NSUMBU NATIONAL PARK
Some photographs courtesy of Ndole Bay
Nsumbu is the park on Lake Tanganyika. It is just over 2,000 sq km. It used to be known as Zambia’s Mediterranean with visitors flying in to the lodges to fish, swim, scuba dive, water ski and go on game drives. However that was then, not now; the park went into a slump for many years. Now, though, with Frankfurt Zoological Society joining forces with the tour operators, Conservation Lake Tanganyika and ZamParks, Nsumbu has a bright future. It is a Ramsar Site, a wetland of International Importance and an Important Bird Area.
The park has a variety of landscapes from sandy beaches along the lake, to rocky hills and lowland plains. An interesting feature is some balancing rocks. The Lufubu River runs through a deep valley in the park with the Chansamasaka Hills towering 300 metres above.
The animals include elephant, buffalo, roan, sable, duiker, waterbuck, sitatunga, zebra, puku and hartebeest. Predators are lion, leopard and wild dog.
Nsumbu is an IBA. Bird species listed are around 300 with special birds being the bare-faced go-away bird, skimmer, flamingo, spoonbill and Pel’s fishing owl.
Fishing in the lake – vundu, perch, tigerfish and more … For more information on fishing and our fish in Zambia click here
Scuba diving, water-skiing and snorkelling
Lake Cruises
Walks and drives into the park
Citizens K26 per person per day
Residents and SADC Nationals US$7 per person per day
International US$10 per person per day
Vehicle (Under 3 tonnes)
Local K25.50 per vehicle per day
International US$15 per vehicle per day
Accommodation
Nkamba Bay is inside the park. Ndole Bay is just outside.
Both have chalets along the lake shore. Ndole Bay has camping.
Getting There
By Air: The closest scheduled flight is to Kasama but this is still quite a distance away. Transfers can be arranged to Mpulungu.
Charter flights come in to the two airstrips in the park.
By Boat: A ferry runs between Mpulungu and Nsumbu Village to the west of the park. Lodges also organise transfers to and from Mpulungu.
By Road:
The road to Nsumbu is via Mporokoso. Kasama to Nsumbu is about 350 km. The last fuel is at Kasama, so make sure you fill up there and probably it would be wise to have an extra jerry can or two. See the map on the Northern Circuit page.
History
If you would like to read a bit about the history of Zambia around Lake Tanganyika, click on the link below:
NORTHERN CIRCUIT
The north of Zambia is a destination for lovers of the open road. It is home to Bangweulu Wetlands, Kasanka National Park, North Luangwa National Park, Nsumbu National Park, Lavushi Manda National Park, heaps of waterfalls, Mutinondo Wilderness and Shiwa Ngandu as well as rock art and the Moto Moto Museum.
Although accessible by scheduled flights to Kasama and charter flights between main destinations, most of our visitors love to take to the road and explore.
To see an overview of what is available in north-eastern Zambia, click on the link below:
Conservation
Conservation Lake Tanganyika
Conservation Lake Tanganyika is spearheaded by Craig from Ndole Bay. The park was in a bad way previously with poaching and overfishing in the lake and rivers. In order to get the park onto the right path for its biodiversity to be maintained, Conservation Lake Tanganyika is supporting community scouts to patrol the park and the lake.
As with all conservation projects, the main focus is on education. Although the people who relied on the park for extra food will have to forgo some meat and fish, they also have to understand that the park has to be protected for the future and for the next generations. Conservation Lake Tanganyika works in the schools and with community leaders to help them to understand the importance of their natural heritage.
Frankfurt Zoological Society
The Frankfurt Zoological Society is involved in conservation programmes all over the world. They take on threatened wilderness areas to protect their biodiversity. Nsumbu National Park is their most recent project.
Click on the link below to find out more:
