Sioma Ngwezi National Park

Zambia


This undeveloped, very remote and rarely visited 500 sq km national park is one to watch for future developments given its proximity to Livingstone and with plans for the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Park (KAZA) slowly moving forward. It's in the southwestern corner of Zambia, bordering Angola and the Caprivi Strip in Namibia; it's only 50km from Botswana. The park is dry, quite flat and forested with miombo and acacia woodland with areas of teak forest.

It's unfenced and there is free movement of animals between the park and the surrounding Game Management Area (GMA). The park has a history of cross-border poaching problems, and while scarce, wildlife is on the return. Species spotted here include giraffe, elephant, various antelope species (reedbuck, sable, Livingstone eland, tsessebbe, kudu and oribi), while lion, hyena and leopard also frequent the area.

If you want to visit, it's worth contacting Mutemwa Lodge, located not too far from the park, which can arrange fly camp safaris for around US$450 a night per person.

There are few roads and no permanent settlements. An independent trip is possible but very difficult – you need to be completely self-sufficient and have a fully equipped 4WD.