At just 254 km², Luambe is one of Zambia’s smallest national parks. Situated on the eastern bank of the Luangwa it lies in the heart of the Luangwa valley between Lukusuzi, North and South Luangwa national parks. The park was declared in 1938 and is therefore one of the oldest conservation areas in Zambia.
The wildlife found in Luambe is similar to that of its larger neighbouring parks and includes all the typical large herbivores, carnivores as well as some less well-known species. However, the animals of Luambe are generally present at lower densities than in the bigger parks with the advantage that Luambe is less crowded than its more famous neighbours.
Habitat diversity in Luambe National Park is enormous and within a few kilometers the vegetation ranges from riverine forest, cathedral mopane woodland, floodplain acacia thickets to the sausage tree-dotted open grasslands of the Chipuka plains. There are over 200 species of bird in Luambe and elephant populations as well as those of lion and leopard are said to be on the increase – so it’s well worth visiting now before everyone else catches on!
