Sioma Ngwezi National Park Birding Safari - 3 days or more

Sioma Ngwezi National Park Birding Safari – 3 days or more

February 15, 2026
Posted by Kavango Zambezi

Sioma Ngwezi National Park Birding Safari – 3 days or more

Access point: Katima Mulilo, Namibia (most practical and cost-effective route)
Style: Adventure camping safari with fishing lodge comfort
Best season: May-October (dry season); November-April (migrants and breeding birds)
Remoteness level: Extreme – one of Zambia’s least visited parks

Sioma Ngwezi National Park represents true wilderness Africa—remote, untouched, and spectacularly wild. Covering approximately 5,000 km² in Zambia’s far southwestern corner, this park sees fewer visitors in a year than Victoria Falls receives in a day, making it a genuine frontier destination for adventurous birders and wildlife enthusiasts.

Access & Route Options

Recommended Route: Via Katima Mulilo, Namibia

Why this route works best:

Most cost-effective – avoids expensive charter flights
Shortest distance – approximately 100km from Katima Mulilo to Sioma Ngwezi
Good road access – Sioma Ngwezi National Park does require 4×4
Easy border crossing – straightforward Zambia-Namibia border procedures
Caprivi Adventures operate in this area if you require a vehicle and driver.

Alternative routes (not recommended unless part of larger itinerary):

Charter flight from Lusaka – expensive but quick (2-hour flight)
Overland via Kafue and Liuwa Plains – adventurous multi-day expedition requiring several days of driving through remote areas; only suitable for fully equipped self-drive expeditions or extended safaris

Depart Katima Mulilo, Namibia (visitors typically fly into Katima Mulilo Airport or drive from Kasane/Victoria Falls area)

Drive to Sioma Ngwezi: Approximately 100km journey through rural Zambian landscapes – small villages, miombo woodland, and increasingly wild terrain (approximately 2-3 hours depending on road conditions).

Where to stay: Ngonye River Campsite or Mutemwa Lodge

Sioma Ngwezi National Park’s pristine wilderness protects diverse habitats: Kalahari sandveld, miombo and mopane woodland, riverine forest along the Zambezi, seasonal wetlands, and open grasslands. The park borders the Zambezi River to the west and is part of the vast Kavango-Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA).

Wildlife populations are recovering after years of poaching, with growing numbers of elephant, buffalo, sable antelope, roan antelope, red lechwe, sitatunga (in wetlands), lion, leopard, and wild dog (rare sightings).

Sioma Ngwezi’s remoteness and habitat diversity make it exceptional for birding, particularly for species associated with the Zambezi floodplains and miombo woodland specialists.

The remoteness of Sioma Ngwezi creates an unmatched bush experience. You may encounter no other visitors during your entire stay. Game viewing is unpredictable but rewarding animals are wild and skittish, making encounters more thrilling.

Ngonye Falls – “The Smoke That Thunders in the West”, is often called “Zambia’s other Victoria Falls,” Ngonye Falls is a spectacular, horseshoe-shaped cascade where the Zambezi River plunges over a series of drops spanning nearly one kilometre wide. While smaller than Victoria Falls, Ngonye is no less beautiful and offers something Victoria Falls cannot—solitude and intimacy.

The riverine environment and rocky outcrops support excellent birding:

Experience the Zambezi as the sun sets on a boat cruise.