Hi all,
Can anyone tell me if there is internet access in South Luangwa, and what provider works best? I need to know whether remote areas of the park have access. I also need to know how chilly is it in the dry season - April-Nov, is a thick fleece enough for the evenings, in the bush camping? Does someone know about medical facilities close to the park? Again, thanks a lot!
Hi,
we were there in september.
A few of the lodges have internet-acces, but don't like to let you use it. They alway told us, its only for emergeny.
And in the remote areas are no access at all.
In Mfuwe are two "business shops", but one of them told us, the internet is "out of order". So we tried it at the other. And there it tooks 20 minute only to open the page of our e-mail provider.
In South Luangwa you wont need a fleece. In september it was 20 o during all of the night.
Beate
Beater - thanks for the info. I still would like to know what cellphone company has better coverage in the park, especially the area along Luwi River. If anyone has been there for a while or is living there, I'd really appreciate a reply. Many thanks.
This is very specialised information you are asking for, and for quite an extended period of time- if you are going to be working in this area, the best people to ask would be the people you are going to work for. In that area there are a couple of Norman Carr bushcamps (Luwi and Nsolo) and the wild dog research project is active in that area.
I've just spent 3 months working in an area a bit further north than Luwi (round Mwamba/Lion Plains). The only internet access in these areas will be via satellite at the camps and Luwi and Nsolo may not even have that- some bushcamps only communicate by radio with their main camps. If they do it will be restricted to use by the management or guests in an emergency.
Mobile phone coverage- unlikely, and more unlikely the further you get from the Luangwa river. In the area I was in there were a few spots that the local guides knew about where you could just about get a signal on a good day if you stood on top of the vehicle. These spots were mainly close to the Luangwa river, but further inland there was nothing. So along the Luwi river I would say it's very unlikely. As for provider- I have no idea but the best thing would be to ask when you get there and if it's possible you should be able to pick up the appropriate SIM in Mfuwe. In the Mfuwe area there is both internet (eg at Flatdogs) and mobile phone coverage.
Weather- beater is right about September, but you will definitely need that fleece earlier in the season. The earliest I've been in South Luangwa is late July this year and I was needing a fleece for early mornings and this year was a warm year. I'm sure you will need in for May and June.
Medical facilities- there is a volunteer doctor based at Flatdogs. The nearest hospital is a couple of hours drive from Mfuwe.
Thanks a lot for all the info. I'm aware it's quite specific stuff, but I like gathering as much info from different sources as possible. I lived in East Africa for 5 years and telecoms there seem more advance, I wanted to confirm what I'd been told about Luangwa. Again, I appreciate your reply.
We stayed for a month at Flatdogs Camp May/June 2009. There were some nights in May when we were really glad to have fleece, which worked fine for us that time. Some nights were warm...
Flatdogs Camp near Mfuwe has an Internet Cafe! Signal fails from time to time but one guy also had a laptop wireless internet card and worked from the bar during the day. There is a cell phone tower in the National Park accross the river from Flatdogs.
Suggest you contact the helpful managers of Flatdogs!
Also, re medical facilities. The Safari Camp Association has a doctor on call during the dry season, and my 'office visit' with him was quite expensive, but was good to have him there. There is a clinic in Mfuwe but has only nurses as far as I was able to acertain...