ZAMBIA TOP DESTINATIONS
LIUWA PLAINS NATIONAL PARK
Overview What to see & do How to get there Climate Map

Background Information

The park, located approximately an hour from Kalabo and has five community camp sites. The campsites are the responsibility of the community living in the park and with the help of African Parks, the community own and run them. The camp sites are Kayala, Kwale, Lyangu, Katoyana and Sikale. Access to Kalabo (the nearest town to Liuwa Plain National Park) has been vastly improved due to a tar road being built over the floodplains which has recently been complete. To get into the park there is one water crossing. 4x4 vehicles will be needed to access the park and tyre pressures should be put down to accommodate the sandy conditions.

Predators in the park include African wild dogs, spotted hyenas and lions, one of which is the famous lioness known as Lady Liuwa.

Lady Liuwa, a Southwest African lioness (Panthera leo bleyenberghi) the subject of Aquavision's documentary, “The Last Lioness." Following the turmoil of the Angolan civil war, poaching and illegal trophy hunting decimated the lion population in the park; leaving but one, Lady Liuwa. For years Lady Liuwa lived alone, roaming Liuwa Plain without a pride.

In 2003 African Parks (Zambia) assumed responsibility for the park, undertaking an aggressive approach to reestablishing native wildlife populations and relocating extinct species. The most notable example of this is the astonishing increase in blue wildebeest. Other species that have shown clear increases in population numbers are Grant's zebra, red lechwe and Tsessebe

Best Time to Visit

August to December is the best time to visit.

By Road: Access to Kalabo (the nearest town to Liuwa Plain National Park) has been vastly improved due to a tar road being built over the floodplains which has recently been complete. This means there is access to Kalabo all year around. To get into the park there is one water crossing, this has a pont which 4x4 vehicles can go on and fromthis point on there is no longer any tar but sandy roads. 4x4 vehicles will be needed to access the park and tyre pressures should be put down to accommodate the sandy conditions. Mongu, the capital of the Western Province is only an hour away from Kalabo and has a number of petrol stations, an ATM and a very well stocked Shoprite supermarket. There are also a few guest house to stay in. It is suggested that you stop at Mongu for supplies as once in Kalabo there is very little, local markets selling a few items. The African Parks offices are just at the harbour before you cross on the pont and this is where you can check in and get any more additional information before entering Liuwa.