South Luangwa Budget Safari

South Luangwa budget safari is a 3 day South Luangwa budget safari in Zambia. The 3 day South Luangwa budget safari starts and ends in Chipata.

About South Luangwa Budget Safari

This is a 3 day South Luangwa budget safari in Zambia. The 3 day South Luangwa budget safari starts and ends in Chipata. On this African budget travel in Zambia, you’ll be accommodated in a budget lodge.

The 3 day South Luangwa budget safari in Zambia is recommended for those backpacking in Zambia. It is a pocket friendly budget Zambia safari that can also start from Lilongwe in Malawi. This will however have a supplement for pick up. Your 3 day South Luangwa budget safari in Zambia itinerary is below:

South Luangwa Budget Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Chipata – South Luangwa National Park

You will be met on arrival in Chipata or from your budget hotel in Chipata. This is by our Zambia safari representative. You will be briefed on this 3 day South Luangwa budget safari. This is to be followed by a drive to South Luangwa National Park.

The drive will take you to a Zambia safari lodge arriving in time for lunch. The lodge is located right on the South Luangwa National Park boundary. You’ll have a stop as you drive to South Luangwa National Park. The stop en route will be at 'Rock View'.

From here one is able to have a great view of the Luangwa valley. You’ll also learn about the medicinal plants that the residents of the valley. You’ll be welcomed with a glass of complimentary welcome drink on arrival at the lodge.

The afternoon will be spent at leisure in your lodge. It will be to enable you recover from the trip. You have an option of having a nature walk around. This is to admire the beauty of your surrounding environment.

In the evening you’ll be served delicious dinner from the comfort of your lodge. Overnight will be at your Zambia budget safari lodge booked on full board.

Day 2: South Luangwa National Park

Your 3 day South Luangwa budget safari in Zambia will start early. The day will start with a light breakfast early in the morning.  It is time for your 3 day South Luangwa budget safari to embark on a 4 hour game drive.

You will visit several waterholes that attract numerous wildlife numbers. South Luangwa National Park is also a birding haven. You’ll see the elephant, zebra, antelope, hippo and many others.

Later, you’ll drive back to the lodge in time for lunch. This will be followed by a relaxing afternoon by the pool side. You’ll embark on another 4 hour evening drive that will begin at 1600hrs.

This will proceed into darkness when the powerful spotlights will be on. You will be in search of nocturnal animals including the elusive leopard. Dinner at your lodge will mark the end of the day. It is time for a peaceful night under the star filled African sky.

Day 3: South Luangwa - Chipata

This is the last day of your 3 day South Luangwa budget safari in Zambia. You will wake up to an early breakfast at the lodge. Your 3 day South Luangwa budget safari in Zambia then takes a drive to Chipata.

You’ll make a stopover along the way to visit the Tribal Textiles. Tribal Textiles was set up for the local people in 1991. This is where they sell their handmade African textiles.

Your 3 day South Luangwa budget safari in Zambia proceeds to Chipata. You’ll be dropped off at a designated point or at your budget Chipata hotel.

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South Luangwa Budget Safari Destination

South Luangwa National Park

South Luangwa National Park is one of the great remaining unspoiled regions of Africa. Even as Zambia’s reputation as a spectacular safari destination grows, it retains its essence of true wilderness.

South Luangwa National Park is a place that still feels relatively untouched by modern humans, and is therefore uniquely able to provide South Luangwa budget safari guests an unpredictable and exhilarating safari experience.

Because of that protected quality, it is important that you enter this country with a deep respect for the sanctity of the wildlife habitats and an appreciation for the ecology that supports this special environment.

The Luangwa River is the most intact river in Africa, and its tributaries and lagoons are the lifeblood of this region.

The changing seasons, from the ‘dry’ season in the winter to the ‘emerald’ season of the summer months, make this a vibrant and charismatic part of the world that you don’t want to miss on your South Luangwa budget safari.

It is important to note that alongside the beautiful scenery is also a beautiful culture. The people of Zambia are kind and friendly, and will welcome travelers on South Luangwa budget safari with warmth and genuine hospitality.

The local people are also some of the best guides in the entire country, and their passion for sharing their knowledge while working in these camps, which can be incredibly remote, makes the South Luangwa budget safari experience that much richer and more memorable.

History of South Luangwa National Park

The country of Zambia lies landlocked in the tropics, located at the northern edge of the region known as ‘southern Africa.’ Shaped like a butterfly and covering about 752,610 square kilometers, Zambia is roughly three times the size of the United Kingdom.

South Luangwa National Park - located in eastern Zambia - was declared a national park in 1972. As a protected game reserve for over 65 years before that, the park was never subjected to the degradation of unregulated mass tourism, thus sustaining its pristine wilderness.

It was here, in this park, that the now famous ‘walking safari’ originated, when Norman Carr, who was originally a ranger in the game reserves in the 1940s, began to operate wilderness safaris in the area.

Carr recognized the limitations of the early format of hunting safaris, and developed the walking safari to increase tourism to the area, as well as species conservation.

It could be argued that this shift in the travel tourism focus positively impacted the animal populations in the park and surrounding area.

Due to both the CITES ban on the world ivory trade, the presence of South Luangwa Conservation Society supported ZAWA teams, which carry out law-enforcement patrols on a regular basis, the park and its wildlife population (especially elephants) have remained remarkably stable ever since.

Not just the park, but the entire region is a true wildlife sanctuary. It is clustered with the neighboring North Luangwa, Luambe, and Lukusuzi National Parks. These are all separated by a cushion of game management areas.

The region is teeming with wildlife and is fiercely protected and conserved, so it remains largely unmolested. The best part of South Luangwa National Park and its adjacent GMAs is the remoteness.

More and more precious these days is that chance to relax into a rare night sky that is untainted by light pollution.

Here South Luangwa budget safari guests will fall asleep under the most impressive blanket of stars, including awe inspiring views of the shimmering Milky Way.

The small and intimate lodges contribute to this feeling of being in a place where the modern world has yet to intrude upon nature.

Wildlife to See on South Luangwa budget safari

At this point South Luangwa budget safari guests may be wondering what it is that draws so many wildlife enthusiasts and safari connoisseurs to this particular area, often returning to the same camps many times over.

Accompanying the reputation for a very high quality of guiding in this area, South Luangwa’s concentration of animals is some of the densest in all of Africa.

The park offers guests on South Luangwa budget safari a multitude of game that will satisfy any safari bucket list: from predators like the famed African wild dogs, majestic lions, and lean leopards to big game favorites like elephants, buffalo, and hippo, this park has them all.

South Luangwa also offers South Luangwa budget safari guests unique animal sightings, such as Zambia’s beloved Crawshay’s zebra herds (whose stripes are more distinct than those found further south and west).

There are 14 different species of antelope, including the elusive bushbuck; and the attractive kudu, with its spiral horns and delicate face.

Did we mention there are also 400 species of birds in the park, including 39 birds of prey? You’ll want to pack your binoculars and a camera so you can capture your sightings of these amazing creatures.

Because this park offers day and evening game drives, which is unique in the world of South Luangwa budget safari, a whole other nocturnal realm is opened up for your viewing excitement.