Back on Safari in South Luangwa, my Second Home

I've been incredibly lucky in my time, I've been travelling regularly to Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park for over 10 years. It's without a doubt a place I consider to be my second home. The park is home to a staggering array of species and is famed for its population of leopard – a big draw for many who come on one of our photo safaris.

One of the great things is that before you even enter the park, you're sure to have wonderful encounters around the comfort of our lodge and be rewarded with exceptional photo opportunities. Bushbuck, vervet monkeys and elephant can pose perfectly before you even climb aboard a safari vehicle.

However, once out in the park, the anticipation starts to build. As you pass by the oxbow lagoons your eyes are drawn to the movement of birds feeding in the shallow water, as the calls of an African fish eagle ring out through the surrounding trees. You quickly realise that there is so much more on offer than the iconic predators and other large mammals. This is what makes any safari special, but what I love most about leading photo safaris is that we take our time and absorb everything around us.

This trip did deliver those sought after apex predators and wonderful opportunities to photograph the magical southern carmine bee-eaters. We were treated to multiple leopard sightings, including one young female of who we found the tracks, before one of the clients noticed her up a nearby tree. We watched her for some time as she constantly scanned around her as impala moved close by. A couple of days later, we found her once more as she came to drink from a lagoon. She walked right by our vehicle and put on quite a show. The photographs captured by my clients were exceptional.

Another afternoon was dedicated to trying to capture images of the carmine bee-eaters. We found a colony outside of the park, which enabled us to get out of the vehicle and get low. This is the key to capturing breathtaking images of these beautiful birds. The light was perfect and the birds performed even better than we could have hoped for.

There are always too many things to mention when you are on a photo safari, but other highlights included lion cubs which were only a few weeks old, beautiful family groups of elephant, African wild dogs on an impala kill and a host of other beautiful birds.

So what else can I tell you about South Luangwa? Well, to really appreciate this slice of heaven, join me in Zambia and experience it for yourself.

We offer a wide range of safaris to Zambia, however if you'd like to join us on a future South Luangwa Photo Safari, you can contact our team today.