The Busanga Plains are a vast stretch of land in the farthest north-western section of Kafue National Park, covering 72,000 hectares. The character of the place changes completely with the season. From November through April the wetland is flooded and only wooded islands are visible; as the water recedes from April onward grassland emerges, and by August to October the plains are a blaze of rich grassland.

They are known for prides of black-maned lions, supported by an ongoing lion conservation project, and for herds of red lechwe once teetering on the brink of extinction. Cheetah and leopard are present, and as a Ramsar site the plains hold over 450 bird species. Light aircraft from Lusaka take about an hour and a half and generally operate only in the dry season; driving from southern Kafue takes at least four hours on undeveloped roads.