Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Air
Most people reach South Luangwa by air. Mfuwe airport is about 20km southeast of
Mfuwe Gate and served by Proflight ( 0211-271032; www.proflight-zambia.com ) ,
with several daily flights from Lusaka (ranges from ZMW810 to ZMW1500 one way).
There are also regular daily flights to/from Livingstone. Bush & Lake Aviation
( www.bla.mw ) and Nyassa Air Taxi ( www.nyassa.mw ) fly from Lilongwe (Malawi) to
Mfuwe. There's a bureau de change in the little terminal, Barclays Bank and Zanaco
ATMs and a cafe by the parking lot where you can grab a coffee and meal while waiting
for your flight. Almost every lodge meets clients at the airport (the charge is often in-
cluded in the room rates). Otherwise, a taxi to locations near the Mfuwe gate should run
around ZMW80.
The airfare is fairly reasonable when you consider the alternative: two wasted days on
uncomfortable buses and minibuses, which may end up costing you about ZMW500 any-
way (with bus or taxi fares, food and accommodation). Many travellers who endure the
road trip from Lusaka bite the bullet, find the credit card and buy a flight out of Mfuwe
back to Lusaka. (For a chance at a discounted Proflight stand-by fare of around ZMW500,
turn up at the Mfuwe airport anywhere from one to three hours prior to departure.)
Road
South Luangwa is accessible from Chipata via a three plus-hour drive over an extremely
rough dirt road; work to improve this road has been ongoing for several years and the
hope is that teams tarring out from Chipata and Mfuwe will eventually meet in the middle.
Many projected completion dates have come and gone but once finished (local wags re-
main skeptical) it will likely increase the number of visitors to South Luangwa for better
or worse.
BUS & HITCHING
Several crowded minibuses leave from the BP station in Mfuwe village for Chipata
(around ZMW150, luggage supplement ZMW10 to 20, 3½hours). Unfortunately, they de-
part around 7.30pm meaning a late-night arrival.
A shared taxi (around ZMW450 for the entire taxi, around ZMW250 for the front seat
for solo travellers) is a more convenient though pricier alternative. If you arrive at the BP
station early in the morning, say before 7am, you have a good chance of joining a carload
of Zambians or possibly other travellers. Any later and you'll likely have to negotiate with
a driver (simply ask around or stand by the side of the road) and you might end up having
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