The safari calendar for 2019 is filling up fast with most of the dry season already booked with exciting trips to the best wildlife areas in the Luangwa. However, for some reason, the early dry season months of April, May and June have not attracted as many bookings as normal and I still have space in these under-valued months.
If you haven’t visited the Luangwa in the early dry season, you are in for a treat as it’s the perfect counterpoint to your experience of Luangwa’s hot, dry safari season. The cool mornings of April, May and June give way to clear, sunny days and highs of around 30 celsius. The vegetation is receding fast, but there is still a rich, green canvas against which to photograph the Luangwa’s wildlife. And the wildlife is all here, contrary to popular belief; lion sightings are good as the waterholes dry up and leopards – being territorial creatures – can always be found in their favourite areas. Elephants are exploring the river banks in search of the season’s crossing points and as the water level drops, giraffes take their first cautious steps into the fast-flowing water.
The light is excellent. Clear, crisp sunrises offer superb backlighting opportunities, and the soft, gentle light of morning is already becoming diffused through the dust in the atmosphere. Leaves on shrubs throughout the park provides a soft and flattering background, so unlike the bare, skeletal bushes of later in the year. With temperatures so low, and the light quite soft, animals are active late in the morning, offering a long window of photographic opportunities.
Below is a selection of images taken on safaris conducted in these 3 magic early dry-season months….have a look through and see if you would like to share time in the Luangwa with me during these special months. The added bonus is that rates are lower, and there are few other visitors around!
