Kafue National Park

Kafue : A Truly Wonderful Experience

We recently visited the Kafue National Park in Zambia. Having visited Southern Africa for safaris several times before (South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana) we decided that we wanted to visit somewhere a little bit different and a little bit rawer. It was suggested that we visit Zambia and the Kafue. We were not disappointed.
Kafue has the feel of a park the is yet to be truly discovered. The natural beauty of the country and the low key feel of the park made for a unique visit. There is plenty of wildlife to be seen, cheetahs was a first for us, and the amount of different birdlife on the river is remarkable. There is maybe not the amount of wildlife that we have seen in other countries but there is certainly the diversity to make up for it, plus you can drive all day with your guide and on most days not see another vehicle or boat. You get the impression that some of the wildlife there have never seen a jeep or a boat before too!
We visited three camps and they were all excellent. The standards are very high with regard to guiding and the accommodations. Everything was just.......great.
In summary, a truly wonderful experience and we are now discussing on how can better this for our next visit to Africa. It's not going to be easy.

Kafue National Park, Birderwatchers Paradise, Big-game galore

Recently we spent 3 nights out of a 12 night safari at a camp along the Kafue River on the northern edge of the Kafue National Park. During the days we both boated along the Kafue River and drove into the park in Land Cruisers. The bird life along the river was amazing. I was able to identify with the help of the local guide over 70 bird species - Bee-eaters, Hornbills, Barbets, Africa Finfoot, Eagles, Geese, Herons, etc. Too numerous to list them all. The big game species were also very special. Along with Elephants, Wildebeest, Bushbucks, Red Lechwe, Warthog and other big game species, we also saw unique species not seen elsewhere on our travels. Such as Puku, Yellow Baboon, Velvet Monkey and Grey Defassa Waterbuck. While traveling in boats we had close encounters with Hippos and Crocs. On after dark drives we saw genet and serval's. As we were there in early June there were no bugs, and no rain. A perfect time and place to experience all that Africa has to offer.

A safari to see wild wildlife. Unlike some safaris the animals arent used to a human presence

Kafue is a huge park, we adventured only in South Kafue. It is an amazing safari for wild adventure feeling. Located in Zambia and more difficult to access than other big parks it gets few tourist. Kafue used to have a problem with poaching so it was known even by locals to not animals, this is starting to change. Kafue contrast to Chobe in that the animals take notice of you and some times flee, or in the case of one elephant get defensive. On the other hand Chobe felt like a zoo, yeah you see lots of animals but most dont even give you a second glance as you join the line of land rovers circling the water front.

We drove our on 4x4 and the roads were well maintained. In fact since we came from Kalomo the parks roads were better maintained those to get there. If you need to be babbied then this is probably not the safari for you. The lodge we stayed at provided everything we needed, beer, water and fire wood. They did have other accomidations but I can't comment on those as we camped.

Highlights were seeing two lion cubs that were less than 2 months old and seeing no other safari vehicles. In the three days we were in the park I think we passed 3 vehicles, and two of them were together.

A rugged place with beautiful rivers.

My wife and I went in November at the beginning of the rainy season. The weather was generally good, and not too hot. We saw a good number of animals, but with the coming rains they were often staying in the forest more. However, we did see cheetahs, lions, giraffes, hippos and a variety of birds. They come down to the river more during the dry season.

The river camp we were in was in a beautiful spot, with permanent tents and an open covered common area. The staff was very accommodating and the food was good. The guides tried very hard to find the animals for us to see, but they were scarce at times. We also cruised on the Kafue River and some people went fishing. The river was pristine and quite beautiful.

It's a very big park with few accommodations but beautifully located along the Kafue River.
If you don't want to see any other safari jeeps on your game drives, you should got there !

Just what I was looking for in an African safari.

The weather was first of all fantastic. The accommodations were some of the best that i have ever seen with wonderful food and great areas to hang out. All the guides that we had made the trip great and they were willing to answer all questions that we had. They were very well educated even the professor I went with was impressed.

Whistle stop trip but had some lovely wildlife sightings.

We travelled to Kafue National Park for a 4 night whistle stop trip over Christmas. We drove ourselves from Lusaka airport which was a very easy journey with supermarkets found on route from the airport and once you are out of the city the roads are very easy to drive. We stayed at Mayukuyuku Camp located right on the edge of Kafue River. We had two person tents pitched for our arrival right beside the river with the hippos actually passing in front of them during the night. When we weren't out in the bush we were able to fish beside the stunning river. We often had dinner cooked at the camp where we ate under a nice open bush hut with the other guests. The food was very nice and at an affordable price (dinner $30 dollars that consisted of a starter, main and desert). We drove ourselves within the park and found once we were off the tar road on the side loops the wildlife was great. Animals can still be seen from the tar road but the speed limit is still high there so you have to be aware of other drivers passing through. We were there during the wet season but even off the tar road the roads were manageable and we only got stuck once but were able to get out ourselves. It might have been the time of year but there were fewer tourists in the park than I expected and you didn't have the large volume of vehicles that you often find in other parks which meant that a lot of the sightings were very personal with just one vehicle present. The game in the park was lovely to see. Although we didn't see the leopard that frequented the camp we saw elephants in most areas and had a great sighting of lions. The most special sighting of the trip, however, was coming across a pack of wild dogs that were completely relaxed around us and ended up lying down around our vehicle. At the end of the trip we had to start taking game drives with a guide as our fuel was low. If you're staying along the tar road there aren't many options for refuelling. Our guide however was very knowledgeable about the wildlife in the park and showed a real passion for the wildlife. Overall we had a lovely relaxing trip and will definitely visit again.

Kafue is definitely my favorite park in Zambia, as I have been able to visit about 3 times now. It is full of animals, natural beauty, and a variety of conditions. The area is so big you, and you probably couldn't see all of it after months of exploring. We were lucky to have a few bird enthusiasts amongst us, so we got to learn about the plethora of bird life there. With the Kafue river nearby, there are some great fishing opportunities, as well as opportunities for fish eagles to steal those fish! There are some great lodges in the area, and I hope to return soon.

An astounding bush experience marked by spectacular wildlife...like living in an IMAX movie!

Although technically the most rustic of the places we stayed, our camp in Musanza was situated in an idyllic riverbank setting, and was surrounded by mopane (which actually look similar to ironwood trees and were unknown to us, although they are rather common in the area) and checkerwood trees. It ended up surpassing our expectations and was our favorite of all the camps we have visited. The staff were wonderful and the cook was great; the food was superb. There was something amazing about having the opportunity to lounge in collapsable "director's chairs" just outside our tent before high tea in the late afternoon, watching the exotic birds in the tree and vines, reading, or occasionally seeing or hearing hippos splash in the Lufupa river fifty feet away.

Yes, hearing hippos. I had never before thought about hippos making noise, but they actually make a very distinctive (and rather loud) sound that marked our days and nights and that we had never before experienced. It is an expansive and deep laughing sound, as if someone had recorded a guffaw and then played it back --much louder-- at a slower speed. At the risk of dating myself, I would liken it to a 45 rpm record being played back at 33 rpm. The hippos frolic and splash in the water, submerge themselves for a few minutes, then resurface and bellow out HOOOO HAR HAR. (One person in our group posited that they go under the water to share fart jokes, then come back to the surface to laugh over them. If you ever have the chance to hear this sound you will find this explanation strangely.

The beasts splash around in the water, submerge for a minute or two, then surface and call out HOOOOO HAR HAR HAR. (One wag in our tour group suggested that they go underwater to tell fart jokes, then surface to laugh at them. If you ever get to hear this sound you will find that theory strangely conceivable.)

We really wanted to walk that fifty feet and sit on the river bank, but were told to keep a distance of at least ten feet from the water at all times, since that is the striking point of the crocodiles who share the water with the hippos. We did not need to be instructed on this twice.

One of Musanza's afternoon activities was a boat ride up the river that lasted a few hours, in an outboard aluminum skiff that accommodated roughly seven. There was a plethora of birds, and as we meandered up river our boat driver made sure to maneuver around the hippos. You would think since the hippos are fairly large targets that this might be an easy task, however, since they occupy a fair amount of time underwater is more difficult (and more dangerous) than it appears. There were times when he would spot bubbles further down the river and would simply steer us in a compact circle for a few minutes until the underwater hippos had vacated. There was an occasion where he misjudged, and a hippo reared just under the surface about two feet to the left of the rig, causing a huge ripple and provoking a not entirely uncalled for shout from a woman who had the distinction of sitting right at that point of the boat.
Hippos look funny, and their laugh adds to that picture, but they are genuinely dangerous because of their inclination for capsizing boats. They are close to the top of the list of large animals that routinely cause human deaths. (This being around here of course; there are not very many hippo-related casualties in our neighborhood). They are also threatening to each other, with a social structure that features a lot of the alpha-male, "are YOU lookin' at ME?" stuff. A couple miles upstream from our camp on the river bank, we happened upon a severely injured young male hippo limping through the brush and into the river. He had a nasty wound on his left rear flank, which most likely arose from a brush with the wrong adult male.

A stop at the Treetops school was including on our boat trip. This school is where more affluent parents, mostly from the capital Lusaka, send their children for four to five days of seeing the animals, living in the bush, etc. It is basically a summer camp featuring elephants. There was a larger variety of ethnic diversity than we expected (Indian, black, and white), until we were given the explanation behind "affluent": these were al children of the diplomats and other "upper crust" in Lusaka. The school had a classroom and separate, camp-style dorm buildings, and was situated in a clearing close by the riverbank. The setting was dominated by a giant baobab tree, which also merits some discussion.

If you have ever studied French in school then you probably read "The Little Prince," By St. Exupéry, in which case you have already conjured up a mental image of a baobab tree as a vine-draped thing that has roots drooping from all its branches and thus spreads itself over a very wide area. Well, delete that image because St. Exupéry was entirely wrong in confusing a baobab tree with a banyan. A baobab is defined by a very wide trunk and comparatively thin branches - in fact, it looks as if someone chopped off all the branches from a much older tree and they have only been growing back over the past couple years. The trunks are of such great diameter that in old times poorer residents of the village would hollow them out and use the still living tree as a home; in some instances the community would use them as prisons. The baobab at Treetops could probably have served as a small maximum security jail: the tree was roughly 150' high and easily 25'-30' wide at its base. (We have a picture of us standing at the base - it's so big that you have to look two times to see us.)

We left Musanza (and Zambia) with heavy hearts; it had truly been an Edenic three days and we really bonded with the staff there (it probably didn't hurt that we were the only guests). As seems to be the standard procedure at every camp we have visited, the last night included musical performance by the staff, a lively drum display that had everyone up on their feet.

Brief jaunt into the Zambian wilderness yielded a leopard sighting and a moment of respite.

I visited the Kafue National Park for a short weekend get-away during a business trip. My expectations for the visit were few but important: to complete my 'big five' by gazing upon a Leopard and to enjoy some R&R. I was able to view the other 'big 4' at a reserve in South Africa.

Well the park delivered on both expectations. During my visit, I stayed at the Mukambi Lodge in the Kafue National Park. The accommodations were great. Spacious lodge with operational amenities. The meals included both Zambian and international fares, which were all delicious and filling. I participated in two drives around in the park: one ride at dawn, and one ride at dusk. It was the dawn ride when we happened across a Leopard, which though brief in sighting was unforgettable. During both rides, we viewed Elephants, wild dogs, and various antelopes. Very enjoyable rides altogether.

I highly recommend considering the Mukambi Lodge as a accommodation and safari operator. The professional staff immediately makes you feel at home and the small quantity of lodges allows you to get to know the other guests. The safari drives are well delivered, with ample occasion to absorb the sights and the wildlife, and are tailored to maximize the wildlife sightings depending on the season.