Kafue National Park

By: Sue van Wilsen Photos: Wilderness Safaris

With the dual honour of being Zambia’s oldest and largest national park, Kafue is the hidden gem of the African continent. At a staggeringly vast 2.24 million hectares (the same size as Wales), the park forms part of an enormous conservation area that spans 7.3 million hectares. The park is home to an extraordinarily diverse array of wildlife, including large herds of water-loving lechwe, grass-dwelling puku, along with some more unusual species, such as sitatunga and roan antelope. Ever in their pursuit, this plentiful population of plains game also attracts impressive numbers of predators, including wild dog, cheetah and lion.

Situated in the upper north-western reaches of Kafue, the Busanga Plains are perhaps the prime wildlife viewing destination in the country, with 28 000 hectares of expansive grassland, channels, palm islands and papyrus swamp.

summer rains arrive and transform Kafue’s flat, grassy landscape into a mosaic of floodplains, channels and palm islands, which also render the Busanga Plains inaccessible.

The dry season runs from June to October, at which time, the seasonal camps open to tourists. June can be a very exciting time to visit the park, as the water levels are often still fairly high, attracting a huge diversity of birdlife, and high concentrations of lechwe and puku. Due to the limited amount of dry land, Kafue’s lion prides are seen regularly, and those fortunate enough may even be able to see occasional sightings of swimming lions and chases through water.

From July through to October is peak game-viewing season as the Busanga Plains dry up, making a wider area accessible by game drive vehicles. Zebra and wildebeest are plentiful, while cheetah and wild dog are also often sighted.

One of the best ways to take in the vast Kafue landscape is by air. At 28 000 hectares, the Busanga Plains is considered to be one of the

most exclusive hot air ballooning destinations in the world and guests can expect to see thousands of lechwe and puku, along with pods of hippo while enjoying the spectacular sunrise surrounded by nothing but endless vistas of completely unspoilt, remote African wilderness. Those spending three nights or more at Wilderness

Safaris Busanga or Shumba camps during August, September and October are provided a hot air ballooning experience free of charge.

While a bird’s eye view provides a great overview of the park, game drives, walking safaris and boat trips are the perfect way to get an up-close perspective of its bountiful wildlife, with Kafue’s flat, open landscape allowing for excellent visibility and game viewing. Those visiting at the beginning of the season also have the option of traversing the shallow waters of the Busanga Plains by boat. graphic Wild documentary due to their unusual fondness for climbing trees. As Kafue’s apex predator, each season brings opportunities for visitors to observe dramatic hunts, along with unexpected and exciting changes in the dominant pride dynamics, with ongoing clashes making for riveting viewing.

Cheetah sighting on a game drive