ZambiaHow many tours are available for Sioma Ngwezi National Park?
There are currently 0 listed tours that include Sioma Ngwezi National Park in the itinerary.
Overview
With a total area of 2,037 square miles (5,276 km²), Sioma Ngwezi National Park ranks third in size compared to Zambia’s other nineteen national parks and is located in the extreme southwest corner of the country.
Much of the park was part of the Kalahari Desert, but the vegetation changed as the area began to receive more rain. It is now more aptly termed Kalahari woodland, with grassland and impressive teak forests.
There are three notable aspects to Sioma Ngwezi National Park. The first is the fact that it is totally undeveloped, with no infrastructure, no roads, and nothing to support a tourist industry.
Secondly, it has a wildlife population that is both diverse and growing at a pace that is very rewarding to the organizations that are involved in developing the park and its surrounding game management areas.
Thirdly, Sioma Ngwezi is unique in that it borders directly on two other countries, Angola and Namibia, and is very close to Botswana and Zimbabwe. This has resulted in the park being incorporated into the five-country Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the largest transborder conservation area in the world.
These factors highlight the immense potential of Sioma Ngwezi, and in the next few years, the park will no doubt be transformed into one of Zambia’s most attractive and successful destinations for game viewers, bird watchers, and other lovers of nature. It’s already happening!
Pros and Cons
Upsides
-
For those who love the challenge, the lack of infrastructure, the sandy tracks that turn to mud in the rainy season, and the very basic, unserviced campsites provide an opportunity to experience Africa in its most unspoiled form.
-
While the park lacks infrastructure, the wider Sioma Ngwezi Management Complex, of which it forms part, does have better facilities and additional attractions such as the Ngonye Falls.
-
Sioma Ngwezi is unfenced, and with the revival of the wildlife population, migration corridors used by elephants and antelope to migrate between Angola, Zambia, and Botswana through the park have been re-established.
-
The number of visitors is measured in tens rather than hundreds, so you are almost guaranteed to have it all to yourself.
-
There is an upgraded tarred road from the border town of Sesheke to Livingstone, and now from Sesheke to Sioma Ngwezi National Park. This means tourists heading for Livingstone and Victoria Falls can now easily take the 37-mile (60-km) detour to the park, making it a fascinating addition to their itinerary.
Cons
-
At present, the only way to travel around Sioma Ngwezi is to self-drive with a 4WD vehicle, and even then, the tracks can be problematic – very deep sand in the dry season, which turns to mud when it rains.
-
There are no serviced campsites, so you must be fully self-sufficient regarding food, fuel, and camping equipment.
-
After the rains, as the wetlands dry out, some wildlife migrates from the park to wetter areas. Because the area is large, game may be widely dispersed and more difficult to spot.
Wildlife
During and after the Angolan war, poaching activity in Sioma Ngwezi all but wiped out the wildlife population. It remains a problem, but anti-poaching forces and intensive rewilding and restocking programs have resulted in growing numbers of over 50 species of mammals. Some of these include:
More about the wildlifeBest Time To Visit
Just after the rains is generally the best time to visit Sioma Ngwezi, but the park remains almost empty. Hopefully, with the improved access from Sesheke, more tourists from Mosi-oa-Tunya will be persuaded to divert and visit the park
More about best time to visit
Botswana
Ethiopia
Kenya
Malawi
Mozambique
Continue with Google
