Visit the Africa’s best-kept secrets!
North Luangwa is one of Africa’s best-kept secrets: a pristine wilderness offering an exclusive wilderness experience far from the crowds.
With diverse habitats ranging from riparian woodland along the rivers with and cascading waterfalls in the escarpment through Miombo forests to Cathedral Mopane forest and river floodplains, the park provides a breathtaking backdrop for unforgettable vistas, view points and intimate wildlife encounters. Its rivers sustain a rich variety of species year-round, making it a vibrant ecosystem.
Home to a thriving population of lions, elephants, buffalo, and endemic species like Cookson’s wildebeest, North Luangwa is a haven for wildlife and bird lovers. Renowned for its self-drive option, walking safaris (if you book with a private operator) and low visitor numbers, it offers an intimate experience where one can get closer to nature in one of the continent’s last great wilderness areas.
The Amatololo Experience is a circuit of community-owned tented camps and campsites in the adjoining Game Management Areas (Samala, Ituba, Mandalena), as well as a self-drive loop within North Luangwa National Park with four campsites (Lufila, Nkholo, Muzingwe and Mushika), designed to provide affordable self-drive, self-catering access to North Luangwa Landscape and the National Park.
Open July to Mid-November (rains dependent)
For those craving solitude, scenery, and a true off-the-grid experience, the Amatololo loop delivers wild Luangwa.The Loop is a unique 4×4 adventure within North Luangwa National Park, following the course of the Lufila and Luangwa Rivers. Along the route, four rustic campsites offer scenic and secluded stopovers:
North Luangwa experiences two main seasons: the dry season (June to October) and the emerald season (November to May). Ituba Camp and the Amatololo Loop are closed in the emerald season. Samala and Mandalena are open throughout the year.
Daytime temperatures are generally warm and sunny year-round, with lows of around 10°C in June and July, and highs reaching up to 40°C in October.
The late dry season offers the best game viewing, as wildlife concentrates around the last remaining water sources. The emerald season brings lush, green landscapes and up to 900 mm of rainfall with occasional showers lingering into April and May