South Luangwa vs North Luangwa – what’s the difference?

It’s a question we’re asked regularly:

Why has everyone heard of South Luangwa, but hardly anyone talks about North Luangwa?

And the unspoken follow‑up is usually this: does that mean North Luangwa isn’t as good, or not really worth visiting?

The answer is a very firm no.

To understand why these two neighbouring parks have such different reputations today, you need to step back a little and look at how safari tourism – and conservation – evolved in the Luangwa Valley.

A shared history, but very different trajectories

South Luangwa’s name is synonymous with the birth of Zambia’s safari industry. It was here that pioneers such as Norman Carr and Robin Pope helped shape what we now recognise as the modern walking safari, placing South Luangwa firmly on the global safari map.

What’s less often mentioned is that these same pioneers spent a great deal of time in North Luangwa as well. From a wilderness and wildlife perspective, the potential was always obvious.

The key difference wasn’t quality – it was logistics.

South Luangwa lies relatively close to regional hubs such as Chipata, and later Mfuwe, which developed into an international gateway. That accessibility allowed tourism to grow steadily from the 1960s onwards.

North Luangwa, by contrast, required one extra step: more distance, more time, and more effort to reach. That single logistical hurdle proved decisive. While South Luangwa grew into a safari hub, North Luangwa remained largely beyond the reach of mainstream tourism.

The difficult years – and the role of conservation

The 1980s were a challenging period for much of Zambia’s wildlife, and North Luangwa was no exception. Increased ivory poaching took a heavy toll, and without a developing safari industry – unlike South Luangwa or Kafue – the park lacked the protective presence that tourism can bring.

This period was documented, somewhat controversially, by the Owens, and it marked a low point for the park.

Crucially, however, it was also the beginning of a turnaround.

The involvement of the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) fundamentally changed the future of North Luangwa. Their long‑term commitment to protection, law enforcement and ecosystem recovery laid an exceptionally strong conservation foundation. While this didn’t immediately translate into tourism development, it ensured that the park’s wildlife – and wild character – survived.

That conservation-first approach still defines North Luangwa today.

Tourism today: numbers tell the story

Over the past decade or two, a small number of bush camps have emerged in North Luangwa. Several have come and gone, and until recently the park was served by just one small, four‑chalet bush camp on the Mwaleshi River.

Today, we’ve added to the park with our own Kutandala Camp, increasing options slightly – but only just.

To put things in perspective:

• North Luangwa National Park covers over 6,000 km²

• It has little more than a dozen tourist beds in total

  
  

South Luangwa, by contrast, supports roughly 400 beds across 30‑plus lodges and camps.

This isn’t a criticism – it’s simply the result of very different histories.

Choice, accessibility and exclusivity

South Luangwa’s well‑developed tourism scene is one of its great strengths. There is a wide range of accommodation, catering to different styles and price points, and the quality of guiding and wildlife viewing is consistently excellent.

However, with that popularity comes density.

To retain the sense of exclusivity and wilderness that Zambia’s safari reputation was built on, visitors to South Luangwa increasingly need to travel to the park’s more remote concessions. Naturally, that level of remoteness often comes with a higher price tag.

North Luangwa has remained a bastion of true wilderness by default, rather than by design.

Landscapes: similar rivers, different backdrops

The Luangwa River is the lifeblood of both parks, shaping wildlife movements and safari experiences alike. But aesthetically, the two parks feel subtly – and sometimes strikingly – different.

In North Luangwa, the influence of the Muchinga Escarpment to the west is far more pronounced. The escarpment rises closer to the park, creating a dramatic, ever‑present backdrop that gives the landscape a stronger sense of enclosure and scale.

In South Luangwa, the same mountain range exists, but it sits much farther away, often just visible on the horizon.

Both parks are threaded with sandy tributaries – the Luwi and Kapamba in the south, and the Mulondoshi and Mwaleshi in the north. What makes North Luangwa unique is the Mwaleshi River, a perennial tributary that forms the ecological heart of the park. It is a magnet for wildlife and a critical stronghold for the black rhino population.

Wildlife: overlap, contrasts and surprises

The vast majority of wildlife species occur naturally in both parks. In fact, the only species historically absent from North Luangwa is the giraffe.

South Luangwa supports a healthy giraffe population, while giraffe were never traditionally present in the north. Interestingly, this is beginning to change: over recent years there have been regular sightings of a small number of individuals in North Luangwa – a trend that is likely to continue.

Some species are actually more commonly seen in North Luangwa than in the south, including:

• Reedbuck

• Cookson’s wildebeest

• Lichtenstein’s hartebeest

• Eland

  
  

Predator populations are exceptional in both parks. Lion densities are high, leopard are present in excellent numbers (though often more secretive in North Luangwa due to the lack of vehicles), and wild dog occur regularly in both areas.

Looking ahead, North Luangwa is set to become even more distinctive with the reintroduction of cheetah in 2026. A founding population of 18 individuals will make it the only Luangwa park to host cheetah – a species once present throughout the valley before becoming locally extinct.

And finally, North Luangwa boasts the highest elephant density in Zambia, alongside some of the country’s largest buffalo herds.

So… which Luangwa should you visit?

Ultimately, the choice comes down to what you want from a safari.

If your priority is classic game drives, exceptional wildlife photography, and the reassurance of a world‑renowned destination with a range of accommodation options, South Luangwa is rightly celebrated and delivers time and again.

But if what draws you is true wilderness – absolute isolation, minimal tourism presence, and a step back into an older, more exploratory style of safari where you’ll see far more lions than other vehicles – then North Luangwa is unmissable.

South Luangwa is already recognised as world‑class.

North Luangwa will be too.

And if you ask us? The time to experience it is now – before the rest of the world catches on!