Why visit the South Luangwa in the Emerald Season
Every year we encourage our guests to come in the “Emerald Season”. It is the most underrated experience in the bush. To us this is a most spectacular time of the year in the Luangwa Valley, It is also excellent value as the rates are lowered.
The Emerald Season months are November- mid May.
Nkwali Camp, Robin’s House and the new Luangwa Safari House are now open throughout the year.
November and December are months of rebirth. After a long dry season, the first storms arrive with plenty of drama - thunder and lightening. The bush is bursting with new life - the emerald green grass pushes through and the new leaves are growing. The green is incredibly intense everywhere - with the purples and pinks (and yellows) of the flowers scattered throughout. There is an influx of migratory birds with spirals of migrating storks and also the cuckoos and other “specials” like the Angola pitta. (see It’s Monday 29 November 2004 )
January, February, March – the river now rises rapidly and can come right to the top of the banks (see It’s Monday 10 January 2005 ). This gives incredible boating experiences – when you can boat from the river into the lagoon systems (see It’s Monday 17 January 2005). These months are the peak breeding months for the birds and there are colonies of weavers nests hanging over lagoons, trees simply full of heron and stork nests and the more secretive birds like gallinules and Angola pitas can still be found. The gameviewing continues to be excellent as much of the game stays on the dry ground – the roads! This is when we start regularly seeing the wild dog in the area (see It’s Monday 21 March 2005 ).
April, May - As we end March the migrant birds are near the end of their breeding, the bush is lush and the skies incredibly blue. The river is high and we can have a lot of fun boating around. The lagoons are full and the water birds everywhere. This is a wonderful time of the year. And it is peak time for WILD DOG viewing (see It's Monday 9 May 2005 ). Through the months of April and May, the river slowly drops, the bush colours turn from green to golden yellow, the lagoons start to shrink and the migratory birds prepare for their long journeys. When asked, many residents of the Valley say this is their favourite time of the year.
Read John and Jill Whillock's account of their Christmas Green Season Safari.
And, in the Times Online, Mark Hodson visits Zambia at the ‘wrong’ time of year to see why wetter is better.
Why the Emerald Season?
- This is a hugely underrated time of year in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley
- Excellent photography. Much less dust, dramatic skies with spectacular clouds and ight
- Wonderful birding with the migrant birds in breeding plumage, avarian kindegarden
- Births and nursery herds of young (impala, warthog drop early Nov, and it is peak time for elephants, zebra and many more
- The bush is green, beautiful and lush and the skies blue
- Luangwa River is high and dramatic
- No single supplement
- Fewer people around
