KAFUE NATIONAL PARK
Africa’s Hidden Gem By: Sue van Wilsen Photos: Wilderness Safaris
W
ith 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.
When to go
Every year from December through to March, the
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TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA
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.
What to do
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
