Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to pay the bulk of the fare. Set conditions in advance otherwise the driver will likely stop
frequently packing in other passengers to supplement his earnings.
Hitching is another option. You might find other foreign travellers with their own
vehicle willing to give you a ride or a truck heading south. Be sure to start early at the BP
station in Mfuwe.
Arriving in Mfuwe village, it's about one to two kilometres to several camps and it
might be possible to hitch, but do
not
walk at night - local wildlife roams freely. Try of-
fering some extra kwacha to the minibus driver to take you closer to your accommodation
or to Mfuwe Gate. A taxi from the village to one of the lodges near the gate only a few
kilometres away will cost anywhere from ZMW30 to 100.
CAR
To get to Mfuwe Gate and the surrounding camps from Chipata you should have a 4WD,
high-clearance vehicle; broken-down compacts and sedans do ply the route, however. In
the dry season the dirt road is poor and the drive takes about three hours. In the wet sea-
son, the drive can take all day (or be impassable), so seek advice before setting off. In
September 2012 the road was still in a pretty bad way in places. Check locally before you
make the trip as conditions may be significantly improved by the time this topic is pub-
lished.
Getting Around
For independent drivers, South Luangwa is probably the easiest park to access (with the
exception of Kafue) and to drive around. A limited section of all-weather gravel roads are
in excellent condition near Mfuwe Gate (there's a vehicle charge of ZMW79 in addition to
the per person per day park fees) and then lots of smaller tracks. You should be able to
pick up a very basic map at the gate. The bush opens up off the side of the roads (even
early after the rainy season in May), making wildlife spotting fairly easy, especially along
the river.
If you're not staying at an all-inclusive place and you want to arrange a 4x4 (up to nine
people; around ZMW635 per 24hrs) for wildlife viewing or to explore villages in the area
contact Ben Koobs, the owner of
Personal Touch
(
0216-246123;
www.tptouch.com
)
.
