Lower Zambezi National Park

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park covers around 66 square kilometres along the Zambian bank of the Zambezi River, taking its name from the local Lozi phrase meaning ‘the smoke that thunders’. It is one of Zambia’s smallest national parks and one of its most visited, because it contains the country’s share of Victoria Falls — a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with Zimbabwe and, at over 1,700 metres wide, the largest sheet of falling water on earth.

The park divides into two sections. Downstream lies the falls itself, approached along the Knife-edge Bridge through permanent spray that sustains a pocket of rainforest in otherwise dry country. Upstream, a game park runs along the river, home to elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and a small, closely guarded population of white rhino that can be tracked on foot with armed scouts. There are no lion or leopard here, which is precisely what makes walking safaris possible.

Kafue National Park covers around 22,400 square kilometers in central-western Zambia, making it one of the largest national parks in Africa and larger than some countries. Established in 1950, the park spans a vast range of habitats, from the Busanga Plains’ seasonal floodplain in the north to dense miombo woodland further south.

Despite its size and exceptional wildlife, Kafue remains relatively little-visited compared to other major African parks. The park supports strong populations of lion, leopard, and cheetah, alongside one of the widest ranges of antelope species in Africa, including roan, sable, and red lechwe, particularly across the Busanga Plains during the dry season.

Lower Zambezi National Park covers around 4,092 square kilometers along the northern bank of the Zambezi River in southern Zambia, directly across from Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park. Established in 1983, the park remained largely undeveloped for decades, preserving a genuine wilderness feel that continues to define it today.

The park’s floodplains and riverine forest support large herds of elephant and buffalo, alongside lion, leopard, and dense populations of hippo and Nile crocodile along the river. Canoe safaris are the park’s signature activity, offering a quiet, water-level perspective on wildlife rarely matched elsewhere in Africa.

South Luangwa National Park covers around 9,050 square kilometers along the Luangwa River in eastern Zambia, and is widely credited as the birthplace of the modern walking safari, pioneered here in the 1950s by conservationist Norman Carr. The park’s dense riverine forest, oxbow lagoons, and open grassland support one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.

South Luangwa is particularly renowned for its leopard sightings, with the valley’s dense vegetation and healthy prey populations making it one of the best places on the continent to see this elusive cat. The park also supports large elephant and buffalo herds, hippo-filled lagoons, and the endemic Thornicroft’s giraffe, found nowhere else in the world.