Things to Do in Upemba National Park

Lualaba River canoe drift

From the put-in near Kikondja village you slide into a narrow pirogue, the wood smelling of resin and river water. The paddler steers past stands of papyrus where sitatunga antelope may peer back, their shaggy coats dripping from the marsh. The current makes almost no sound, just a faint hiss against the hull while kingfishers rattle from overhanging branches.

Kibara Plateau day-hike

The trail climbs through miombo woodland where bracken curls against your calves and you can taste the dry, nutmeg-like scent of wild sage underfoot. Cicadas drill overhead as you crest the ridge, suddenly looking down on the Upemba Depression, a patchwork of silver pans and russet grass that seems to breathe in the heat shimmer.

Lake Kabwe birdwalk

Reed beds rustle while you balance on the muddy rim of Lake Kabwe, boots squelching with each step. Open-bill storks clatter their beaks and the air carries a faint sulphur note from decaying pond weed. Fishermen in dugout boats wave lazily, the sound of their oars a hollow tok-tok that drifts across the water.

Kiubo Falls swim

Below the rapids the Kiubo River forms a jade basin where the spray tastes faintly metallic on your lips. Vine-draped cliffs throw cool shade, and the thunder of water drowns conversation so you communicate by grinning instead. Baboons sometimes watch from the opposite ledge, their coats glowing bronze in a shaft of sunlight.

Mulondi fishing village evening

Smoke from kapok-wood fires threads between thatched houses as women thread sprats onto racks, the fish skin glittering like mica. Someone strums a homemade lute. The plucked notes feel brittle against the night air that smells of maize porridge and river silt. Kids chase each other past the baobab, laughter rising above the soft slap of water on sand.

Kikondja park guesthouse - simple brick rooms wrapped in bougainvillea, bucket showers but the porch faces the Lualaba and you'll drift off to hippo grunts

Lusinga ranger post tented camp - canvas on platforms overlooking Kiubo Falls, shared long-drop but unbeatable dawn mist over the gorge

Mulondi community homestay - sleep on a raffia mat in a family compound, shared outdoor kitchen, cold river water only

Mitwaba mission guestroom - Catholic mission with clean beds and generator power till 9 p.m., good fallback if roads wash out

Private mobile camp near Lake Kabwe - operators will pitch for you, includes chef. You supply the beer

Kolwezi business hotels - air-con stopovers before the bush. None inside the park offer that level of comfort