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Kafue National Park
It is one of the top destinations and a truly diverse part of the country Zambia, with the landscape ranging from flat, open grasslands to woodland and huge granite hills, and you can take your pick when it comes to spotting wildlife. The flat grasslands are the perfect place to see buffalo, zebra and wildebeest, and Kafue is also one of the best places to visit in Zambia to see lions, cheetahs and wild dogs. First established as a National Park in the 1950’s by the legendary Norman Carr. Game viewing for many animals can be hard due to the size of this park and true wilderness.
Highlights
Kafue National Park
- Endless Exploring in Kafue National Park which is the oldest National park in Western Zambia and 2nd largest sanctuary in the world for your endless exploring
- Discover the home of 152 different species of mammals including hippo, cheetah and tree- climbing lions.
- Visit the largest conservation area for a quiet and authentic wildlife experience from your Bush camp
- Enjoy the pristine wilderness where the Busanga Plains, Nanzhila Plains, Kafue River and Itezhi- Tezhi Dam are situated
- Spot up to incredible variety of 494 bird species including Pel's fishing owl and find leopard
- Get romantic with the stunning sunsets and unspoiled wilderness
Things to do
NORTH KAFUE NATIONAL PARK
Zambia’s best kept secret is the Busanga Plains are home to one of the few known breeding sites for endangered wattle cranes in the North of the Kafue National Park.
The Busanga Plain where the Lufupa River flows is 720 km 2 of palm groves, papyrus-choked reed beds and lily-covered lagoons representing one of the few wetland wildernesses in the world and makes access impossible from November to May.
The lions of Busanga are a highlight and offer incredible encounters as these cats move around the floodplains of the beaten track
Birding diversity is incredible due to the water, fig tree islands and floodplains. 500 bird species have been recorded.
Lechwe are in extensive populations and the topography of the land makes for a photographer’s haven!
A wide variety of species is found on the plains including Lion, Cheetah, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Oribi, Roan, Lechwe, Zebra and Blue Wildebeest and elephants.
CENTRAL KAFUE
Just like the African parks, it offers a great option if time is short or as a stopover before you venture deeper into the park or on your way to Liuwa Plain National Park. It is only a 4 hour drive from Lusaka and you are in the heart of the Kafue National Park with an excellent trip. Besides, you can go to the Mukambi Community School.
SOUTH KAFUE NATIONAL PARK
Despite its size and prominent location only two hours drive from Livingstone, it remains little-known and largely unexplored with vast tracts of its virgin bush still untouched. Thanks to its size and variety of habitat types the Kafue holds a fantastic diversity of wildlife and activities. The River and all its channels, rapids and islands lend itself to a range of exciting river-based activities which include boat cruises, fishing, birding, canoeing and river trails. Game drives and walking safaris are also available.
Southern Kafue is a paradise for self drive safaris and many camps offer excellent campsites.
Best Time to Visit
The climate of Kafue National Park is similar to that of an African country, with cool and dry winters and also warm and wet summers. We can say the Kafue National Park and Busanga Plains are the dry season destinations. It is not only the best time for predator interactions but also you can see concentrations around Busanga’s water source.
June, July and August are the coolest and driest months at Kafue Park. The late dry season is a good time for seeing Cheetah and wild dog.
The rain falls in October and heavily in November. If you come to Zambia to visit Victoria Falls, please choose the dates carefully because some camps in Kafue Safari are closed during the peak flow time from February to May.
Peak game viewing is from August to October. Therefore, we recommend you to plan your safari during May to August.
