the water than here in the Zambezi. There are many herds of Buffalo, Elephant, Zebra, Wildebeest and Impala. Kudu, Waterbuck are also plentiful.
The languid flight of the Heron contrasts the Kingfisher’s colourful dash, the Ox-pecker’s grip on a buffalo’s ear and the Falcon’s hovering stoop.
With nightfall comes the Leopard’s sawing cough, the Lion’s territorial claim and guilty heckles of greeting Hyenas followed by the Hippo’s booming snorts.
Game Management Area Lower Zambezi National Park
Dieses Camp befindet sich in der sogenannten Game Management Area des Lower Zambezi Nationalparks, das sind Pufferzonen, die rund um die Nationalparks angesiedelt sind. Diese Zonen ermöglichen, dass sich die Tiere frei zwischen der Game Management Area und dem Nationalpark bewegen können und die Populationen sich dadurch im Nationalpark vermehren.
Die Dichte an Wildtieren ist in diesen Zonen nicht so groß wie in den Nationalparks selbst, aber es gibt dennoch viele Wildtiere die sich zwischen den Gebieten bewegen.
Die meisten Lodges und Camp, die in der Pufferzone liegen, führen den Großteil ihrer Safariaktivitäten im Nationalpark durch.