LAKE BANGWEULU / KASANKA NATIONAL PARK
Lake Bangweulu is far from Zambia’s main safari hubs, but the surrounding wetlands are home to some true gems, with herds of black lechwe grazing to the watery horizon and rare shoebills lurking deep in the swamps. Kasanka National Park, a little to the south, hosts Africa’s largest mammal gathering — a 10-million-strong roost of straw-coloured fruit bats — and is a top spot for the semi-aquatic sitatunga. This is not a mainstream safari, perhaps, but a real treat for serious wildlife aficionados.
KAFUE NATIONAL PARK
Zambia’s largest park has regained its reputation of 50-odd years ago, when it was the jewel in the country’s safari crown. Scale and variety are Kafue’s watchwords, with landscapes ranging from the wetlands of Busanga Plains in the north to the miombo woodland of the central districts and savannah of Nanzhila Plains to the south. Game is not always as approachable as in South Luangwa, but all the key players are here, including huge buffalo
