South Luangwa, Zambia

This is a condensed souvenir of a week long safari holiday I had in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. An immense bush land but with grandiose landscapes framed by the Luangwa River. The elephants look different here.
This is the land of true African wilderness, with a particularly high frequency of leopard sighting. We saw 5 different leopards in total. We were also happy to see the beautiful scarlet Southern Carmine Bee-eaters arriving here just in time for us, as they usually migrate here in September in order to nest on the river banks in colony. Among other highlights was a pack of African Wild Dogs which we met three days in row. They are really the most charming and interesting animals to watch. On one evening they displayed a spectacular hunting in front of us.
Timing of appearance of certain animals in the video:
• Leopards 1 :32, 7 :44, 9 :08, 15 :58, 16 :48
• Lions 2 :46, 11 :48, 　 12 :29
• Wild Dogs 12 :13
• Porcupines 15 :44
• Puff adder　 17 :10
Traveled in late August 2017, and stayed at Flatdogs Camp and at Kapamba Bushcamp. The latter is in the remotest area of the Park, and it happened that luckily a pack of wild dogs had made their breeding den near the camp this year.
If you would like to see also other videos of my safari trips :
• Okavango, Botswana • Okavango Delta
• Savuti, Botswana • Savuti, Chobe National...
• Chobe National Park, Botswana • Chobe National Park, B...
• Sabi Sand, South Africa • Sabi Sand Game Reserve
• Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa • Phinda Game Reserve

[@kapandakapanda4665]

I love nature and how they survive in the wonder ess , lion the king have the survival instinct which surpasses all.

[@brianmulubwa941]

My beautiful Zambia

[@Liesel81-across-all-borders]

Wow very nice shots I didn't get to see the wild dogs

[@satishpatel5260]

👉💙🇿🇲's,NATURALLY, NATURES, 👉Chabwino, Twhalumbe, Zikhomo, 👌Chabwino 👍

[@eaglespoint9193]

Blessed Continent!!

[@simonartley1645]

It's most pleasing that wild dogs are doing well in Luangwa I've been lucky enough to see them while walking and they made a kill. Lifetime encounter with this charismatic animal💚

[@lindamusso4437]

Could have done without the snake in the video . The rest of video was wonderful ! Truly beautiful . Txs

[@simonartley1645]

Another fine video of the wildlife and environment of my favourite reserve.Love the Carmine bee eaters and leopard encounter.Best endeavours to all who work to conserve and protect this magical reserve..CSL ,the lodges and local people. Hope to return for my 4th time and to other Zambian reserves🦓🐘💚 Simon Artley,Manchester UK

[@bluerose11]

This was wonderful. Thank you.

[@claudiom58]

Very beautiful, thanks for sharing these beautiful shots and videos

[@poppypoopapie]

Went with Robin Pope a few years back in his 3 camps., saw every animal and more every day. Night safaris are spectacular. Magic place amazing wildlife..Every bird species going it seemed. Best moment sitting under a low tree with a leopard above, superb sightings everywhere. Saving up to go back

[@pommepowerful]

Great video. You were very lucky to see the Wild Dogs. In June 2018 I will go to South Luangwa for my 5th time. South Luangwa is truly the best National Park in Africa.

[@SiriusApollon]

I visited South Luangwa again this year (August 2018), and saw again many animals including Wild Dogs. Many people coming to South Luangwa are passionate repeaters all of whom say that South Luangwa is the best place for safari.

[@swedenhouse8046]

What is the best month to go september/october or november?Thanks

[@kennethzalimba865]

This was nice and very nice place to visit.

[@antilove7776]

love...😍

[@simonartley1645]

I'm always impressed by the kudu and buffalo.Has anyone ever encountered roan,hartebeeste?

[@tongaimuzungaile7416]

amazing

[@asifsuriya3181]

thanks for the prompt reply. I am thinking of buying d500 with 200 to 500 lens . any suggestions for better in the same range

[@lezigue1714]

Thank you for this nice film! An amaizing place, probably the best wildlife area in Africa, in the entire world actually...Great that you didn t put music on...much better to have the bush soundtrack ;)

[@swedenhouse8046]

le Zigue, so you know South Luangwa. We are planning to go next year.What is the best month to go?

[@mwanamazala5088]

@@swedenhouse8046 rain season is between November and April. So avoid that period by all cost. Best time to travel is probably between July - September. July will be end of winter there, so weather will feel like the fall, and August - October is summer, with October being the hottest month if the year, so wanna avoid that also.

[@craigstreater]

I lived a worked there for a couple of years, making me want to go back.

[@swedenhouse8046]

Any tips when to go?Thank you

[@ingefrye6722]

What camp were you in during this video? It is truely magnificent. We are going this year in August/September. Hope we can see as many animals as you did.

[@SiriusApollon]

We stayed in 2 lodges: first in Flatdogs Camp and then in Kapamba Bushcamp. Flatdogs Camp is just outside the Mfuwe main entrance, a relatively large lodge directly facing the Luangwa River. The area around the Mfuwe entrance is the main tourist area, thus you will come across several other cars, but it is still very wild and quiet. We saw lions, leopards and wild dogs within the 3 days staying in Flatdogs Camp. The Kapamba Bushcamp is probably the remotest camp among all the lodges in South Luangwa, located far down to the south. It has only 4 rooms (beautiful large rooms) facing Kapamba River, and is the most luxury of the 6 camps managed by the “Bushcamp” company. All the Bushcamps are in the remote southern area of the Park and have only 3-4 rooms (except for its HQ major lodge “Mfuwe Lodge”which is also nice and well situated). I would really recommend staying in one of these Bushcamp camps. It was here in Kapamba Bushcamp that we were lucky to see everyday the pack of wild dogs as they happened to be “denning" nearby this year. You will also be able to see the colony of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters close to Kapamba if you go there in September-November. (We saw the beginning of their colony formation even in late August, as shown in the video.) Also, one early morning we heard some roaring of lions approaching the camp and two male lions walked 10 meters in front of our room in the dawn. The website of the “Bushcamp” company can be visited here : www.bushcampcompany.com Wherever you stay, South Luangwa N.P. is wild, vast and majestic. Leopard sighting is almost guaranteedevery day. Famous for wild dogs, too. I was also happy to see a honey badger and porcupines in the night safari. Unfortunately there is no cheetah and rhino in South Luangwa N.P., but you will completely forget about that with all the excitement from other animals and birds, big and small...

[@WildlifeObsessed]

Stay Luangwa NP is one of the best in whole of Africa, IMHO. Nice video. thanks for posting/sharing. What did you use for production phase ..... ?

[@SiriusApollon]

Thank you again. I just used the iMovie software which is on my Mac computer. I am still débutant on this, clumsy in both filming and in editing. (I usually take photos only.) I do agree that South Luangwa is best of the bests. It is the sense of wilderness you feel there that is very special compared with all the other famous parks. I would love to go back there in the green season, too. If they had cheetahs and rhinos, it would be with no doubt absolutely No. 1. (Which should not be impossible, if we think of many other parks and reserves which have succeeded in importing these animals and getting them adapted very well.) But when I talked with the rangers in South Luangwa, none of them seemed to be regretting for not having them... :-))

[@pavan35007]

Hi ! Le Sirus ! Amazing video ! I m mulling over South luangwa or Hwange !? Is there even a comparison or is luangwa the clear winner!?

[@SiriusApollon]

I have been dreaming of Hwange for my next safari trip but I haven't been there yet. Compared with the other popular destinations such as Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa (and maybe even compared with Botswana), I am sure that South Luangwa and Hwange are the wildest of all, a pure natural wilderness world. One advantage of Hwange is that they have cheetahs there (South Luangwa doesn't). Probably the same with rhinos. But I thought that South Luangwa was the most fantastic of all the safaris I have so far experienced, and I can tell you that it is the best in the world to see leopards. I have met someone living in Zimbabwe who has been to Hwange several times, who said he had never seen a leopard there. In south Luangwa, you could probably see one every day.

[@janakmedicos9735]

This time in Africa.

[@ingefrye6722]

Thanks for your message. We will be 7 nights in Robin Pope camps, Tena Tena and Nsefu and then 3 nights in Kafunta's new camp in the south, Three Rivers ending with the Kafunta Lodge near the entrance to the park. We hope this way to see different areas and animals. If you could make a DVD copy of your video I would love to buy it. Can you send it to Belgium? As I do not have a video camera I will only be able to take photos. Your film is really good and clear.

[@SiriusApollon]

That will be a very nice stay, long enough to see anything you wish to see. I hear a lot about Robin Pope, which must be very nice. The lodges are all different, but I think that, wherever you stay, the wildlife sighting is equally extraordinary. During my stay, I talked with other guests who had travelled through different corners of the Park, and that just confirmed that everywhere is exciting. Seeing the wild dogs can be a little tricky, though. As for the video, I'm happy you like it so much, and I would be happy to send it to you by e-mail in the usual electronic file format, as long as you will enjoy it just for yourselves and will not publish it elsewhere. The file might be a little heavy, but I think it will go. You can contact me at the following e-mail address: [e-mail]

[@agnesbouman1851]

What a beautiful exciting video ..I love this place I worked there and now I go there for holidays..beautiful thanks for sharing the video

[@karensanders2785]

Beautiful. I'm going in 2019. Would love to know what camera/video recorder you used.

[@SiriusApollon]

Thank you. I hope you will see the best of South Luangwa when you go there next year. The camera I use is Nikon D7000, a digital reflex camera which I normally use for taking photos. It does allow you to film videos but I am not comfortable with it yet.

[@karensanders2785]

Thanks so much! I'll look into that.

[@justforfunonly4818]

Land of Nsefu pride n Muwamba pride's ... Is she Olimba the leopard

[@salimpatel3260]

Which part.suggest best views of lion hunting

[@bramlouwers7906]

May i ask. which camera u use?

[@asifsuriya3181]

nice video. which camera and lens did u use for filming and images

[@SiriusApollon]

Thank you. I have two Nikon D7000 cameras and am using a 20-300mm tele-zoom lens and a 10-24mm wide angle lens. (By having two camaeras, I can avoid changing the lenses during the safari.) Majority of the scenes were taken by the 20-300mm telescope lens (on video mode, of course).

[@WildlifeObsessed]

" ..... for a hunting ..... " The Antelope are Puku's, a part of the Kob family.

[@SiriusApollon]

I wondered what you meant to say...and when I revisited the wild dogs' hunting scene in the video, I myself am just astonished with what I have written there ! Yes, of course, they are Puku's, not Kupu's ! I don't know what happened to my fingers when typing them. Any way, thank you.

[@janakmedicos9735]

Hunting by shutterbug .

[@Globally1201]

FROM HIM, ,URENIA I HAVE LEARNED MANY THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE!!!😮😮😮💟💟💟😍😘🥰🐘🐘🍼🍼🦣🦣🌳⛰️🌊😎👏🏽🔥🙏🏽👑➕📖🔥