The
4092 square kilometre Lower Zambezi National Park is one of Zambia’s premier
wildlife destinations. Bounded by the Zambezi escarpment to the north and the
enormous Zambezi River to the south, this extremely picturesque park is
renowned for its dramatic scenery and forms part of the southernmost extent of
the Great East African Rift Valley.
Officially
gazetted in 1983, this relatively new national park “adjoins” the Zimbabwean
World Heritage Site, Mana Pools Reserve, which is situated on the opposite
riverbank and thus creates a trans-frontier wildlife sanctuary.
The
diverse habitats create fantastic land and water-based game viewing
opportunities. Elephant, buffalo, hippo, leopard, and lion occur together
with a wealth of other wildlife.
In
some regions the river is up to 2km in width, the clear water with its reed-lined
banks and quieter side channels provide the perfect environment for fishing and
canoeing safaris, for which the park is famous.
