Seasons in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia

January - March (the Emerald Season)

Max temp 31°c  min temp 20°c

Av rainfall 200mm per month

Kapani is open throughout, Mchenja opens for Rivers & Rainbows safaris in the middle of January.

These are usually the wettest months of the year but it is important to know that gameviewing activities, although they may be interrupted or delayed, are very rarely cancelled.  Storms can be very dramatic with huge, impressive cloud formations but clear skies in between.  The air tends to be very clear in these months and the bush at its most lush and verdant, photographic opportunities are excellent.

The Luangwa River itself becomes a central feature, usually running close to the top of its banks it can rise or fall by up to a metre in just a few hours.  Mchenja is the only remote bushcamp in the region which is open at this time of year and boating safaris from this camp offer guests a very special treat.

 With the rain comes a time of plenty in the bush.  Many of the herbivores are tending young and there are noticeably more young elephant in the breeding herds.  Migrant birds have swelled the resident populations and many of them are in full breeding plumage and song.

April & May

Max temp 32°c, min temp 19°c

Average rainfall 100 mm in April 0mm in May

Kapani open throughout, Mchenja closes in early April when the river becomes too low to guarantee easy access but then opens again along with Kakuli in the middle of May.

Rain in April is usually restricted to a few isolated showers.  The roads start to dry out extending our access through the Park.  Sandbanks start to emerge from the river attracting wading birds and the lagoons which are still full become gathering points for the animals.

Temperatures start to fall in May with the onset of the Southern Hemisphere winter.

June & July

Max temp 30°c min temp 10°c

Average rainfall 0mm

All of our camps are now open and the walking season starts in earnest at the beginning of June.  We can no longer boat on the river but all roads in the park are open.

As some of the lagoons start to dry out large feeding parties of storks and fish eating birds congregate offering a dramatic addition to the wildlife viewing which is starting to pick up pace.  Crowned cranes also come together in large colonies displaying noisily to each other

These early months are traditionally the best for wild dog sightings and Luwi has proved a very good camp from which to view these exciting creatures.

Early mornings and night drives are really quite chilly, the camp fire comes into its own not only for its aesthetic value but also for it's heat.  A fleece is an excellent addition to your safari bag in these months.

August & September

Max temp 35°c min temp 14°c

Rainfall 0mm

Traditionally the most popular months for safaris in the Luangwa, temperatures start to warm up through August leaving the chilly mornings and evenings behind.  The climate is very pleasant - not too cool and not too warm.

These are very interesting months in the bush, many of the trees and bushes are in flower and the grass has been grazed or trampled out of sight.  Bush fires are common and the smoke and dust hang in the air providing some spectacular sunsets.

Elephants find the habitual river crossings that much easier and seeing a herd gathering in the early evening and crossing the Luangwa with the sun setting behind is a truly "Luangwa sight".

Carmine bee-eaters start to gather and nest in the river's banks which are now high and dry.

October

Max temp 44°c min temp 22°c

Av rainfall 0mm

The last month of the "dry season" and hence the last month that we operate our walking safaris from bushcamp to bushcamp.  Temperatures continue to rise but with the days lengthening we are able to get up nice and early and try to avoid being out in the mid-day heat.

Game viewing is excellent with all the animals becoming increasingly dependent upon what surface water remains.  The river is low and many of the lagoons have dried up.  Hippos start to fight for the rights to occupy the few pools of water deep enough to submerge under and the buffalo group together in herds of over a thousand.

The first warthog babies emerge from their burrows and the bare Mopane trees come out in fresh green leaf heralding the onset of the rains to come.  The first rain storm often provides relief at some stage in October but predicting that is never easy.

November & December

Max temp 38°c min temp 22°c

Av rainfall 100 - 150 mm

The bushcamps all close in the first week of November leaving Kapani as our only operational camp.  The first heavy rain showers mean that the remote bush tracks become impassable.

These are the first months of proper rain and the feeling that the bush is coming alive around you is hard to avoid.  The baby impala all drop within two weeks of each other, usually at the start of November and various other species experience a birthing peak at this time of impending plenty.  The ground is covered with a stunning carpet of verdant green.

The dust is driven out of the air leaving crystal clear skies and some of the cloud formations during the early green months are breathtaking.  Gameviewing is rarely affected by the weather, storms are very localized and usually brief, this is a wonderful time to be in the bush.

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