Uncover Kavango Zambezi’s Hidden Gems

THE BEST ADVENTURES START SIMPLY.

Join one of the first journeys into Luengue Luiana National Park — a remote wilderness where conservation, community, and cross-border tourism are beginning to take root.

Written by Amanda England, Kavango Zambezi TFCA Marketing Consultant

Mine began at the Tim – hyperlink here Green Basket Cafe in Katima Mulilo –  with a toastie and a vanilla milkshake. I met my travelling partners there, along with our guide Andrias from Caprivi Adventures – and Simone from Wild Waters Lodges – in Namibia and the newly launched Luiana Plains Safaris. As we loaded our gear into the vehicle – already packed with tents, a bucket shower, solar charging point, food, mess tent, and firewood – the reality hit me: we were heading somewhere truly special.

We were going to Luengue Luiana National Park in Angola. Not a well-known destination. Not an easy one to access. But one that both the Namibian and Angolan governments wanted us to experience as some of the very first visitors to this vast wilderness.

We crossed at Susuwe, an unofficial border just outside Kongola. The border staff were incredibly friendly, happy to pose for photos after checking our paperwork was all in order. Just like that, we had entered the park – one of the easiest border crossings I have ever experienced!

The Park rangers and Head Ranger Verrisimo met us immediately – men who spend months at a time living in and managing this wilderness. We visited their base and saw their living conditions firsthand. Resources are scarce, but their dedication is unmistakable. These men are the reason this park still exists.

From there, we followed the Cuando River searching for the perfect campsite. The green season meant the grass was high, making it harder to find a clear spot. Eventually we found it: a clearing shaded by enormous jackalberry trees, with a massive termite mound in the middle that would serve perfectly for our sundowners.

Our ranger guides helped us set up the tents that would be our home for the next two nights. It felt surreal – wild camping in one of Africa’s most remote parks, protected by rangers in a place where few tourists have ever been.

The wildlife here doesn’t know humans. The animals are unhabituated, meaning they behave as truly wild creatures should – wary, natural, unspoiled by tourist vehicles. They’re also coming back. Conservation efforts are slowly rebuilding populations that were devastated by years of conflict and poaching.

At our campsite, a shy leopard tortoise greeted us on arrival. We spotted small herds of elephants and plains game scattered across the landscape. On our drives, we encountered giraffe and more elephants. But the highlight was our night drive, when we spotted an elusive leopard in the spotlight – golden eyes reflecting back at us before it disappeared into the darkness.

I felt incredibly privileged to witness this.

Simone Micheletti, founder of The Wild Waters group of lodges in Namibia – Serondela Lodge, Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge, and Jackalberry Tented Camp – has spent the last three years working with the Angola authorities to obtain access to Luengue-Luiana National Park directly from Namibia, about two hours west of Katima Mulilo.

He’s now in negotiations with park authorities about building a tented camp or lodge near the park entrance. The goal is to put Angola on the safari map and integrate it with other key areas of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. This will be Luiana Plains Safaris.

We were lucky enough to scout with Simone on this trip, searching for the perfect spot for the first camp that will bring tourists into this wilderness. But this isn’t just about tourism – conservation is at the forefront of everything being planned.

Sitting under those jackalberry trees with our sundowners, watching the light fade over the Cuando River, I realized we were witnessing the beginning of something important. A pristine wilderness being opened up responsibly. A country’s natural heritage being protected and shared with the world.

I felt grateful to be part of that story, even for just two nights in a tent with a bucket shower and a leopard sighting that I’ll never forget.

This is Luengue Luiana. This is Angola’s wilderness. And it’s worth protecting.