ISSUE 11 - MAY - AUGUST 2018

TRAVEL & LEISURE

ZAMBIA & ZIMBABWE MAY - AUGUST 2018 | EDITION 11

PHIL BERRY

A Man of the Valley

LIVINGSTONE: FUN AT THE FALLS

LIUWA PLAINS Rebuilding a Pride

Hwange National Park

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TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA / MAY - AUGUST 2018

CONTENTS Features

Interview: A Man of the Valley - Phil Berry 06

By Andrew Muswala

Fun at the Falls

By Sarah Kingdom

Wild Lives

By Mahina Perrot

10 Secrets - Lower Zambezi National Park

By Grant Cumings, Andrea Gilmour, Luke Evans

26

Beginners Guide to Tiger Fishing

By Jessica Tyler

30

08

South Luangwa Valley by Night

By Ben Koobs and Johan Elzenga

10

18

Capture Summertime in South Luangwa 12

By Seb Loram

Know Your African Wildlife: Leopards

By Edward Selfe

The Healing Powers of Nature

By Nathalie Zanoli

Home-Based Education Programme: Mfuwe 38

By Elizabeth Sadowski

13

36

A Wild Expedition into Remote Western Zambia 14

By Frank Steenhuisen

Mutinondo: Lost in the Wilderness

By Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson

Tales from Liuwa Plains: Rebuilding a Pride

By Kelsea Lee, Time + Tide

Incomparable Ngamo 44

By Sarah Kerr

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Advertisers’ Index IFC 01 02 03 05 05 09 11 12

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A word from the MD ZAMBIA TRAVEL & LEISURE Publisher Safari Magazine

Editor & Managing Director Andrew Muswala andrew@zambiatravelmag.com Sub-Editor Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson nicky.dj@sky.com Layout and Art Director Gemma Beardsall gemmakb@hotmail.co.uk Consultant Jo Pope popejo@gmail.com

Website www.zambiatravelmag.com

Subscriptions ads@zambiatravelmag.com +260 977 308 711 / 0967 173 796

WELCOME… to the 11th edition of Travel & Leisure Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zambia is not only about wildlife safaris. Take Livingstone, for instance, now known as an adventure city. Our cover story (page 18) invites you to take a deep breath and join travel writer Sarah Kingdom and her family as they sample bungee jumping, white-water rafting, exciting flights over the Victoria Falls and other hair-raising thrills.

Also in this edition we meet an inspirational individual and one of Zambia’s most experienced naturalists, in an interview with Phil Berry of Kuyenda Bush Camp. Meanwhile, we join Nathalie Zanoli on her quest for the secrets of ‘nature’s drugstore’, the sausage tree. And we also learn from Jessica Tyler about tiger fishing in Lower Zambezi National Park.

We explore Mutinondo Wilderness (page 42), discover 10 reasons to visit Lower Zambezi National Park (page 26), and join Frank Steenhuisen on a wild expedition into remote Western Zambia.

Across the border in Zimbabwe, in her article entitled Incomparable Ngamo, Sarah Kerr takes us through a special corner of southern Hwange National Park, an area known as the Ngamo Plains.

HAPPY READING!

Contributors Andrea Gilmour, Grant Cumings, Scott Ramsey, Luke Evans, Sausage Tree Camp, Sarah Kerr, Dana Allen, Mike Myers, Jessica Tyler, Anabezi Camp, Thandiwe Mweetwa, Shearwater Victoria Falls, Sarah Kingdom, Babette Alfieri, The Bushcamp Company, Ken Foster, Ian Murphy, Edward Selfe, Kelsea Lee, Time + Tide, Will Burrard Lucas, Heinrich van den Berg, Bundu Adventures, Priya Shah, Kate Wilson, Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson, Seb Loram, Track and Trail River Camp, Elizabeth Sadowski, Nathalie Zanoli, Ian Salisbury, Johan W. Elzenga, Ben Koobs, Frank Steenhuisen, Gesa Neitzel, Mahina Perrot, Isak Pretorius

Submissions We welcome editorial and photographic submissions to the magazine. Accompanying images should be sent in high-res jpg and minimum 3MB in size. Please send a synopsis of the proposed article to andrew@zambiatravelmag.com for consideration.

Printers New Horizon Printing Press Plot # LUS/9815/H Kafue Road, Lusaka, Zambia

Copyright Copyright © All rights for material appearing in this magazine belong to Travel & Leisure Zambia and/or the individual contributors. No part of this magazine may be reproduced either without the written consent of the publishers or with due acknowledgement.

On the cover

Bungee faces, Victoria Falls Photo credit: Shearwater Victoria Falls

www.zambiatravelmag.com

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TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

People and Places is an owner-run, Zambian-based tour operator specialising in tailor-made itineraries throughout Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

It is the people and places of Africa that we love and our team are dedicated to ensuring that all clients that travel with us have the optimal African experience.

We focus on efficiency, flexibility, generosity and consistency. We thrive on offering a very personal service. +260 966740362 / emma@peopleandplacesconsult.com www.peopleandplacesconsult.com

TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

5

Interview

A MAN OF THE VALLEY Phil Berry P hil Berry is rightly regarded as one of Zambia’s most experienced naturalists. He is immensely respected in his field, beloved and idolised by his clients, and has been involved in the Luangwa Valley for 55 years in various capacities. Now, together with his life-companion, Babette Alfieri, Phil runs Kuyenda Bush Camp, which he founded in 1992. At the end of 2017 Phil and Babette completed their 26th safari season at Kuyenda. A very private man and a reluctant interviewee, Phil eventually agreed to take time out to talk about his life and experiences in Zambia, and in particular his time in the Valley, to Andrew Muswala.

1.

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When where you born and what brought you to Africa in the first place?

I was born in England in 1941. My father was in the British Royal Navy from which he retired in 1946 and thereafter brought our family to Cape Town to resettle.

and eventually promoted to the post of chief ranger. I remained with the Game Department for 12 years, and so began my involvement with the Luangwa Valley which has lasted for 55 years!

3.

By the mid-to-late 1970s an epidemic of rhino and elephant poaching had become rampant in the Valley. Shortage of funding, vehicles and manpower hampered the ability of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife’s ability to control the poachBy the early ‘70s, the only tourism ing which was devastating these two iconic enterprises in Luangwa were the three species. Norman Carr, the pre-eminent How did you end up in Zambia? government lodges (Mfuwe, Chichele and conservationist in Zambia, devised a joint In 1948 we moved to Northern Rhodesia Luamfwa), operated by the Zambia Hotels scheme with the Zambian Government and (Zambia), where my father entered Corporation, and four self-catering camps the World Wildlife Fund to establish an government service employed as a marine engineer responsible for the maintenance of (Lion Camp, Nsefu, Big Lagoon and Luambe) NGO to help combat the poaching. This NGO that were managed by the Game Departbecame the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) in government motor boats on Lakes ment. After leaving the Department in 1973, January 1980 and Norman offered me the Bangweulu and Mweru and the Chembe I joined the Zambia National Tourist Bureau opportunity to lead the anti-poaching field motor ferry on the Luapula River. We lived (ZNTB) as safari manager at Mfuwe. In operations. Consequently, our assignment first at Kasama then later at Fort Rosebery this capacity I established ZNTB’s walking was to cover the South and North Luangwa (Mansa) and Ndola where I completed safaris inside the South Luangwa National Parks as well as Luambe and Lukusuzi, a my secondary schooling at Llewellin High Park and sited and built Tundwe Camp as vast area just under 17,000 square School. the base serving the five tented walking kilometers. It was a daunting responsibility camps. In addition to operating these with such limited resources, and although Can you tell me how it all began?

ZNTB walking safaris, I was also assigned we ultimately lost the Luangwa’s rhino, I At an early age, living in the bush stations to oversee and allocate the guides and believe we did make a positive impact for in northern Zambia, I became increasingly interested in wildlife and was determined to Land Rovers for game-viewing at the three the elephant. After more than four years I left SRT anti-poaching to manage SRT’s become a game ranger. I persisted in trying main government lodges and to manage the four self-catering camps that had been Chinzombo Safari Lodge where I was also to join the Department of Game and taken over from the Game Department. a professional guide. During these years Fisheries and was finally accepted at 18 I left ZNTB in 1976 to join Norman Carr we established two walking safari camps, in 1960. I was still too young to be a game as manager of his Chibembe Lodge and Chamilandu and Kuyenda, which were rustic ranger so I began as a clerk, learning all seasonal camps along the lines of those I aspects of administration and staff matters Wilderness Trails walking safaris. At this time his was the only private tourist enter- had built for the Tourist Bureau in the ‘70s. plus field work under the headquarters prise in Luangwa, having been established In 2000, the two camps were acquired by game officer, the distinguished ornitholoin 1961 in the Chibembe area.

The Bushcamp Company, where they are gist Con Benson. In 1962 I was posted to to this day, in an exclusive portfolio of six Mpika as a relief ranger for three months,

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TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

Interview

5.

6.

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beautiful and stylish remote walking camps. I am still based at Kuyenda where we have just completed our 26th season. So, I have been very fortunate to spend my entire working career in the service of wildlife in one form or another: conservation, anti-poaching, guiding, and lodge/camp management.

Is tourism in Zambia growing? What are your general thoughts?

Yes. Zambia’s appeal as a unique safari destination has continued to steadily expand over the decades, largely due to the consistent political stability of the country. Zambia is perceived as a safe destination offering a quality experience to the visitor, in addition to possessing outstanding natural attractions, superb photographic opportunities, and the excellence of walking safaris, highlighting in particular our Zambian guides.

have become pioneers and leaders in this objective. Amongst their many contributions are the drilling of over 60 boreholes since 2014 to provide clean water to the villages outside the South Luangwa Park. Also, the building of school class rooms, dormitories, ablution and toilet blocks, and teachers’ houses, plus the provision of a daily free meal to over 2500 school children in three schools, and scholarships for 350 children at local schools.

How do you think the industry will evolve in the future?

That is hard to predict. In the short term, tourism should continue to expand provided the global economy and Zambian politics remain stable. In the long term, however, the inevitable increase in human populations throughout the world will cause everincreasing pressures on wildlife resourcBecause these activities are a major source of es everywhere, most especially in African foreign exchange, the government will hope- countries, for space, food and profit. We are fully be encouraged to continue developing witnessing the diminishing numbers of many tourism in well-planned and sustainable of the world’s most iconic species today, in methods without jeopardizing the quality of particular the rhino and elephant, with the the wilderness experience. In recent years, heightened possibility of their extinction in the prevailing thought in African wildlife con- our lifetimes. Very careful attention will be servation policy has recognized the need for needed by government to ensure the survival local communities to benefit from the wildlife of currently protected areas that are at the resources if conservation of these areas is to heart of tourism’s growth tomorrow. TZL succeed in the long term. Zambia is a model in this regard, in particular The Bushcamp Company and its sister, Mfuwe Lodge, which

7.

PHOTO CAPTIONS (left to right):

1. & 2. Kuyenda 1993 and today (established in 1992 under Chinzombo Safari Lodge) – (photo credit: Babette Alfieri, The Bushcamp Company)

3. In a 1981 rhino rescue we managed to save this female when she was caught in the drying mud of Mfuwe Lagoon. Rhino were frequently seen in the main tourist areas in South Luangwa until they were eliminated by poachers by the late 1980s – (photo credit: not known).

4. A 1980 Save the Rhino Trust patrol with a grim discovery of a recently poached rhino with horns removed – (photo credit: Ian Murphy) 5. (Upper) Phil Berry on safari in the Kuyenda area in the recent past – (photo credit: Ken Foster)

6. Phil Berry in 1982, registering ivory brought in from our Save the Rhino Trust patrols – (photo credit: Babette Alfieri, The Bushcamp Company)

7. (Lower) Skulls and jawbones all recovered from our Save the Rhino Trust patrols in the early 1980s – (photo credit: not known) TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

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WILD LIVES

Writer: Mahina Perrot Photography: Ian Salisbury

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people living in nearby villages that may have to walk long hours to get there, as ew people have the incredible privilege well as being wary of wild animals, and of working inside a national park in the pristine then having to spend a long time away African bush. There is simply nothing like from home. Yet the rewards are priceless; waking up every morning to the sound of lions from being able to get up close to nature, calling, and jumping out of bed as baboons start to interacting with people from all over stomping on your tile roof. You might have to the world and inspiring future generatake another route to work because a pack of tions to care about the local wildlife. wild dogs is lazing on the road, or because a hippo is grazing near the pathway.

What is important to remember is that animals have the right of way at all times.

Of course working at a lodge inside a park Mfuwe Lodge, located in South Luangwa comes with many challenges, especially for National Park, for example, is famous for

Working Inside A National Park

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TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

the elephants that like to walk through the lobby each year around October to November. The pachyderms are not the only ones who feel at home there – their human cohabitants have to move and work around them.

‘I remember in June 2015, it was dark around 6.00 pm, and I was alone at the reception when a leopard walked through!’ recalls Front Office Manager Beauty Nyongani. ‘I was mesmerized and could not even take a photo. It was a mixture of joy, fear, excitement and disbelief,’ she adds.

Francisca Monica Mukumbi, the curio shop attendant, also remembers fondly a time when a honeymoon couple was unable to get to their suite because a pride of lions had decided to take up residence on the walkway leading to their room. ‘We had to move the guests to another room. They had no choice but to leave their clothes and toiletries behind until we could retrieve them,’ she laughs.

Security guards, who patrol the grounds every night, also have exciting encounters: Benson Chulu often comes face to face with elephants in the dark. On another occasion, he was walking on his own and saw two young lions on the pathway. It was only after he had moved around them, and made it back to the main area safely, did he notice two fully grown lionesses behind him. ‘They had been stalking me!

That was scary,’ he says.

However, working inside the park is relatively safe. ‘We just have to remain aware of our surroundings at all times,’ explains Chindeni Bushcamp Manager, Peter Milanzi. ‘I’d say the most difficult part of the job is the remoteness of the area, as we are completely disconnected from the outside world.’

PHOTO COURTESY: ISAK PRETORIUS

Most employees working at lodges inside a national park have to be away for several nights at a time. ‘It’s difficult for our

families, but once you explain to them what you are doing, and how you are helping protect the animals and helping promote tourism, which gives everyone more jobs, they are very supportive,’ Milanzi adds.

All in all, being based inside the park is a ‘mixture of work and leisure’, as Beauty Nyongani puts it. ‘The place is beautifully breathtaking. Who would not want to work in such a place, where you see elephants,

www.bushcampcompany.com

www.mfuwelodge.com

zebras and giraffes through your office window?’ she enthuses. ‘We also understand the value of our wildlife for the local community and for the country as a whole. I feel that I am part of the people who are helping conserve nature.’ TZL

info@bushcampcompany.com TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

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Writers: Ben Koobs and Johan Elzenga Photography: Johan Elzenga

Eagle owl

Genet

Porcupine

Genet

Spotted hyena

THE SOUTH LUANGWA VALLEY

By Night

N

ight safaris are not very common elsewhere in Africa but as well as the famous walking safaris they are another trademark of what is available to visitors to Zambia. Indeed, the Luangwa Valley at night is just as spectacular as it is in the daytime. A night drive, conducted in an open safari vehicle, is a completely different experience from a safari by day, and a whole new world of animal species awaits the safari enthusiast.

During a game drive at night you have a great opportunity first to watch a wonderful sunset over the Luangwa River and then, after twilight sets in, you begin to look for African wildlife. Night safaris are popular and a good way to see various species of nocturnal animals which only venture out into the African bush after hours.

It cools down a little as temperatures drop but can sometimes remain quite warm, so a light sweater could help and in the cooler months a jacket is certainly required.

Your professional guide will share expert knowledge and information about each nocturnal species, their roaming areas and behaviour. Animals like porcupines, genets and civets can be seen and the cats are far more active at night than during the day. It often becomes a game of survival as predators prowl the landscape stalking their prey. It’s also an exciting opportunity to spot less obvious creatures like bushbabies, owls, chameleons, leopard and, maybe, the elusive aardvark.

And let’s not forget the amazing sky. Star-gazing without any light pollution is certainly possible in South Luangwa, with no city lights close by; ask your guide to switch off the vehicle’s engine, relax, gaze up and enjoy the sights, sounds and scents of the bush at night. In the Southern Hemisphere, you are able to observe different constellations such as Orion, Scorpio, the Southern Cross and Leo during your nocturnal experience.

Safari guides and their spotters search for animals using a powerful spotlight, and most animals are quite used to this strange artificial light source. However, conventional white spotlights may well be very intrusive and disruptive to animals used to conducting their lives after twilight. It’s easy for guides

and spotters to distinguish the difference between diurnal and nocturnal animals. It is not necessary for guides to disturb diurnal animals with their bright light, but nocturnal animals might well be disadvantaged during their hunt when a powerful torch is directed at them; spotlights, therefore, with red lenses are preferred. The red lens protects the eyes of predators and prey alike, enabling all of us to enjoy the animals without disturbing them.

To ensure further that the nocturnal animals can hunt and forage in peace during most of the night, the night drives are conducted from sunset to 8.00 pm only and are restricted to registered tour operators using vehicles with licensed guides.

Remember that night-time photography is different from photography during the day. Because spotlights are used, the automatic exposure metering in the camera can easily be fooled.

If possible, switch your camera to centre-weighted metering or spot metering, using a high ISO setting (3200 ISO or 6400 ISO) or Auto-ISO. Use a low F-stop number and let the camera choose the appropriate shutter speed (Aperture priority programme). If still in doubt, you can also use ‘auto bracketing’. In that setting the camera will take three pictures in rapid succession – one exposed as the meter sees it, one under-exposed and one over-exposed.

This should almost guarantee that the correct exposure will be there.

Do remember, night safaris are also about smaller species that are rarely seen during the day. These include hares, porcupines, bushbabies, genets, elephant shrews and small felines. For bird lovers, night safaris offer the opportunity to add a whole range of different species to your list. Keep an eye (and ear) out for owls, nightjars and spotted dikkop, also known as spotted thick-knee.

Have a wonderful time! TZL

For more information: Johan W. Elzenga, professional photographer: www.johanfoto.com The Personal Touch, for all guided safaris and game-viewing vehicles: www.tptouch.com

Personal Touch in South Luangwa Guided & Self-Drive Safaris Game Viewing Vehicle Hires

www.tptouch.com | info@tptouch.com | +260 978 459965

Photographic Tips

CAPTURE

SUMMERTIME IN SOUTH LUANGWA

Writer: Seb Loram Photography: Track and Trail River Camp

A

creative mind is an elemental part of your DNA and it will help you with creating inspiring images, but if you lack the focus you won’t win the crowd. In wildlife photography, especially in Africa, with the big and the dangerous, it is not easy to manipulate the settings for your subject and you need to take it as it comes. It’s all out there, but you need to see it before you can capture it.

The aperture setting, often A or AV (aperture value on your camera), is responsible for the depth of field in your picture. At the same time, it is one of the independent variables that regulates the amount of light onto the sensor in your camera.

The bigger the aperture (lower f-number) the more light reaches the sensor and the brighter the picture will be. The smaller the aperture (higher f-number), the less light reaches the sensor and the darker the picture will be.

Aperture also has its effect on depth of field. The larger the aperture (lower f-number) the less depth of field, while the

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smaller the aperture (higher f-number) the more depth of field.

In other words: bigger number, bigger depth of field and smaller number, smaller depth of field.

Depth of field refers to how much of the photograph is in focus throughout the whole picture’s distance from the camera. Here we have three identical pictures of a herd of elephants drinking water, taken from a position behind the herd member that already crossed the Luangwa River. Whether you consider this to be an interesting series from a creative point of view, with the focus of the drinking elephants positioned through the legs of the other elephant, is completely up to the viewer.

The technical aspect that changed the creative aspect is the depth of field in these pictures. You will find that when the f-number increases you will see more depth of field in the image. At the aperture setting f6.3, the elephant in the front is just a shape with hardly any details and is out of focus. By increasing the f-number, the more detailed the elephant gets as it comes into focus. TZL

THE HEALING POWERS OF Nature Writer: Nathalie Zanoli Photography: Ian Salisbury and Nathalie Zanoli

T

he Bush-Spa, in the heart of South Luangwa National Park, offers a range of wellness treatments enhancing the African safari experience. Africa has an abundance of therapeutic plant life, and at the Bush-Spa this ancient, traditional heritage is embraced, really digging into ‘nature’s drugstore’…Africa’s essence so to speak.

Plant medicine in tropical countries is being scrutinized ever more carefully by the West and many people are looking for therapeutic alternatives to the hard medicines of the pharmaceutical industry. Also, the experience and knowledge of traditional, who know the plants’ requirements and benefits, are being investigated.

A real eye-catcher and easily recognisable therapeutic plant is the sausage tree. This tree needs no introduction and is named after the easily distinguished fruit, shaped like a sausage, which may weigh up to 10 kg...and South Luangwa has plenty of them, in all shapes and forms. Locally known as a muvungula, the tree has the scientific name Kigelia africana which is derived from the Bantu language.

The striking, dark maroon flowers are pretty to look at, but unpleasantsmelling. However, this does not seem to bother the wildlife at all. These blood-red flowers bloom at night on long, rope-like stalks that hang down from the limbs of the tree, making them ideally suited to visits by night-flying bats and insects, resulting in pollination. And when the flowers fall, they are eaten by a large number of animals including baboons and most antelopes.

The tree’s hefty sausage-shaped fruit can make somewhat dangerous projectiles for unwary passers-by.

However, this same fruit also makes the sausage tree a favourite with the local wildlife, from bush pigs and baboons to hippos and even giraffes, which all eat the young, green sausages. The animals kindly return the favour by dispersing the tree’s seeds in their dung. Elephants actually love to give themselves a good body-glow by using the rough bark for a scrub, and the shady foliage makes a favourite relaxing spot for leopards.

Humans have also found uses for the fruit, from the medicinal to the

intoxicating; the fermented fruit apparently makes a great addition to traditional African brews. The hard fruit is said to cure a range of illnesses in raw, cooked or powdered form and is used to treat fungal infections, boils, psoriasis and eczema, as well as leprosy, syphilis and skin cancer.

It is also used in the treatment of dysentery, ringworm, tapeworm, postpartum haemorrhaging, malaria, diabetes, pneumonia and even toothache!

The Bush-Spa though is tapping into the more traditional cosmetic use of the fruit. Local fallen fruits are harvested and the extract used for all skin treatments. The all-natural signature paste is made right here at the Bush-Spa in South Luangwa and used in just about all African Body Works and Touching Face care treatments. As the fruit works wonders on insect bites too, the Spa team often ‘helps’ safari guests in the remote bush camps with a jar or two of the brown-coloured paste to ease their discomforts.

The traditional use of Kigelia fruit in Africa has been both medicinal – as a treatment for skin complaints from eczema to skin cancer – and cosmetic, as a preparation to firm and enhance skin tissue. Several scientific studies in recent years suggest that Kigelia indeed has remarkable healing and conditioning effects on the skin, and in treating the beginning stages of melanoma skin cancer.

One does not need a scientific study to reveal the benefits of Kigelia africana. Book yourself in for a heavenly African Goddess Facial at the Bush-Spa, listen to the soundtrack of nature, experience a healing touch, relax, and feel and look rejuvenated afterwards...

And to think the medicinal sausage tree grows all around the Bush-Spa, and in fact all over Zambia. However, the most famous sausage tree is found at Kazungula, where Dr. Livingstone pitched his camp before he saw the Victoria Falls, and it is said he carved his name in the trunk. Might he have been aware how important the muvungula’s traditional and medicinal properties became years later? TZL

Th award e -winni Bush-S ng p a i so and lo cated pen daily in Luang wa Na side South tional Park.

For m ore inf orm www.b ush-sp ation: a.com

Liuwa Plains

A WILD EXPEDITION INTO REMOTE WESTERN ZAMBIA

Writer: Frank Steenhuisen Photography: Frank Steenhuisen, Gesa Neitzel

T

he beginning of an amazing trip into the wilderness area of Western Zambia came with the completion of our new, unique game-viewing vehicle and our impatient eagerness to try it out. We knew that with such a vehicle its first trip just had to be something different and a challenge to set the benchmark for what it could do. The vehicle was designed to include a number of advantages over that of a normal game-viewer. In this case it was the significant height advantage and serious off-road capabilities, as well as comfort and game-viewing improvements for the passengers that were to be put to the test.

We set off on our expedition in November 2017, having carefully planned for our trip to coincide with the annual wildebeest migration which moves over the vast landscape of Liuwa Plain National Park. As it turned out, our timing was near perfect. We were greeted at Kalabo, the closest town to Liuwa Plain, with an impressive show from Mother Nature in the form of a huge thunderstorm – a true downpour. This is exactly what we had expected and is what attracts the big herds of wildebeest to the middle of the park.

We spent four nights in Liuwa Plain, marvelling at the spectacle of the second largest wildebeest migration in Africa, as well as observing the many other interesting creatures that inhabit the area. For instance, we enjoyed fantastic sightings of spotted hyena, something for which the plains are famous. Birding at that time of the year was also incredible as we not only recorded a high species count, but also witnessed flocks of blackwinged pratincoles in their thousands, flying together, a spectacle which even non-birders could appreciate.

But our target species for our time in Liuwa was the elusive plains-roaming cheetah, and on our last evening we were lucky enough to track one down as the sun was setting. This was a great end to our last game drive in the area. We could now rest with a sense of accomplishment and prepare for the next leg of the journey which would see us heading east to Kafue National Park.

After a full day’s travel through thick sand, muddy terrain and a number of local villages, we found ourselves with welcome drink in hand, checking into Musekese Camp, a small and intimate bush camp located in the northern sector of Kafue National Park. It didn’t take us long to realize that the guiding standard at Musekese was of the utmost importance, and as camp owners Phil Jeffery and Tyrone McKeith are guides themselves they knew exactly where the focus of a great safari should be – on the guests!

From Musekese we set off in two smaller groups in an attempt to cover more ground and work together for sightings, and this paid off well over the next four

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nights. We were spoilt with a number of elephant sightings, hippos and huge crocodiles, and one group had a fantastic run-in with a big territorial male leopard who put on quite the show as they followed him on his patrol. Our time there also gave us a chance to stretch our legs and go for a number of extremely informative bush walks, where the high level of guiding from the team really shone. We found ourselves discussing everything from the small velvet mites up to the large, iconic elephants and their impact on the area. The famous Musekese pride of lions proved to be elusive and very sneaky. We could see evidence of their movements right through the middle of camp most nights, but we couldn’t manage to find them while out in the field. This however made for great excitement, and along with great guiding, excellent service and some of the best meals of the entire expedition, we ended up loving our time at Musekese and will have to return one day for another attempt to find the lions.

The group split after our stay at Musekese: safariFRANK team members Johan and Welna took the group south through Kafue National Park for a stopover in Nanzhila Plain, while Gesa Neitzel and myself set off on our own expedition, some 1000 kilometres to the east, heading to Kasanka National Park to witness yet another migration. But this time it was the world’s largest mammal migration – roughly 10 million straw-coloured fruit bats migrate from the Congo basin and roost in one small patch of forest in the centre of the park. We wanted to witness the impressive migration at first hand and try to capture the experience on camera.

However, we soon became aware exactly how difficult this would be as the sheer number of bats all in one area and circling around us was something to which photographs simply cannot do justice. It was one of the greatest wildlife spectacles I’ve ever witnessed and certainly something I would recommend to veteran Africa travellers who are looking to experience something different.

The rest of the group went on to spend the final nights of the expedition revelling in a spot of luxury, right on the edge of the mighty Zambezi River, in a private house known as Waterberry’s River Farmhouse. In a truly stunning location, just outside the town of Livingstone, the group was treated to first-class service, access to the Victoria Falls and superb sightings of a herd of elephants coming down to the Zambezi for a drink…and what’s best was that this was all from the comfort of their own private pool!

All in all, it was a fantastic first tour with our FrankMobile, during which we created some longlasting memories and met some great people along the way. The vehicle’s advantages really stood out whilst in Liuwa Plain. Our height advantage in the FrankMobile gave us huge viewing potential over a large area and we found ourselves scanning the endless plains constantly, almost as if we were in a viewing tower. This, in combination with superior off-road capabilities, left us with the confidence of knowing that we could go just about anywhere and have no worries whilst game viewing. We had a great time testing the vehicle and Zambia holds some special wilderness areas and we look forward to exploring it further and further. safariFRANK is a boutique adventure tour operator based in Brisbane and Berlin. For more information see www.safarifrank.com or contact them at info@safarifrank.com TZL

Liuwa Plains

Liuwa Plains

Lady Liuwa, the Last Lioness of Liuwa Plain

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ast grasslands rich with wildebeest would seem the ideal place for a lion to thrive, but when you remove all other lions, add a robust population of hyenas and a smattering of villages, it suddenly becomes a very dangerous place.

Mobs of hyenas eagerly descend on every hard-earned meal, and rest is rarely a full respite with one eye always open. This was the crushing reality faced every day by Lady Liuwa, the Last Lioness of Liuwa Plain.

For years she wandered the plains alone, the last bastion of once-great prides. The realities of a modern wilderness had decimated Liuwa’s prides, leaving Lady all alone. In a land without friends and no end of foes, she battled every day for her survival. Lions and hyenas are notorious rivals, and Lady simply could not compete in a game of sheer numbers. But despite the immense unlikelihood of surviving, she did. Wild lions are lucky to reach 12, but Lady achieved an impressive 17 years – a true testament to her spirit and intelligence.

relations took place but no cubs resulted, most likely because of Lady’s age.

After the stumbling attempt, AP made the bold decision to introduce young females that could mate with the existing males, potentially representing a risk to Lady’s welfare. This is how Sepiwa, meaning ‘hope’ in the local dialect, came to live with Lady.

Called Sepo for short, she settled in well under the watchful guidance of Lady. Sepo lived up to her name, producing a litter of beautiful little cubs in 2014. With two female cubs and one male, the pride was up to seven. Lady had her family back.

Over the years, a special relationship developed between Lady and Sepo. Now aged 15, Lady was entering an age that few lions ever see. Still strong but no longer hunting as well as she once did, Lady relied on Sepo to do most of the hunting for the pride. Instead, Lady kept her place at the head as the honoured grandmother, guiding the pride with her years of wisdom and watching the cubs while Sepo hunted.

“But despite

the immense unlikelihood of surviving, she did.”

She learned to lurk on the periphery of villages, taking advantage of the hyenas’ tendencies to avoid humans. Neither entering the settlements nor killing cattle, she was accepted as a benevolent presence by the villagers. Often resting at the grave of Mambeti, a beloved daughter of the king’s favourite game warden, many believed Lady was her reincarnated spirit, further solidifying her place in the villagers’ hearts.

Ultimately, it was this love that protected her.

No ecosystem is complete without apex predators, so African Parks (AP), the non-profit organization tasked with managing the national park since 2003, decided to translocate lions as a part of their restoration efforts. After years of solitude, when Lady called across the plains, a call would now return. When she lifted her head to the wind, the scent of another lion would at last greet her nose.

In 2009, a year after an unsuccessful first attempt, the Zambian Carnivore Programme and AP collaborated to transfer two males from nearby Kafue National Park. It was hoped that one would win the affections of Lady and produce cubs, establishing a new Liuwa pride. In time

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‘Once, when Lady was injured and unable to move with the pride, Sepo hid her cubs away, travelled 40 kilometres north to Lady, killed a wildebeest and dragged it over to her, all before travelling 40 kilometres back. That was the kind of love and respect that Lady’s pride had for her,’ reminisced Innocent Tembo, senior guide at Time + Tide King Lewanika.

Thanks to the pride’s strength, the cubs are now healthy adults, roaming the plains just like long ago. Sepo even welcomed a second litter of cubs – two males who were born a year ago. Around the same time another male was introduced from Kafue. He had a rough entry after an explosive encounter with Sepo, but he is slowly familiarising himself with the pride and will be a strong asset to Liuwa’s lions.

After 17 years of ruling the plains, Lady Liuwa passed away this past August. It is not known why she died, but all signs point to natural causes. Sadly, a month later, Sepo also passed away, succumbing to injuries sustained while protecting her cubs.

Lady and Sepo died surrounded with the love and support of their pride. Though they no longer roam the plains, their spirit and legacy will live forever in the Liuwa Plain. TZL

Writer: Kelsea Lee, Time + Tide Photography: Will Burrard Lucas, Heinrich van den Berg, Time + Tide

Liuwa Plains

TALES FROM LIUWA PLAIN: REBUILDING A PRIDE

Livingstone

FUN at the FALLS Writer: Sarah Kingdom Photography: Shearwater Victoria Falls, Dana Allen, Bundu Adventures

‘C

reeping with awe to the verge, I peered down into a large rent which had been made from bank to bank of the broad Zambezi, and saw that a stream of a thousand yards broad leaped down a hundred feet and then became suddenly compressed into a space of fifteen to twenty yards....the most wonderful sight I had witnessed in Africa’.

Although David Livingstone wrote those words in 1855, with a description like that it is not hard to see why the Victoria Falls is one of the most spectacular natural wonders on the planet, and still continues to delight and capture the imagination of travellers.

The Victoria Falls, often just known as the Falls, is the result of thousands of years of erosion.

The Zambezi River, flowing across a basalt plateau, in ancient times found cracks in the basalt that were filled with sandstone and started wearing away the softer rock, eventually creating a series of magnificent and dramatic gorges. In fact Victoria Falls has been gradually receding for over 100,000 years.

This process of erosion has been repeated over and over again, and the zig-zagging gorges downstream of the current falls represent the formation and abandonment of seven previous waterfalls. Today, the Zambezi crashes over a wide cliff, plunging down 108 metres into a powerful whirlpool, forming the greatest curtain of falling water on Earth, and transforming the placid river into a ferocious torrent. In the height of the rainy season more than five hundred million cubic metres of water a minute surge over the edge of the almost twokilometre-wide falls and plummet into the gorge below. Columns of spray can be seen from miles away, hence its local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, ‘The Smoke that Thunders’.

I first visited the Victoria Falls as a child, nearly thirty years ago, and have been back repeatedly, even working in Livingstone for a year in my distant, carefree youth. I can safely say that no matter how many times you visit, the Falls are never the same twice – different seasons, different water level, different times of day and different light conditions (including by moonlight) all combine to make each visit unique.

The sheer scale and power never ceases to awe and astound. The Zambian and Zimbabwean sides offer very different views of the Falls, so if you have time it’s worth visiting both sides to appreciate fully the whole waterfall. Our latest visit, however, was going to focus on the Zambian side.

Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of rock, crowned with a mist-soaked rainforest. We walked the various paths on the Zambian side, through the rainforest, over the Knife-edge Bridge (with its spectacular views of the eastern cataract, main falls and down the gorge), ducking out to brave the spray and admire the view. Finally, we made our way around to a point where we could see the

Livingstone Victoria Falls Bridge, which was the next stop on our itinerary.

Aside from the lure of the Victoria Falls themselves, there are numerous activities to keep even the most ardent adventure seeker busy…

Jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge is one of the ultimate adrenaline activities. It is the highest commercial bridge jump in the world and in the most spectacular setting. I, of course, was neither brazen nor foolish enough (depending on your point of view!) to throw myself off the bridge, but I had brought along my 16- and 17-year-old sons to do just that.

Shearwater Victoria Falls offers bungee jumping, bridge swinging and zip lining off the iconic bridge. Without any trouble at all I convinced our boys to throw themselves into the abyss. It was only once both boys were fully kitted out in safety harness etc. that my husband voiced what was in both of our minds, ‘We’ve only got two children; do you think it is wise for them to both be throwing themselves off this bridge simultaneously?’ My heart stopped beating and I held my breath as I watched them leap into space, free-falling for what seemed forever, before stopping and being propelled upwards again, at speed, by the rebound of a giant elastic band. The looks of excitement on their faces when we were reunited said it all – they were on an adrenaline high for the rest of the day.

I, on the other hand, thought I would ease myself gracefully into the ‘adrenaline business’ and so signed up with Livingstone’s Adventure for an afternoon’s privately guided canoeing safari on the Zambezi, upstream of the Falls. We paddled between the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the Zambian side and the Zambezi Game Park on the Zimbabwean side, gliding past elephants, pods of hippos and a great selection of birdlife. I was a little surprised how much we actually saw, given how much noise my husband and younger son were making in the other canoe! Having been told clearly as we set off that the person in the back seat was in charge of steering and the person in the front was the ‘powerhouse’, there was a great deal of gesticulating and exasperation as the two of them ‘discussed’ who was supposed to be doing what and got progressively off course. Silence reigned supreme in my canoe, and I was feeling rather smug about it, until I turned round and discovered that my eldest son was doing what teenagers do best, and having a ‘power nap’ in the back seat whilst I both paddled and steered!

Clearly the adrenaline rush of the morning bungee jump had taken its toll.

Not to be left out of the fun, we ‘oldies’ decided to get our hearts pumping the following day, on a family rafting trip with Bundu Adventures, down what is quite probably the wildest commercial white-water in the world. A rafting adventure on the Zambezi River is definitely an adrenaline rush not to be missed. Downstream of the Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River is a TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

19

Livingstone kilometre-long stretch of deep, zig-zagging, tortuous channels gouged out of the surrounding basalt, and the incredible volume of water guarantees an exhilarating day of white-water adventure.

When, at the pre-departure briefing, you hear that the rapids have names like ‘The Terminator’, ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Gnashing Jaws of Death’, you have an inkling of what lies ahead, but words cannot describe what a fantastic day it would prove to be.

Starting with a hike down to the ‘Boiling Pot,’ a massive whirlpool at the base of the Victoria Falls, we clambered aboard our raft and set off. The sun was shining and the water was surprisingly warm.

Our guide, nicknamed Black Lizard (apparently his real name, Kelvin, didn’t sound tough enough for a river guide!), was the perfect person to take us down the river. He knew exactly which line to take through the rapids, usually giving us the option to choose the route based on whether we wanted to ‘flip’ or not… and a few flips certainly happened!

Although stretches of the route are classed a high-octane Grade 5, there are several expanses of scenic, calm water. After lunch and the first string of huge rapids, things became a little quieter and we had the chance to swim alongside the raft for some reaches of the river – an ideal way to pass the time. The whole day was an unbelievable experience for the whole family and definitely worth the steep hike out of the Batoka Gorge at the end of the day.

If flying over the Falls in a contraption that resembles a couple of garden chairs, attached to a beach umbrella, with a lawnmower engine for propulsion is your cup of tea, then microlighting is definitely for you! Seriously though, whilst a microlight may look as fragile as a dragonfly, it is obviously far stronger than it appears. In the hands of the passionate and experienced pilots it is, without doubt, one of the most breathtaking ways to see one of the seven natural wonders of the world in all its magnificence. My youngest son came back brimming with excitement, telling me that he had flown so low over the Falls that he had actually flown through the clouds of mist that are permanently suspended above it. I heard all about how they had flown upstream, downstream and all around. Not only had he had a bird’s eye view of the Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River and the animals in the game park, he was quite excited to tell me that the pilot had flown them over the quad-biking course where my boys had spent the previous afternoon. Apparently the pilot had had quite a giggle as he’d flown over the boys just in time to see one of them fall off!

To alleviate jealousy in the family, and my own fear of missing out, I was carefully dividing the multitude of activities that Livingstone has to offer between my sons, my husband and myself. Not to be outdone by our children in the microlights, my husband and I opted for a spectacular helicopter flight over the Falls, again with Livingstone’s Adventure. Known as the ‘Flight of Angels’, this thrilling flight over the waterfall is a definite bucket-list activity. Not only did we have the luxury of a private flight just for the two of us, but the views were breathtaking and an entirely new perspective on the landscape below. Flying over the national park, we had a fabulous view of elephants

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#onlyinzambia

Livingstone

crossing the river and pods of hippos congregating – a brilliant way to observe many of the park’s inhabitants from on high. The sun was starting to set as we came back to the aerodrome, and the golden light reflecting on the river below was really spectacular.

In between all this action, we somehow managed to have some down time and a little relaxation. Our first few nights were spent at Livingstone’s most recently opened and luxury Thorntree River Lodge, and what an awesome experience that was; with perfectly appointed rooms right on the banks of the Zambezi, delicious meals served with an unbeatable view of the river, and staff that went out of their way to look after us at every turn.

Sundowners by our private pool, waking up each morning to drink tea in bed with the vast expanse of the river stretching out before us – these were all parts of an experience we would never forget.

There was even a ‘gym with a view’ for those who couldn’t handle too much relaxing. I would visit the treadmill every morning while my husband was ensconced in bed with his coffee, and would come back with reports of the beautiful birds, monkeys, baboons, giraffes and even elephants I had watched while running – better than any TV in a gym to keep you distracted from the boredom of running to nowhere.

Thorntree is located in the 66-square-kilometre Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, home not only to Cape buffalo, Burchell’s zebra, Angolan giraffe (also known as Namibian giraffe and a subspecies), elephants, various antelope, warthog and more, but also home to 12 endangered white rhino. We were able to combine a game drive through this tiny park with the unique opportunity to get up close to a few of the white rhino. After some searching, we found a female and her baby and were able to approach pretty close on foot without upsetting the mother.

The baby, Virginia, was in a remarkably playful mood, scampering from side to side and looking quite longingly in our direction. I’d be willing to bet that if her mother hadn’t been there ‘cramping her style’, she would have come even closer and really checked us out.

From the tranquillity and luxury of Thorntree River Lodge, we moved closer to town and based ourselves at Maramba River Lodge, a peaceful oasis amongst all the adrenaline that is Livingstone.

Whilst we were close enough to all the action that we could see the microlight passing over the lodge, we still felt part of nature as we breakfasted on a terrace overlooking the resident pod of hippos, who, complete with numerous babies, kept us thoroughly entertained for hours. When we weren’t watching the hippos, we were amazed by the vervet monkeys who, clearly as a means of avoiding crocodiles, preferred drinking from the lodge swimming pool rather than the river; they didn’t seem remotely bothered by our presence, even bringing their tiny babies with them. Maramba was close to all the activity and hustle and bustle of Livingstone, but still maintained an air of serenity, and was a perfect place to rest our weary heads at the end of an action-packed day.

All great things come to an end though, and sadly it was back to school for the boys and back to reality for me. We had such an active and busy time in Livingstone that we almost needed another holiday just to recover! TZL

Only in Livingstone....

Apart from being home to the Victoria Falls, ‘The Smoke That Thunders’, Zambia is also one of Africa’s most acclaimed adventure and extreme sports destinations.

• • • • • • •

Explore a few of the many activities only available on the Zambian side:

Catch an exciting Batoka Gorge cable car after a thrilling white-water rafting experience

Take to the skies and enjoy a scenic helicopter ride through the magnificent gorge Feel the spray on your face as you soar above the majestic Victoria Falls and breathtaking rapids in a microlight Take a luxurious water taxi transfer to The Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara and arrive in style – a service unique to Minor Hotel Group

Visit historic Livingstone Island and go for a daring swim in Devil’s Pool on the edge of the Falls Enjoy an exhilarating jet-boating experience along the roaring Zambezi

Admire the iconic Victoria Falls with unlimited access from AVANI Victoria Falls Resort and The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara

Offering Award-winning value and hospitality, Flatdogs Camp makes you feel right at home from the moment you arrive. The wide range of accommodation gives choices to all and the a la carte menu is unique in the safari world.

Experience all the South Luangwa has to offer with their incredible guiding team – game drives, night drives and walking safaris as well as special packages available.

www.flatdogscamp.com

contact reservations on info@flatdogscamp.com

ESSENTIAL ZAMBIA Language: English is the official language Time zone: GMT+2

International dialling code: +260

Visas: Visas are needed for most visitors to Zambia. They are available from Zambian embassies abroad or at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and other points of entry.

Health: Malaria occurs in many parts of the country, especially in the low-lying areas where the game parks are often situated, so malaria prophylactics are recommended. Yellow fever certificates are required if you are travelling from an infected area. Medical insurance, including medevac, is recommended.

Safety: Zambia is known for friendliness and great hospitality but like anywhere in the world, especially where there is high unemployment, it is wise to remain vigilant at all times. Be aware of pickpockets and thieves in the towns and cities. Do not leave your belongings unattended and when in public, and carry only the minimum amount of cash that you need. Always lock a vehicle and do not leave items visible in a parked vehicle.

Money: The unit of currency is the Zambian kwacha (ZMW). Foreign currency (US dollars are best) can be changed into kwacha at banks and there are foreign exchange bureaux in most towns. Visa, and to a lesser extent MasterCard, are accepted by many tourist hotels and can also be used to draw local currency at ATMs in the major towns.

Getting there: Emirates (www.emirates.com), Kenya Airways (www.kenya-airways.com), Ethiopian Airlines (www.ethiopianairlines.com), and South African Airways (www.flysaa.com) fly to Lusaka, linking Europe and the USA via Dubai, Nairobi, Addis Ababa or Johannesburg/Cape Town.

Getting around: Once in Lusaka, internal flights can connect you to most major destinations in Zambia (www. flyzambia.com). Local buses are cheap and frequent. There are also luxury coach services.

Weather: Zambian weather is essentially divided between two seasons: the dry season from May to October, and the rainy season from November to April. May to August marks Zambia’s winter when it is warm and pleasant during the day and very cool at night. During this time it can be cold on game-viewing vehicles in the early morning, especially on the plateau. September to November is a period of hot and dry weather – in the valleys, temperatures can reach up to 40 degrees Celsius. Around November or December, Zambia experiences intermittent showers and storms that usher in the rainy season, keeping the climate warm and humid through April.

What you need to know when visiting Zambia!

Mukambi Safaris offers three magnificent prize winning camps in Kafue National Park, one of the largest areas of unspoiled wilderness.

Each camp has its own character and style in different areas of the national park, making them completely....unique by nature.

We offer attractive packages where you can visit all of our three camps.

Unique by Nature +260 (0)974 424013 | reservations@mukambi.com | mukambi.com

Mukambi Safari Lodge Mukambi Safari Lodge is overlooking the Kafue River and is the gateway to Kafue National Park.

Fig Tree Bush Camp This camp lies in an undiscovered part of the park on a Shishamba River lagoon.

The only camp in a range of 30 km - it offers a unique out-of-Africa atmosphere.

Busanga Plains Camp Busanga Plains Camp has eight beds available in a classic bush camp on the famous Busanga Plains.

Lower Zambezi

10 SECRETS about the LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK

Lower Zambezi

1 Writer: Grant Cumings – conservationist, professional safari guide, pioneer safari operator in the Lower Zambezi National Park and owner of Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro

The incredible, uncrowded landscapes and habitats make for diverse photographic opportunities and a wide choice of game-viewing activities This park, by virtue of its variety – the wide, deep Zambezi River with its islands and floodplains, spectacular inland woodlands and grasslands and then the escarpment – makes for infinite combinations to enhance an ever-changing and often quite private safari. Perhaps this is why Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro enjoy so many repeat guests, some of whom stay for weeks at a time – every year!

Photography: Scott Ramsey

2 The Lower Zambezi National Park is one of the world's best protected wildlife sanctuaries It is the world’s first carbon neutral national park, and Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro are not only the world’s first carbon neutral safari camps but also the largest supporters of Conservation Lower Zambezi, which facilitates all the conservation activity here. By visiting these camps, guests are not only participating in one of the best safaris money can buy but are also contributing to the longterm protection of the precious wildlife, habitats and surrounding communities of the Lower Zambezi National Park.

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A variety of safari camps and lodges to suit every budget and taste All safari camps and lodges in the Lower Zambezi National Park provide excellent accommodation, hospitality and location. To benefit fully from your Lower Zambezi safari we recommend you visit both the western and the eastern sectors of the park as they differ from a habitat, landscape and wildlife perspective, providing a diversity of adventure opportunities. With this in mind, there is no better combination than Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro, both owned by the Cumings family and offering contrasting but complementary multi-award- winning ‘Best in Africa’ safari experiences.

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The safari guides of the Lower Zambezi National Park are some of the best in the business Safari guides require lengthy practical assignments and strict theoretical examinations with high pass marks in order to qualify. Aside from being able to conduct the usual game drives and walking safaris, many guides are also qualified in canoeing, boating and ‘catch and release’ angling so there is nowhere else where the skills and qualifications required to be a safari guide are higher.

It should come as no surprise then that Chiawa Camp’s guiding team has been voted by the world’s top Africa safari specialists as the ‘Best Guiding Team in Africa’ not once, but twice!

TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

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Lower Zambezi

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Escaping the hustle and bustle of daily life My favourite thing about the Lower Zambezi National Park is its complete ability to allow one to switch off from the ‘real world’… to sit back and relax and watch the world pass by, as the constant flow of the Zambezi River is a soothing reminder that Mother Nature can still awe and inspire. The park is situated across the Zambezi River from Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe, with very limited light pollution, making the night skies here some of the biggest and most amazing to observe anywhere in Africa.

Writer: Andrea Gilmour – Sausage Tree Camp and Potato Bush Camp Photography: Sausage Tree Camp

6 Variety of activities

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Wildlife

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Limited number of camps and visitors

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With a selection of both land- and water-based activities to choose from, including day and night game drives, walking safaris, canoeing, boat cruises and fishing, guests are spoilt for choice when looking to explore all that the Lower Zambezi National Park has to offer.

With some of the best wildlife viewing in Zambia, the Lower Zambezi National Park boasts over 400 species of birds, 120 species of mammals and 50 species of fish. From big to small and everything in between, guests can enjoy watching elephants amble past their rooms, take on the mighty tiger fish or fall asleep to the sounds of lion, hyena and hippo which form part of the evening ‘bush choir’.

With only six safari lodges located within the boundary of the Lower Zambezi National Park, visitor numbers are kept low so it is easy for guests to feel as if they have the park to themselves. And each safari lodge gives guests a true bush experience, with lavish attention to detail and all the creature comforts of home and more.

TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

Lower Zambezi

9 Writer: Luke Evans – operator, Tusk & Mane Safaris

Authentic fly camping in the Lower Zambezi The new Tusk & Mane Safaris fly camping experience is a special and unique way to experience the Lower Zambezi. It is an active adventure that takes guests through some of the wildest, most rugged and scenically beautiful corners of the national park. Two fly camp sites are on untouched islands in the heart of the park’s prime game-viewing area, a mere 30-minute drive from Jeki Airfield. To reach the third site, you follow ancient elephant trails into the foothills of the escarpment to a rare permanent water source at Kalingala Springs.

Photography: Tusk & Mane

10 Each safari can be fully customised to suit your desires, fitness and adventure levels Travel between camps is either by foot, canoe, boat or game drive. The pace is set by you, and is punctuated by plenty of stops along the way to discover, learn and marvel at the infinite natural phenomena you may chance upon. And at the day’s end, creature comforts await: a cosy bed, warm bucket showers, and a hearty meal around the campfire as you gaze up at the stars.

Tusk & Mane’s ‘back to basics’ approach to fly camping, where a tent, a meal and a fire is really all you need to experience the magic of this truly magnificent national park seems a great idea. TZL

TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

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Lower Zambezi

T

he rod tugs. ‘Ah, must be caught on more reeds’, I think, as I gently loosen the line in preparation to untangle and bring it back in. The rod tugs again, harder this time. It tugs more urgently and I quickly realize that no amount of currents or reeds can create such purposeful force. The end of my rod begins to bend heavily as I frantically put down my cold shandy and think of the first step: allow the fish to pick up and run with the bait before striking; that must mean to swim with the bait. The attention of my four comrades has now turned to me, ‘Strike! Strike!’ they yell as I pull the handle up, bending the rod into a half-moon. The first strike fails but the fish is determined to catch its prey and all I can hear is a jumble of commands: ‘You’re on!’ ‘Let it run!’ ‘Strike!’ Not knowing who or what to listen to, I pull the rod up and strike again, this time with more vigour, and suddenly there is a dead yet thrashing weight at the end of my rod. I quickly start reeling in but the monster in the water is strong. Gripped with panic, I look to our river-whispering guide for help and he calmly mimics the action of reeling in. I focus and reel in my first tiger fish, weighing in at 0.9 kg – hardly a monster but pretty good for a first-timer.

That’s the thing with tiger fish – renowned for their aggression and speedy swimming skills, it is no easy feat to hook and land one (fancy fishing jargon for catching and reeling in). As a novice, I was certainly not prepared for the afternoon ahead in one of the prime tiger fishing destinations on the mighty Zambezi River. A remote, untamed and game-rich area of Zambia, the Lower Zambezi National Park runs alongside this part of the Zambezi River where tiger fish patrol the waters. The most favourable time for tiger fishing in this area is from September through to

November, when it is starting to warm up and the water is still clean because the rains have not yet poured down, allowing for perfect conditions for afternoon fishing. And the afternoon is an ideal time to be on the river. As we set off, almost immediately we were met with herds of elephant wading through the water and goliath heron picking their way through the reeds surrounding the dotted islands. Quickly forgetting the mission at hand, I scanned the banks for skittish crocodiles and watched how close we could get to a hippo before it snorted and ducked under the water in disapproval.

As we came to a slow halt, I looked at the area of the river that was best for tiger fishing. Beautiful yes, but the inexperienced fisherman in me could not quite understand why we were moored next to a clump of reeds and just on the edge of what appeared to be a confluence of two currents. After checking with my companions and our expert guide, I was assured of two things: close to the reeds was where we would catch our bait fish, chessa, and at the confluence of the two currents was where the large tiger fish would be waiting for our bait as they prefer fast and oxygenated waters. Catching a chessa was quick and easy, and one would think that it paved the way to easily reeling in a relatively small tiger fish.

After my minor battle with my first catch, an invaluable lesson was learned: the fish will run with the bait twice – first moving away from the school and eating the bait before returning to the school, and it is on this second run that one must strike and keep calm.

A slow drift back to shore with the blazing setting sun was the perfect end to a very exciting afternoon on the Lower Zambezi, and I quietly decided to return one day for my second catch. TZL

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO:Tiger Fishing ON THE LOWER ZAMBEZI

Writer: Jessica Tyler Photography: Anabezi Camp

Interview

Five minutes with...

LOLIWE TEMBO

Senior Therapist - The Bush Spa

Tell us a bit about your background.

I am the first-born in a family of three, two boys and one girl. I was born in Kitwe but raised in Chingola and that’s where I started school at Lubambe Primary School. When my father got a job in Lusaka, we moved to Lusaka and I completed my secondary school at Olympia Secondary School.

How did you get the job here at the Bush-Spa? My aunt used to work for Mfuwe Lodge and when I came to visit her from Lusaka she told me about the job advert and I applied. A week later, I was called and that’s how I started.

When we started, we would clean up the deck then later in the morning we used to study about the human anatomy which is anything associated with the human body. In the afternoon we continued with our maintenance work.

You have worked at the Bush-Spa for 10 years now. What has been your secret?

I always put in my best into my work, making sure that all my services are up to standard. I always make sure I attend to the guests who come to the spa and also put in my very best to ensure I get good results each time we write tests.

What’s your advice to the other ladies out there?

We are able to achieve a lot of things as ladies in this industry from working in the bush, if we are disciplined and hard-working.

For me, I have managed to build a three-bedroomed house from the 10 years I have worked here at the Bush-Spa.

A Restaurant Writer: Andrea Gilmour Photography: Sausage Tree Camp

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ocated in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park on the banks of the Zambezi River, Sausage Tree Camp offers two unique ‘Restaurant in the Bush’ experiences for all guests – a signature Water Lunch and a Bush Dinner.

After a morning out exploring the national park, or simply soaking up the views from the comfort of your room or main Front of House area, you are greeted when ready for lunch and told that today you will be taken out to a little ‘local restaurant’.

Picture a short boat trip to a sandbank in the middle of the Zambezi River, where you step out into the shallow waters to a glass of Pimms and a lunch table dressed in white linen. A buffet station is set up with a selection of dishes including fresh bread and salads, fish and chicken or steak, where you are tempted to try a bit of everything. As you sit down to eat and let the water wash away your troubles, the calls of fish eagles and laughing hippos become the background choir while enjoying the company and conversation of your private guide and other guests. To top it all off, if that wasn’t enough, you are once again spoilt by a plated dessert to round off the meal before being whisked back to camp for a much needed afternoon siesta.

While preparing to go out on afternoon activities you can’t imagine that you will end your evening dining under the stars in the middle of the bush, not knowing who or what may drop by. Heading back to camp after an eventful evening game drive you round the corner to a fairylike scene, with hurricane lamps twinkling and teasing you with a glimpse of a candle-lit table. Greeted by a friendly barman ready to take your drinks order, you settle around the camp fire to watch ‘Bush TV’ and swap stories about the day’s sightings. Dinner is another buffet of temptation where your meat of choice is cooked on an open barbeque before being served to you. Along with good wine and conversation comes the peace and quiet of the African night, with perhaps a lion’s roar or hyena’s cackle in the distance.

With bellies full and another day of safari planned for the morning, you climb back into the vehicles and return to camp ready to fall into bed and listen to the night orchestra as you drift off to sleep. TZL

in the Bush

LOCAL MATERIALS CREATING

Internationally Renowned

Writer: Priya Shah Photography: Kate Wilson, Edward Selfe

M

ulberry Mongoose is well known for turning brutal poachers’ snare wire into beautiful jewellery that, with every sale, donates back to conservation. In fact Bill and Hilary Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg and supermodel Doutzen Kroes have all worn pieces from its snare collection.

The business name captures these strong ethics. ‘Mongoose’ represents the banded mongoose, a social animal that survives in the bush by living in groups and caring for each other. Through employing and training its local team, and by giving back a large amount to conservation, Mulberry Mongoose does just that, too.

The name ‘Mulberry’ was chosen because the founder, Kate Wilson, is British and grew up with a mulberry tree in her garden. The colour reminds the team to strive to create jewellery of the quality and design that can be found worldwide and to offer excellent customer service to boot.

The designs are striking and reflect the rugged yet graceful views of the African bush. Mulberry Mongoose also incorporates locally sourced, natural materials in its work; this ensures the jewellery is one of a kind and generates additional income to local artisans and entrepreneurs. Take, for instance, the celebrated guineafowl choker. The guineafowl’s iconic black and white feathers make this a sought-after necklace, also ensuring that local farmers make additional money from their birds.

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JEWELLERY

Mulberry Mongoose is passionate about its hand-carved wooden beads. Local carpenters use manual tools to create beautiful wooden pieces that are incorporated into the designs; this gives essential employment to exceptionally talented artisans. The wood is reclaimed or taken from trees which fell in the bush – trees are often knocked down by passing elephants. No two beads are the same, adding to the unique quality of the jewellery. Mulberry Mongoose even hired a local carpenter to train its courageous ladies in woodwork, a huge morale boost for women that grew up believing carpentry was men’s work that they were unable to master.

But it is perhaps the company’s vegetable ivory beads that draw the most curiosity.

Vegetable ivories are seeds that fall from an indigenous palm tree and are a favourite delicacy among elephants; so much so that one night an elephant bashed down the Mulberry Mongoose workshop door to feast on a bag containing seeds! Local carpenters collect fallen vegetable ivories, and using an adze, smash open their hard exterior and then peel off the rough and hairy insides.

With expert skill, they saw through the nut inside which opens up into a beautiful white seed. Then, with extraordinarily steady hands and great strength, the carpenters slice two-millimetre strips along each side of the nut and these slices are transformed into earrings and pendants by the creative jewellery makers.

In true Mulberry Mongoose style, you might never know that you are looking at a seed.

The design’s strength lies in its subtle detail in an eye-catching and remarkable piece of jewellery that just so happens to give a huge amount back. TZL

CHINZOMBO PRIDE Writer: Thandiwe Mweetwa Photography: Thandiwe Mweetwa

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very so often, nature produces individuals with an indomitable will to survive; individuals that defy the odds in harsh, unforgiving wildernesses. Life as the only adult female in the pride is not easy and requires tenacity, courage and nerves of steel. That is the story of Lioness 143F, the 10-year-old matriarch of South Luangwa National Park’s (SLNP) Chinzombo Pride.

Lioness 143F was one of the original members of the Big Pride, which settled in the main game-viewing area of SLNP in 2009. 143F’s natal pride, originally called Mwamba III, was one of three prides that split from a super pride of nearly 40 lions in the Mwamba/Lion Plain area. The Mwamba III Pride moved south while the other two sister prides, Mwamba I and Mwamba II, remained in Lion Plain. Made up of 23 lions, the Mwamba III Pride was the highlight of many safaris and was simply referred to as ‘the Big Pride’ to differentiate it from the much smaller Mfuwe Pride.

Lioness 143F left the Big Pride at the end of 2013 when a coalition of three males took over from the resident male called Shaka.

Infanticide in lions is well documented.

Incoming males are known to kill young cubs during pride takeovers to make females ready to mate sooner. 143F probably left the pride to protect her cub who was a few months old at the time. She initially settled outside the park in the area around Chinzombo Lodge, earning her new pride the name Chinzombo.

In 2014, she was fitted with a radio collar by the Zambian Carnivore Programme as part of a collaborative study on lion populations with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. With the help of her radio collar, researchers have been able to track her movements and learn more about population dynamics in the Luangwa Valley. The collar also plays a critical role in enabling researchers to check regularly on the pride in an ongoing effort to limit human-induced mortality among Zambia’s lions due to wire snaring. This is particularly critical because the pride’s

territory spans the protected area boundary. The risk of snaring is high along the national park’s boundary and outside in the game management area.

Four years after leaving her natal pride and venturing into the unknown, Lioness 143F is now the leader of a small but steadily growing pride of six lions. The pride has now made its home on both sides of the Luangwa River between Chichele Hill in the north and Chindeni Bush Camp in the south. Surrounded by three much larger prides, its struggle for survival continues.

Hopefully, the knowledge and experience 143F has gained as the lone adult in the group will serve her and her offspring well as they continue to navigate life in the challenging African bush. In late December 2017, 143F was seen showing early signs of pregnancy so 2018 may bring more Chinzombo Pride lions. Long live this true Lion Queen. TZL

Know Your African Wildlife: Writer: Edward Selfe Photography: Edward Selfe

Leopards I

t’s hard to identify what it is that so attracts safari enthusiasts to leopards. Some say it’s their secretive nature and apparent scarcity; and yet, in many of the best safari areas, sightings are readily available to guides who know how to find them. Some say it’s their beauty, but there is similar beauty in many of nature’s finest creations. Others say that it’s the leopard’s blend of elegance, agility and devastating power. Whatever it is that draws us to them, sightings of leopards are always top of wish lists everywhere.

Leopards are solitary and secretive predators with a very eclectic diet. These characteristics have made them highly successful, enabling thriving populations in regions as diverse as mountain forest, savannah and even city suburbs. Anywhere that offers sufficient prey and suitable hiding places in Africa and Asia can support a leopard population.

Adult leopards range in size from small females of 30 kg to very large males which occasionally reach 90 kg. Consequently, leopards feed on a wide variety of prey species – more than 90 in total have been recorded – ranging from small birds, insects and rodents, up to giraffe, kudu and zebra.

As solitary creatures, leopards must avoid conflict with other predators which might result in an injury that prevents them hunting. Therefore, the prey targeted is often determined by the cat’s ability to carry the carcass into a tree, where it is safe from other predators and scavengers. Some leopards become specialists in hunting certain species; a few Luangwa leopards have developed the skills to hunt baboons, a food source that many cats avoid due to baboons’ unco-operative nature, grabbing hands and very sharp teeth.

Leopards stalk and ambush more than other large cats, relying on disruptive coat patterns to assist them to blend in with their surroundings. Usually hunting at night, they often take hours over a stalk to get within a few metres of their prey, before ambushing with unparalleled explosive speed. They complete the kill with a strangulation hold on the throat or nose, or a bite through the neck in smaller species.

They break their normal solitary and highly anti-social tendencies during mating periods when males accompany females over a period of four to five days. During this time, they hunt, feed and rest together while mating repeatedly. As in many cat species, the male plays no part in the rearing of the cubs that appear three months later.

Young leopards remain with their mothers until about two to three years old, becoming increasingly independent throughout this period. Females are likely to remain close to their mother’s territory, while males tend to strike out further in search of mating

opportunities. The rearing of the cubs is perhaps the time when female leopards are at their most secretive, but several South Luangwa leopardesses are well known for allowing us a window into their private lives.

I hope you enjoy your safari in Zambia! TZL For more in the ‘Know Your African Wildlife’ series, visit: www.edwardselfephotography.com Edward is a seasoned safari guide and specialist photo safari operator based year-round in South Luangwa National Park.

CHITIMA

RESTAURANT Chitima is an authentic Zambian restaurant based in Livingstone. We offer an eccentric local and Western infusion cuisine derived from our diverse Zambian cultures.

Situated in town at the T-junction of Mosi-o-Tunya road and Kafubu road.

Open daily 08h00 – 21h00 (including public holidays). Call +260 967 758 176 TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA

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Home-Based Education Programme Mfuwe

Writer: Elizabeth Sadowski, Executive Director, Time + Tide Foundation Photography: Edward Selfe

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romise Chirwa is a two-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. He lives with his unemployed mother, Zeria, in Chikosi village. We met Promise when he was just over a year old and unable to crawl, grasp objects or sit independently. Zeria told us that neighbours often laughed at him because he did not have the dexterity of other children his age. They told Zeria he would never be able to attend school and never amount to anything.

She took him to the local clinic, where the nurses were confused about his condition and referred him to a Lusaka hospital. Zeria was trying to raise funds for this journey when she was introduced to the home-based education programme.

In 2016, the Time + Tide Foundation and the Bauleni Special Needs Project, a special needs school in Lusaka, launched a community-based support service for disabled children in Mfuwe.

In remote areas of Zambia, government provisions for handicapped children are limited or non-existent.

Accordingly, Bauleni Special Needs Project has pioneered a home-based education programme, a model of intervention that relies on the altruism and goodwill of

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compassionate community members.

In this model, volunteer caregivers are trained to offer physical and social support to children with a variety of disabilities, with the aim of helping these children acquire the motor functions and other skills necessary to attend school.

We began the programme by recruiting 30 children and 33 volunteers, assigning each volunteer to one handicapped child in his or her immediate community. During weekly visits, the volunteers work closely with guardians on the individualized education plans that have been structured according to each child’s developmental needs. The programme is monitored by three co-ordinators, all of whom meet the guardians and children at the end of each month to assess if and how the programme is having an impact on the children’s development.

Since the programme began in March 2016, the volunteer caregivers have received over 120 hours of specialized training on disabilities and devoted more than 2,700 hours to supporting handicapped children in Mfuwe.

In 2017, enrolment increased to 40 children, the majority of whom are affected by cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Down’s syndrome, hydrocephalus and microcephaly. After the first nine months of the programme, 81% of guardians reported that they felt better

Promise

able to help their children, and 92% believed their children would one day attend school, as opposed to the start of the programme when 0% of guardians thought formal education would ever be possible.

In addition to workshops for the caregivers, the Time + Tide Foundation also facilitates support sessions for the children’s guardians. During these meetings, parents and relatives are taught about the origins of their children’s disabilities and their daily responsibilities to help the children improve. These gatherings provide a safe forum through which guardians can share their experiences raising handicapped children in a community that is traditionally suspicious of disabled people. They also discuss the ways they can support each other in the absence of specialized schools or government services. Through this programme, we endeavour to challenge negative stigmas surrounding disabilities by training the caregivers on sensitization and communication techniques. Shortly after recruitment, 68% of caregivers attributed disabilities to witchcraft; after 10 months, this reduced to only 4%.

conducted over 2017, the volunteers and guardians articulated a clear understanding of how funding for home-based care is provided by tourists and is thus inextricably linked to the conservation of the South Luangwa National Park. During monthly monitoring, the co-ordinators encourage guardians to participate in local conservation efforts as a way of ensuring that this programme and the many other tourism benefits in Mfuwe are long lasting.

as an impassioned volunteer and was elected secretary in early 2017. Zeria never did travel to Lusaka as she soon realized that it was social and cognitive rather than medical intervention that Promise needed.

When government services are scarce, community-driven initiatives can be the most effective method of providing sustainable support. On a limited budget, the Time + Tide Foundation is able to meet the volunteers on a monthly basis and organize two training workshops over the course of the year. While the caregivers do not receive monetary compensation for this important work, they are rewarded by their interactions with the children and watching these young people grow and develop, despite the rumours that they are incapable of leading so-called ‘normal lives’. By demonstrating kindness and care to families that have been ostracized, the volunteers have earned tremendous respect that will hopefully inspire similar clemency in more Mfuwe residents. TZL

“81% of guardians felt better able to help their children, and 92% believed their children would one day attend school [as opposed to] 0% at the start of the programme”

Another positive outcome has been increased awareness of the social advantages that come through conservation and tourism. In surveys

Today, we are delighted to report that Promise is walking, running, eating, and playing independently. What’s more, he started nursery school in January and is now speaking clearly and learning to count. Zeria is continuously astounded by the progress Promise has made through the weekly visits with his caregiver, as well as her own tireless efforts to teach Promise in a way that suits his specific needs. As a result of Promise’s condition, Zeria’s sister, Naomi, joined the home-based programme

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MUTINONDO

Writer: Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson Photography: Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS

‘M

y pen has danced over paper… up big granite boulders, in painted shelters, by splashing rivers, among waving grasses[and] under shady trees, recording Mutinondo through the seasons….’ These are the words of Zambian artist Quentin Allen in his beautifully illustrated booklet Mutinondo Magic. And now I too was to explore Mutinondo, and who better to accompany me as guide than Quentin – the man himself.

I am not in the habit of getting lost – and certainly not in a location as remote and untrammelled as Mutinondo Wilderness, a huge tract of privately owned land comprising 10,000 hectares and located to the west of South Luangwa National Park. The inclusion of this area on my Zambia itinerary was a hearty recommendation by Leslie Nevison of Lusaka-based Mama Tembo Tours and I took her at her word.

To reach Mutinondo, we had travelled south down the Great North Road to the turn-off and then driven for about 24 kilometres along a reasonable dirt road through miombo woodland, our journey punctuated by stops to photograph flowers and plants. And I’d caught my first glimpse of majestic Mayense, one of the inselbergs or whaleback hills that characterise this region. We reached Mutinondo Wilderness Lodge and were met by Frank Willems and Inge Akerboom, the then management couple. I was shown to my accommodation, Mulombwa, a splendid stone chalet with a separate bathroom facility including an enormous bath, shower, basin and a loo open to the elements on one side. There was also a basin in the bedroom – cold water only. Water is solar-heated and boosted by wood-burning boilers. Each of the lodge’s four chalets is named after the local wood used in its handcrafted furniture and fittings.

Quentin decided to camp at Mutinondo Wilderness Camping, a lovely campsite not far from the lodge. The friendly bar operates an ‘honesty’ system: you mark up your drinks and pay when you leave.

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While having a cup of coffee before setting off for a walk, as a devotee of anything that crawls, creeps, spits or slithers, I was delighted to spot what Frank told me was a rainbow skink. This

sighting augured well for the rest of my stay. Quentin and I headed off on our own – after all, Quentin had spent considerable time at Mutinondo and knew the area well. Named after a pilot, Charlie Merrett, we had as our target Charlie’s Rock, with the promise of sundowners at the bottom once we’d scaled its heights. At first, ‘old man’s beard’ appeared almost fluorescent in the sunshine and spiders nestled safely in their webs. Later, as the light began to fade and we were nearing the top, a freckled nightjar flew by on noiseless wings. It wasn’t a difficult walk, our feet scaling mostly black granite rock, but on the way down the indistinct path through tall grass and rocks became somewhat of a challenge.

And we kept stopping to admire and photograph the magnificent sunset, with tiny crescent moon and wondrous dark clouds, adding more time to the descent.

Sure enough, Frank and Inge, plus chairs, nibbles, and gin and tonic, awaited us – perfect. Also, Frank found a praying mantis to show me, with exquisite wing colouring. On the drive back to the lodge we espied a spotted eagle owl in a tree and large scrub hares crouched motionless in the centre of the track, transfixed in the headlights. After a long and wonderfully hot bath I repaired to the bar and my next wildlife encounter: a baboon spider in all its hairy glory on the wall behind the bar. After an excellent dinner, my first day at Mutinondo was complete. Upon request I now had an extra duvet, the fire in my bedroom had done its duty, and clad in thermals I spent a warm night in my stone sanctuary.

By seven o’clock the next day the sun was well up and my tea arrived in a delightful basket, along with some biscuits. After a warming cuppa I had breakfast, after which, well fuelled up, Quentin and I set off to explore Mutinondo. We started near the campsite and it was a case of ‘eyes down’ as soldier ants marched purposefully across our path; the troopers forming the outer rim of the column appeared agitated and indignant. We continued on our way, Quentin answering my endless botanical questions as I took yet another photograph of a plant or brightly hued flower. I was particularly interested to find a cycad – I had only seen them before in Australia. Cycads are ancient seed plants dating as far back as the Jurassic period. They are dioecious, meaning that each plant is either male or female.

Along our route we stopped at three waterfalls, Choso, Ndubaluba and Mulinso, as we followed the course of the Musamfushi River. All was going well and my camera was working

overtime as proteas, aloes, hibiscus, a wonderful orange bloom Hypericophyllum compositarum and graceful water lilies filled my frame. We passed Kapinda’s Rock and Quentin told me that on one stormy afternoon, Kapinda, a local hunter and poacher, was crossing the river on a log bridge when, burdened with booty, he slipped and fell into the rushing river. The rocky hill which we could see clearly bears his name.

We spent some time at Mulinso Falls and then, in the spirit of adventure, crossed the river and decided to go bush bashing.

This was fun and fine in the forest to begin with, surrounded by Brachystegia (miombo, a genus of tree embracing many species) and we moved happily through the woodland. We climbed halfway up Klipspringer Rock and then sat and enjoyed our sandwiches for lunch before proceeding onwards through the trees. It then became apparent that all was not as it seemed. Once in the forest it was impossible to make out any of the granite outcrops so familiar to Quentin. And there was no track. In other words, we were well and truly lost – and Quentin had omitted to bring a compass or a GPS! What’s more, we were running out of water.

What to do? I was convinced that Quentin, a man not prone to panic, would lead us to safety and we filled our water bottles from a clear stream. Somehow we found our way to Mafone dambo – a dambo is a shallow wetland – and Quentin looked around to try and identify any familiar rocks in sight. Things were looking up when we found a path coming out of the dambo, which we followed until we reached a junction, then, bingo, Quentin knew where he was – not far from Hyrax Rock. Despite tired legs – we’d been walking since nine in the morning and it was now after four in the afternoon – we carried on to the rock paintings at Hyrax Rock. These pictographs are faded and not easily decipherable but somehow one sensed the spirits of the artists who had left their mark there 2,000 years ago.

It was a long walk back, passing Kaloko Rock and with wonderful views of Mayense. Finally, after one more climb, we saw familiar buildings and my adventure came to a happy end. I think I earned the g & t that Quentin kindly bought me, but I could not have wished for a nicer person with whom to be ‘lost’ in this most wild and wonderful of wildernesses. Next time Quentin promises to take a directional device along. TZL

Left page (top) - This is Aeollanthus engleri Briq. It is a species in the genus Aeollanthus (mint family) and displayed a lovely splash of purple in Mafone dambo Left page (middle) - Mutinondo Wilderness, located in Muchinga Province in northern Zambia, is dominated by huge granite inselbergs or whalebacks Left page (bottom) - Mulinso Falls, on the Musamfushi River Right page (left) - Orange aloes brighten up the wilderness

Right page (right) - _Quentin Allen takes a close look at a big aardvark hole. An aardvark is sometimes known as an antbear

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Across the border - Zimbabwe

INCOMPARABLE

NGAMO Writer: Sarah Kerr Photography: Sarah Kerr, Mike Myers, Dana Allen

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Across the border - Zimbabwe

I

season, the land explodes with lush foliage in every shade of green imaginable.

The rains in Zimbabwe last from November through to April and this part of the year is known as ‘the green season’ for good reason.

In response to the late afternoon showers and warm weather that characterize the

In the dry winter, the plains are sandy and desolate, swept with harsh winds that blow dust across their expanse and seem incapable of sustaining life. In summer they literally bloom as the dust transforms to a thick carpet of wildflowers and grass, interspersed with shallow pans of water

n November of 2017, I had the privilege of visiting Hwange (formerly Wankie) National Park. Hwange is the largest national park in Zimbabwe; its border begins an hour south of Victoria Falls, and its varied landscapes stretch south and east along the border with Botswana. To give an idea of the huge size of the park: it is slightly smaller than East Timor at 14,651 square kilometres (5,657 square miles). As a result of its size, the park is notable for encompassing a variety of habitats and for the relatively low numbers of visitors enjoying its wildlife.

Visiting Hwange in ‘the green season’ is exhilarating and offers a completely different experience to the harsh beauty found in the dry winter. With the abundant supply of water and food, animals disperse over huge distances and can be harder to find.

However, this is also when a special corner of southern Hwange springs to life, an area known as the Ngamo Plains. This feature, just under 10 kilometres wide, is what remains of a fossil lakebed.

Dry Seaso n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sarah Kerr Sarah is a qualified photographer, graphic designer, writer and media maker with over 10 years of experience. She lives in Zimbabwe and is passionate about sharing the diverse beauty and complex stories of her country of birth.

Visit sarahkerrdesign.com to see more of her work.

Info Box

RAINY n Seaso

I stayed at the simple, and in my mind perfect, Davison’s Camp.

The remote camp is situated in the private Linkwasha Concession – one of the most prolific wildlife areas in Hwange National Park – and the ninetented camp is run by Wilderness Safaris. Davison’s Camp is the closest camp to the Ngamo Plains and thus a great choice for anyone wanting to experience Hwange in ‘the green season’ at the best price with all the amenities. With rustic glamour, feather duvets, steaming hot showers, 24-hour electricity and views of the waterhole from each ensuite room it offers a wonderful experience.

During my two-night stay, I was lucky enough to encounter some very large herds of breeding elephants on my drive into camp and a magnificent pride of 13 lions on the Ngamo Plains the following morning. I was guided

by Douglas Muyambo who has been with Wilderness Safaris for 23 years in various roles.

Across the border - Zimbabwe

“there is nothing that can compare to the rains in Africa”

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Across the border - Zimbabwe

that make the area one of Hwange’s biggest wetlands. The plains provide exceptional game viewing and birding as large herds of grazing animals are attracted to the sweet couch grass (Cynodon dactylon) found on the plains, and predators follow closely.

It was here, on the edge of the Ngamo Plains, that I found myself seated in the back of an open safari vehicle, spellbound by the sight in front of me – a vast green plain sweeping to a distant tree line. The grass appeared manicured by the large herds of zebra and wildebeest that moved upon it, navigating between thousands of white storks (Ciconia ciconia). Overhead, yellow-billed kites wheeled in an inky-blue sky, held aloft by the ever-growing breeze. Most spectacular of all were the yellow eyes and commanding presence of two large male lions that sat mere metres from us, holding us captive with their gaze. The closest lion rose with the characteristic grace of all felines and stretched forward, bottom in the air and claws flexing. Muscle and sinew rippled down his flank as he shook his head and gave a spine-tingling snarl in response to the crackle of thunder that echoed across the sky; the atmosphere was literally electric.

It’s hard to describe the feeling that overcame me. I was overwhelmed by the dark blue of the thunderous sky, and the smell of petrichor, that invigorating scent of rain on the earth wafting in on the advancing wind. The plaintive cry of a watchful fish eagle made me shiver, lending its magic to the sheer beauty of the scene laid out before me.

This is the beauty of the rainy season in Zimbabwe – there is nothing that can compare to the rains in Africa and I felt connected to something ancient and primal.

In the summer afternoons clouds gather, life-giving storms approach and just as quickly they sweep away, leaving blue skies and a world washed new, free of dust, rejuvenated and in bloom. Animals drop their babies, eager to take advantage of the new bounty. The hopeful new shoots of spring unfurl, young animals take their first wobbly steps, migratory birds provide splashes of colour as they dart from bush to bush and the area has a softness and beauty you won’t find at other times of the year.

rains bring. As a photographer, ‘the green season’ is a wonderland. The warmth of the light and the contrast and colour provided by dark skies, clouds and green vegetation add beauty to even ordinary subject matter.

The wet months are also the most exciting for birding in Zimbabwe. Many summer migrants are present and local birds are in full breeding plumage, conspicuously trying to attract mates with both ‘song and dance’.

The plains are an important breeding ground for many wetland birds and as we left the lions basking in the day’s dwindling light and headed back to camp, Douglas, my guide, rattled off species as we saw them: ‘shafttailed whydah, red-crested korhaan, hooded vulture, steppe buzzard, red-billed teal, Egyptian geese, greater flamingo, southern ground hornbill, European roller, whitefronted bee-eater, southern carmine beeeater, swallow-tailed bee-eater, lesser spotted eagle, yellow-billed kite, woollynecked stork, African sacred ibis, African fish

eagle, Bradfield’s hornbill, black-chested snake eagle, secretary bird...’

Hwange has recorded over 420 bird species and the variety was truly impressive, even for a non-twitcher such as I am. Having a great guide who can bring to life the minutiae of your surroundings as well as the large animals adds greatly to the experience. With Douglas’s keen eye, my stay was greatly enhanced as he explained the important role termite alates (winged reproductive termites that take flight after rains in warm weather) play in the ecosystem, the role of the flehmen response in lions and much more.

After an incredible day in the bush, we wound our way back to camp through a grove of false mopane trees and stopped to admire the resident grey crowned cranes. It was a fitting end to a perfect day as the sunset glowed red above the backlit cranes and Hwange’s dramatic skyline. TZL

As we watched, a further 11 lions appeared.

The lionesses and their cubs meandered out of the tree line that edges Ngamo and crossed the plain before settling in what can best be described as a ‘puddle of lions’ close to the males. Although this sighting was an incredibly special one it wasn’t unusual.

Ngamo is known for offering great sightings of large game and predators at a time of year when these can be hard to come by elsewhere in the park.

As well as the wildlife, this part of Hwange also provides the other delights that the

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Across the border - Zimbabwe

Across the Border:

News in Brief

AFRICA ALBIDA TOURISM ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF NEW GENERAL MANAGER Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) hospitality group is delighted to announce the appointment of Dustin Kennedy as general manager of its Victoria Falls Safari Lodge estate.

Mr. Kennedy took up his new position in Victoria Falls on 12th February 2018.

AAT chairman Dave Glynn said Mr. Kennedy’s fivestar experience in Zanzibar, along with a host of experience in the hotel industry in many countries, makes him ideally qualified for the group’s existing needs and aspirations for going forward.

AAT’s Victoria Falls Safari Lodge estate is made up of Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari Suites, Lokuthula Lodges and The Boma – Dinner & Drum Show.

WILDERNESS SAFARIS’ CONSERVATION EFFORTS Wilderness Safaris funds a number of conservation and community initiatives in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park totalling more than US$500,000 annually.

These include: park management, research and security, and community projects such as fire breaks, road maintenance, game water supply, an elephant movement study, Children in the Wilderness and the Scorpions Anti-Poaching Unit.

Kafue River Lodge sits within 143 hectares of private grounds on the banks of its namesake river, bordering the Kafue National Park. As part of the vast Lunga Luswishi Game Management Area, a range of driving, boating and walking safaris are offered to enable guests to get up close to a stunning diversity of flora and fauna.

The lodge’s four rustic-chic chalets each open onto a teak sundeck, come with two comfy queen beds and a fireplace, and are peppered with wooden furniture handcrafted on site by Zambian carpenters. Towards the rear of every cosy dwelling is an indoor bathroom with a freestanding bath, while an outdoor shower offers spectacular views of the bushveld.

Graced by a large teak sundeck, the lodge’s main lapa and neighbouring bar and lounge overlook the river.

Delicious meals can be enjoyed in the lapa, on the decking or outside under the velvety star-studded skies. The lodge also offers bush breakfasts, lunches and even dinners on the surrounding plains and islands.

www.kafueriver.com / kafueriver@iwayafrica.com / paul@pioneercampzambia.com

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Zambia’s Original Independent Destination Management Company zambiangroundhandlers.com