The park is named after the local name for Victoria Falls, “Mosi-oa-Tunya,” which translates to “The Smoke that Thunders.” It’s unique because it offers a mix of spectacular natural scenery, wildlife viewing, and adrenaline-pumping activities, all within minutes of the town of Livingstone. The small game park is home to Zambia’s only white rhinos and tracking them on foot is an exciting addition to a safari.
The park is situated along the bank of the upper Zambezi – one of Africa’s most impressive rivers – and it incorporates the world-famous Victoria Falls. The drive along the river offers stunning views of this mighty waterway, especially in the early morning, when a thick carpet of mist hangs above the water. When leaving the waterfront, riverine forest gives way to mopane woodland and open grassland.
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park offers an easy opportunity to get close to many common animals that can be found in other parks and reserves around the country. You’ll see plenty of elephants in and outside the park in the Dry season, but the most compelling reason to visit this wildlife sanctuary is to track white rhinos on foot, a spine-tingling experience which may well become one of your trip highlights.
The park doesn’t support any large predators (except for crocodiles). While this limits the variety of good sightings on a game drive, it also frees you up to focus more on less sought-after animals. Troops of vervet monkeys and chacma baboons provide endless entertainment. And this is the best place to get up close to giraffes, which are not present in most other Zambian parks
