Nsumbu National Park
Encyclopedia
Sumbu National Park lies on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika
near its southern extremity, in Zambia
's Northern Province
. It covers about 2000 km² and has some 80 km of lake shore including four bays (Kasaba, Kala, Nkamba and Sumbu), and Nundo Head Peninsula.
Sumbu offers game viewing combined with sports fishing on the lake, and a beautiful landscape. The lake shore includes rocky cliffs, the balancing rocks, sandy beaches, and pristine waters, with views to the mountainous eastern shore of the lake. Swimming is discouraged as crocodile and hippo are common. Nkamba Bay Lodge located in the park offers game drives, canoeing, sports fishing, walks, overnight trails and boating safaris.
The park lies mainly in the Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands ecoregion, but also includes patches of the rare and endangered and almost impenetrable Itigi-Sumbu thicket.
The Lufubu River cuts a 300 m deep valley in the south of the park but this is only accessible via rough tracks from Mbala to the south-east.
District authorities had a humble guesthouse at Sumbu Bay, reached by a gravel road from Mporokoso. In the early 1970s this road was connected to Kasaba Bay Lodge, and a new lodge was built at Nkamba Bay.
At that time and into the 1970s, Sumbu was considered to be, with South Luangwa
and Kafue
, one of the best national parks of Zambia, with elephants and lions being common.
Game numbers in the park declined in the 1980s and 1990s due to a lack of management exacerbated by the cutback of the country's domestic airline which used to fly visitors to the park. Its remoteness by road and proximity to war and conflict in the DR Congo, the land border of which is only 25 km to the north, deterred visitors.
In 2007 the gravel road from Kawambwa
or Kasama
via Mporokoso was reported to be in good condition, as was the gravel road from the Luapula River
valley via Kaputa on Lake Mweru Wantipa
. Construction of a gravel road from Mbala to Kasaba Bay was started in 2010 and is planned for completion in ealry 2011, including a new bridge over the Lufubu river. The bitumen road from Kasama - Mbala, through to Mpulungu was resurfaced in 2009 and is now in good condition.
The Zambian National Fishing Competition takes place at Nkamba and Ndole Bay Lodges in March or April every year.
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
near its southern extremity, in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
's Northern Province
Northern Province, Zambia
Northern Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces. It covers approximately one fifth of Zambia in land area. The provincial capital is Kasama. The province is made up of 12 districts, namely Kasama , Chilubi, Isoka, Chinsali, Kaputa, Luwingu, Mbala, Mporokoso, Mpika, Mpulungu, Mungwi and Nakonde...
. It covers about 2000 km² and has some 80 km of lake shore including four bays (Kasaba, Kala, Nkamba and Sumbu), and Nundo Head Peninsula.
Features
There are two active lodges on Lake Tanganyika, Nkamba (an exclusive lodge within the Nsumbu National Park), and Ndole Bay just north of the park. Kasaba Bay Lodge closed down in 2006.Sumbu offers game viewing combined with sports fishing on the lake, and a beautiful landscape. The lake shore includes rocky cliffs, the balancing rocks, sandy beaches, and pristine waters, with views to the mountainous eastern shore of the lake. Swimming is discouraged as crocodile and hippo are common. Nkamba Bay Lodge located in the park offers game drives, canoeing, sports fishing, walks, overnight trails and boating safaris.
The park lies mainly in the Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands ecoregion, but also includes patches of the rare and endangered and almost impenetrable Itigi-Sumbu thicket.
The Lufubu River cuts a 300 m deep valley in the south of the park but this is only accessible via rough tracks from Mbala to the south-east.
Recent history
Until the late 1960s Kasaba Bay Lodge was accessible only by air, or boat from Mpulungu, and catered to wealthy and international visitors. The MporokosoMporokoso
Mporokoso is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, lying at an elevation of nearly 1500 m on the flat plateau about 75 km south east of Lake Mweru Wantipa and 100 km south-west of Lake Tanganyika...
District authorities had a humble guesthouse at Sumbu Bay, reached by a gravel road from Mporokoso. In the early 1970s this road was connected to Kasaba Bay Lodge, and a new lodge was built at Nkamba Bay.
At that time and into the 1970s, Sumbu was considered to be, with South Luangwa
South Luangwa National Park
South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia, the southernmost of three national parks in the valley of the Luangwa River, is a world-renowned wildlife haven. It supports large populations of Thornicroft's Giraffe, and herds of elephant and buffalo often several hundred strong, while the Luangwa...
and Kafue
Kafue National Park
Kafue National Park is the largest national park in Zambia, covering an area of about 22,400 km² . It is the second largest park in Africa and is home to over 55 different species of animals....
, one of the best national parks of Zambia, with elephants and lions being common.
Game numbers in the park declined in the 1980s and 1990s due to a lack of management exacerbated by the cutback of the country's domestic airline which used to fly visitors to the park. Its remoteness by road and proximity to war and conflict in the DR Congo, the land border of which is only 25 km to the north, deterred visitors.
Present day
There has been some refurbishment in recent years and game numbers are said to be rising again.In 2007 the gravel road from Kawambwa
Kawambwa
Kawambwa is a town in the Zambian province of Luapula located on the edge of the northern Zambian plateau above the Luapula valley at an altitude of 1300 m...
or Kasama
Kasama
The toponym Kasama may refer to:* Kasama, Ibaraki , Japan* Kasama, Zambia* Kasama Project- See also :Related toponym:* Kazama * Kazami* Kazemi* Hazama...
via Mporokoso was reported to be in good condition, as was the gravel road from the Luapula River
Luapula River
The Luapula River is a section of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo...
valley via Kaputa on Lake Mweru Wantipa
Lake Mweru Wantipa
Lake Mweru Wantipa is a lake and swamp system in the Northern Province of Zambia. It has been regarded in the past as something of mystery, displaying fluctuations in water level and salinity which were not entirely explained by variation in rainfall levels; it has been known to dry out almost...
. Construction of a gravel road from Mbala to Kasaba Bay was started in 2010 and is planned for completion in ealry 2011, including a new bridge over the Lufubu river. The bitumen road from Kasama - Mbala, through to Mpulungu was resurfaced in 2009 and is now in good condition.
The Zambian National Fishing Competition takes place at Nkamba and Ndole Bay Lodges in March or April every year.