Liuwa National Park

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The Liuwa National Park lies in the far west of Zambia, west of the Barotse Floodplain of the Zambezi River near the border with Angola. In the 19th century the king Lewanika of Barotseland designated the area as a game reserve and in 1972 it was declared a national park. There is no road access, the nearest settlements are over 40 kilometres away. The plains are exceedingly remote and wild and the park is one of the least visited in Africa with only a few hundred annual visitors.

The vast majority of this park is made up of honey coloured undulating grass and in some places this is all you can see for 360 degrees around you, but sometimes you will see a sprinkling of exotic palm trees, tree belts and the occasional pan of water. The environment is unlike that of any other park in Zambia.

Wildebeest can be seen in their tens of thousands as they migrate from Angola in the north and from September large herds of tsessebe, zebra and buffalo converge on the vast open plains. Their numbers are at their peak between November and mid June when they are attracted by the areas fresh green grass that comes after the rains. Liuwa is known for its storms with dramatic cloud formations, great lightning bolts and rolling thunder.

Red lechwe, roan antelope reedbuck and oribi are present all year round and predators like wild dog, lion, hyena, cheetah and leopard occur naturally. The parks most distinguished resident inhabitant is Lady Liuwa, a lone lioness who is usually spotted in the south central region of the Park. She is often heard calling at night and if you are fortunate enough you may even catch a glimpse of her resting under a tree during the day in a wooded island. The bird watching is superb with 319 species having been recorded, including pink billed and clapper larks, rosy breasted longclaw, long tailed widow, white cheeked bee eater, sharp tailed starling and swamp boubou.

A Liuwa Plains safari is for the more adventurous and experienced safari enthusiast and is not a reserve that should be tackled without a guide as there are no visitor facilities or roads and it is very easy to get lost. The focus is very much on the wildlife and activities include day and night game drives. Arranging your safari with a licensed tour operator is the best way to experience what this Park has to offer.