When we imagine the remotest places in Southern Africa, the untouched, virtually inaccessible North Luangwa National Park comes to mind. Zambia’s Luangwa Valley is a pure wilderness area, best explored on foot. South Luangwa National Park has a reputation for breathtaking walking safaris, pioneered by Norman Carr in the 1950s, and now a destination known for supreme predator sightings. The North Park, also lying on the western bank of the Luangwa River, is vastly unchartered in comparison. It is arguably the most pristine reserve in Africa.
There are no game drive activities on offer for visitors in North Luangwa, and the only way in which the abounding wilderness can be explored is on foot. There are no permanent camps or lodges in the park, and it is only operationaly between mid-June and the end of October – the dry season. During the wet season, North Luangwa is inaccessible, wiping all evidence of the movement of people and animals away, and delivering a renewed and untouched reserve each year.
The experience one might expect in North Luangwa is one of a somewhat spiritual nature. An experience in one of the wildest places on earth, where you are merely an observer, this will stay with you forever. Walking across the riverbeds, among the wandering wildlife, and beneath the untamed trees, these guided excursions delve deep into the world of the undiscovered wild. Mwaleshi Camp – a product of Remote Africa – is one of the few safari lodges granted operational access to this protected park, and the experience is unrivalled.
Imagine wallowing in the cool shallow pools of the Mwaleshi River, propped up against a sand bank, drink in one hand and a book in another. Here, you will indulge purely in what nature has to offer, break away from the usual pace of life, and get in touch with your inner self. Mwaleshi Camp’s 4 temporary chalets, which are rebuilt every year before opening on 15 June, are made of local, natural materials, and offer simple, comfortable accommodation. Each chalet is a reed and thatch construction with an open-air en suite bathroom, keeping things wild to the core. Rugs, linen, furniture, and décor add soft touches to the basic structures and make sure guests are comfortably catered for.
The long walks among Africa’s most sought after species, watching the ground for evidence of life on land, make the days in North Luangwa some of the most interesting and rewarding days you’ll spend on safari. Sundowners in the river end the day with timely perfection, as oyu watch the sun set on this 4600 square kilometre of secluded paradise. By the end of October, Mwaleshi Camp is disassembled and nature takes over once more, creating a blank canvas for the following June when the camp is reconstructed to invite guests once again.
