Luxury safari vacations

The South Luangwa Valley in Zambia is one of the richest and most exciting game viewing areas in Africa. The scenery is diverse and typically African dominated by the meandering Luangwa River which floods the area every rainy season leaving beautiful lagoons and small lakes dotted around the extensive valley floor. There is woodland, rich areas of open plain and as you move south you come to the Chendeni Hills which provide excellent walking opportunities. Most visitors to Luangwa spend about a week there staying at a series of contrasting camps and lodges which takes between six and twelve guests.

The wildlife is equally rich and diverse with herds of elephant, particularly large numbers of graceful giraffe, impressive herds of mighty buffalo and over a dozen species of antelope. The South Luangwa is one of the best places for spotting predators and lion, leopard, cheetah and other predators are regularly seen, as well as a host of fascinating smaller creatures such as baboon, warthog and serval.

South Luangwa is particularly good walking country and most days begin with a steady, not tiring, four hour walk with an expert guide and an armed national parks tracker (most of whom have an uncanny sixth sense for spotting the most elusive creatures). In the afternoon you would usually take a drive by open vehicle, perhaps combined with short walks and in the evening after sunset you have the further opportunity for a night time drive when you can see nocturnal creatures such as porcupine and aardvark and predators. This is also a superb birding location with 466 species of birds, including many types of eagle, herons and spectacular colonies of carmine bee-eaters.

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