Bangweulu Wetlands

Covering about 5,000km², the enormous wetland wilderness of Bangweulu is similar in size to the convoluted Okavango Delta. The wilderness consists of Lake Bangweulu, the huge wetlands southeast of the Lake Bangweulu (which cover between two and three times as much land as the lake) and the swamps to the south of the wetlands, which flood seasonally.

The lake itself is about 25km wide and 50km long; probably the largest body of water in Zambia. It has white sandy beaches and is a great place to watch the fishermen ply their trade, but apart from that it's of little interest to visitors. The small town of Samfya is the best place from which to reach Lake Bangweulu.

Most visitors will be more interested in the enormous wetlands and swamps to the south-southeast of Lake Bangweulu. This is a wet wilderness of low islands, reed beds, floodplains, shallow lagoons, and lots of wildlife.

The nearly endemic black lechwe antelope is the highlight here, an elegant species that's much darker and, arguably, more attractive than its Kafue or red relatives. You'll find lots of other antelopes and ungulates too, including the rare sitatunga, which lives only in wetland areas. An estimated 115,000 animals live in the Bangweulu area, a number that includes elephant, buffalo and zebra as well as predators like hyena, leopard and jackal.

The bird life found at Bangweulu is inspiring. Among the rare species found here are the very rare and odd-looking shoebill stork (also called the whale-headed stork), flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills, cranes and many species of ducks and geese.

There are two camps for visitors - Shoebill and Nsobe - and the best time to visit the area depends on your priorities. In January and February the water levels are high and rising; this is great for birding and for lechwes, but also for mosquitoes. In April and May the rains have let up and travelling is easier; shoebill storks are easier to spot, along with other water birds.

In June and July the waters recede and the grasslands attract huge numbers of antelope - great for game viewing, but nights are cold. Over the next months the area gets increasingly dryer and the wildlife recedes into the heart of the wetlands, far from the camps. It's hard to go game-viewing until the rains return in November and December.

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