North Luangwa National Park

North Luangwa is relatively little visited and is principally about walking.  Slightly smaller that its counterpart, the {South Luangwa} National Park, it is far more remote and access is through very few safari operators who have had permission to do walking safaris in the area. The park remains a pristine wilderness and feels extremely secluded; unlike certain areas of South Luangwa, you are unlikely to see evidence of other visitors. Walking is the major focus in this park, so if this doesn't appeal, North Luangwa may not be the place for you.

The vegetation is diverse, from the escarpment with its terminalia and candleabra trees to mopane woodlands and open grasslands cut through with wide sandy river beds and acacia thickets.  The park has a more arid feel than the south, with wide open spaces scattered with oxbows and lagoons that remain from the rains.  The Mwaleshi River runs through the park with clear, bubbling water and sandy floor - it is like finding an oasis in the desert.

The wildlife is good here, and gets better as the season progresses.  The ares is known especially for lion, elephant, and a wide variety of plains game and smaller herbivores with a number of "specials" such as the endemic Cooksons wildebeest.  Since you are most likely to be on foot, you may not see quite as much as you would from a vehicle, but it will be a much more intimate and exciting experience.