Kafue National Park covers a massive 22,400km² in western Zambia, making it the country’s oldest and largest national park and one of the largest reserves in Africa. It was founded in the 1920s and formally established as a national park in the 1950s by the legendary Norman Carr, and it lies just two hours from Livingstone.

Kafue excels in diversity rather than density. Leopard, cheetah and what may be the continent’s largest population of African wild dog are all present, alongside rare antelope and over 500 bird species including Pel’s fishing owl and the wattled crane. The park divides into distinct areas: the Busanga Plains in the far north-west, flooded from November to April and open grassland by August; Nanzhila in the south, reachable year-round on graded roads; and Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, 370km² of water created in the 1970s. All-year airstrips operate at Chunga, Ngoma and Lufupa.