Travel Guide North Luangwa National Park

Half the size of its southern neighbor, North Luangwa is one of the most pristine nature reserves in Africa. Difficult to access for independent travelers, the park, where infrastructure is almost non-existent, welcomes very few visitors year round. Moreover, the park is only accessible during the dry season, from mid-June to the end of October. Its major asset is therefore to be able to offer visitors the vision of a wild Africa, free of any trace of human passage. During the 30 years following its creation, only the forest rangers had access to the park. The vegetation consists mostly of mopane forests, extensive grasslands, acacia thickets, sausage trees, chigomeria and mahogany. The park is known for its impressive herds of buffalo, lions and the presence of many Cookson's wildebeest and eland. There are a few bird species that are rare elsewhere, such as the yellow-throated sentinel(Macronyx croceus) and the red-backed mahali(Plocepasser rufoscapulatus). Elephants and leopards can also be seen here, although in smaller numbers than in South Luangwa. People come here to try to see a black rhino, rare but successfully reintroduced here.In 1984, John Harvey and his wife Lorna, from the colonial nobility, obtained permission to organize the first walking safaris here. Then, in 1989, Mark and Delia Owens, two American zoologists (known for their book The Cry of the Kalahari), set up a research center in the park and engaged in a relentless fight against the poaching that was raging. They collect funds that allow them to pay rangers and to sensitize the local population.The flora and fauna of the park are similar to those of South Luangwa, although the landscapes are more marked by the presence of the Muchinga Escarpment, which dominates the park from the top of its 1,000 m. A large number of tributaries flow into the Luangwa River playing an important ecological role. During the dry season, the Mwaleshi River, which flows along the escarpment, leaves many pools where animals come to drink. Game drives are not permitted in this area, which can only be accessed on foot.