Luambe National Park National park

The park and its history
The Luambe National Park is located in the north east direction of the prominent South Luangwa National Park and the south of the North Luangwa National Park. It sits in the Rift Valley of the Luangwa River in the Eastern province of Zambia, marked by three river banks for borders - The Luangwa River in the east, the Lupita River in the north and the Kangwa River in the south. The park spreads across 247 square kilometres of flood plains.

It is distant and remote, which accounts for the under-development and absence of safari operators and visitors. This is a destination for the appreciation of natural beauty, landscapes and complete peace and not for game which is can be rare. Luambe officially gained national park status in 1938. But being so remote and isolated it remained under developed for many years and ignored by the growing tourist industry. The park’s fortunes changed with the involvement of Luangwa-Wilderness, a non-profit association which aims to help with the preservation and rebuilding of the park. This is being achieved with close cooperation with the Zambian Wildlife Authority and the involvement of local communities. Today the park’s unspoilt natural beauty and expanding herds of Zambian wildlife is an indication of their blossoming success.

Ecology
The main ecoregion of the Luambe National Park, ia made up of Zambezian and Mopane woodland. About 5-700 meters above sea level some areas comprise of forests and flat grassland plateaus, with occasional dense vegetation and isolated lagoons set among mopane trees. The vegetation and woodland is healthy and reports suggest that with good care and re-forestation in a few years the historic larger herds of game will return.

Wildlife
Zambian wildlife roaming the valley floor and riverside include lion, hippo, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, roan, impala, eland, bush pig, wild dog and serval. A Zambia safari in the Luambe National Park is probably among the most breath taking because of your fascinating surroundings. The Luangwa River carries water permanently and is adjoined by hundreds of smaller affluent rivers that only carry water during the rainy season. This leads to a changing topography of its river banks and the small adjacent lagoons. This combination of water and land has created a very special ecosystem, an important habitat for animals and plant species.

Bird life
The life force of the Luangwa Valley lies in the Luangwa River. After the rainy season is over, numerous lagoons still remain alongside the main river channel. A very special ecosystem has developed due to this combination of water and land. The bird life is prolific and is often described by ornithologists as some of the best in Zambia.

How to get there
Luambe National Park can only be accessed between April and November. The first heavy rains of the season turn the soft black soil into a quagmire which will challenge even the most experienced 4x4 drivers. Even during the dry season the tracks of powdery dark sub-soil make for difficult driving. A single road runs through the Luambe National Park. Visitors should make prior arrangements with the one place you can stay in the park, safari operators in North and South Luangwa National Park or bring all their own camping equipment and supplies. Only experiences travellers should atempt exploring without a knowledgable guide.

Luambe National Park and the one lodge are approximately 140 kilometres from Mfuwe and 260 kilometres from Chipata in north-east Zambia. The closest airport is at Mfuwe with scheduled connections to Lusaka International Airport or from Lilongwe, Malawi. The Waka-Waka airstrip is for light charter planes. Transfers by road may be arranged from Mfuwe Airport.

Where to stay
There is a single lodge in Lumbe National Park for visitors to the park. The Luangwa Wilderness Lodge is near the park’s entrance. The lodge at the bank of the Luangwa River is a serene spot ideal to take in the views, wildlife and birds. The building of this lodge in Luambe National Park has already had an impact on the recovery of this national park as it is visitors that helps with the financial needs of the area afterall.

The private management of Luambe Natoinal Park
Luambe National Park was unfunded until 1999. As a consequence, excessive poaching led to a drastic decline in wildlife and only a few shy animals remained. Luangwa-Wilderness, a non-profit association, works together with Zambian Wildlife Authority and local communities to improve the area. Lessons learnt from the neighbouring North Luangwa National Park (through work undertaken by the Frankfurt Zoological Society) has illustrated how animal populations can be increased significantly with appropriate management and planning.

The overall aim is that the Luambe National Park will be managed entirely Zambians and open up to tourism whilst preserving a unique part of Zambia and Africa. The main aim here is the recognition and preservation of the diversity of nature here together with the long term sustainable involvement of local communities who share their habitat with the plants and animals here. For this reason conservation concentrates on establishing schooling, medical care and the creation of jobs for local communities. The success of the improvement of Luambe National Park is dependent on local people benefiting from conservation projects.