Cameia National Park

Cameia covers around fourteen thousand square kilometres of the flat Zambezian plains in Moxico, a landscape of seasonally flooded grassland, papyrus swamp and miombo woodland around the Chifumage and Lumege rivers. Wildlife was severely depleted in the late twentieth century and surveys since have found small numbers of antelope and abundant birds rather than large mammal herds. The flooding cycle is the defining feature and it dictates when any of it can be reached.

Background

The park lies at about 1100 m above sea level in Moxico Leste province and has the same name as the nearby municipality of Cameia. A road between Cameia and Luacano marks its northern edge, the Chifumage River forms the southern part of the eastern edge, and the Lumege and Luena rivers trace the south-western boundary. Its seasonally flooded plains belong to the Zambezi basin, with the northern half draining into the Chifumage, and its miombo woodland resembles that of western Zambia. The area was made a game reserve in 1938 and a national park in 1957. Lago Dilolo, the largest lake in Angola, and Lago Cameia lie outside the boundary, with reedbeds and grassy swamps full of water birds.

Source: Wikipedia, "Cameia National Park"

What you'll find

• The floodplains - grassland that floods for months and dries to open plain.
• The papyrus swamp - permanent wetland along the river channels.
• The birdlife - wetland species in numbers, the park's main wildlife interest.
• The miombo - woodland on the higher ground between the floodplains.

When to go

June to October is the dry season, after the floods have receded, and the only practical window. From December to May much of the park is under water. Birds are most numerous at the end of the wet season.

What to expect

Large mammals are scarce and this is not a game-viewing destination. There is no management presence, no roads maintained and no accommodation. Visiting requires a fully self-sufficient expedition with fuel and water carried.

Nearby

Lake Dilolo is north-east, and Luena is west.

Key facts