Accessible Africa

ACCESSIBLE AFRICA –Zambia Offers Limitless Options

[WRITER: Brooke Berlin ] [ PHOTO: Johann Vanzyl, Karlieng Photography ]

Being conscious that everyone should be enabled to travel and experience the wonders of the world in a respectful, honorable and caring way, I researched properties across Africa that went above and beyond to support individuals who need some extra tender loving care (TLC) to make their journey possible: travellers with mobility limitations, sight and sound assistance requirements, conditions or illnesses that warrant privacy. What I found was that Zambia has endless examples of ways in which people with specific requests are welcomed and nurtured. Some stories really stand out, and hopefully in sharing them, it will inspire others to realise that no matter what they need, Zambia offers a solution.

Shenton Safaris has lots of experience with this. When needed, for any guest with a sensory impairment or illness, they have a camp manager accompany guests on an activity to ensure a highly personalized way of translating the experience. They have a repeat guest with a very severe case of multiple sclerosis (MS), an annual repeat guest who suffers from extreme anxiety and panic attacks, and have welcomed families with children who have severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), down syndrome, and autism. Having private accommodations with private meal times, softly spoken managers and guides, a no rush policy, and more, assists with all of the above.

Almost every property has the ability for guests to reserve (at a cost) a private vehicle if they want the assurance that they will have an exclusive experience. And various properties have sole-use accommodations that include a dedicated vehicle and private dining, which for instance, appeals to families with children who have extra needs, as each of the following properties shared. Tongabezi’s Tangala House was mentioned in an article in the UK’s Telegraph after a family with a child with autism was so moved by their time together. Baines River Camp has had several such families stay in their Cottage, which they say is a great choice for any guest who wants the freedom to create their own daily agenda, offering a safari that is always at the pace of the individual. Similarly Robin Pope Safaris has Robin’s House, and Flatdogs has Treehouse.

Flatdogs shared some other success stories such as hosting in the standard tent closest to the main areas a famous paraplegic Australian golfer and a local Zambian who was wheelchair bound after being diagnosed with MS. They have also hosted guests with various other conditions including colostomy bags. For guests who are blind, in addition to taking them on a walking safari where the sounds of the bush come alive, they have a small museum area where guests are welcome to touch and feel different feathers, skulls, snake skins, and more.

The Conservation Lower Zambezi headquarters neighbor Royal Zambezi Lodge also has an interactive educational center where guests can visit (for an extra cost in the form of a donation to CLZ), and touch and feel the various antipoaching materials and confiscated contraband such as tusks and scales. Also on the Lower Zambezi, guests at Sausage Tree Camp can be assisted to the boat jetty so that the water activities like fishing, canoeing, river cruising, and lunches in the river are all still enjoyed.

Robin Pope Safaris prides themselves in catering for each guests’ needs and has vehicles and guides that guests can pre-book for a cost in order to do this. Everyone has their own requirements and they always work to accommodate each request. For any guest with a sight impairment, while out on game drives, they focus more on the feel of the ground, bark, leaves, grass, and bones that were found. As well as setting up a quiet spot in the bush with some cushions where a guest can sit or lie down and listen to the goings on. They have also hosted guests with slight hearing loss, most often traveling with

someone who can sign to them, and between that and having a guide who is briefed about focusing on the visual and tactile side of the safari experience have been able to offer an authentically interesting experience.

Equine-Assisted Therapy is a modality that people of all ages respond to, and it goes beyond just horses. Many people on the spectrum tend to connect more easily with animals, and Chundukwa has seen several guests particularly drawn to spending time with their farmyard and domestic animals. That said, they also offer horse interaction and riding on the property, and at their sister property, Simalaha Horse Safaris.

Many properties can accommodate guests traveling with their own CPAP machine. Whether a property is connected to the 24hour electricity grid or not, they all tend to have back-up generators. There are some that really stand out though, having addressed requirements that ensure extra confidence, such as the ability to provide the filtered battery water (Sanctuary Retreats), extension cords and plugs in bush camps (The Bushcamp Company), international plug points (Shenton Safaris), and oxygen in stock and a defibrillator on property (Royal Zambezi Lodge).

Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRM) will find that Zambia can be very wheelchair friendly. Mfuwe Lodge is one of the most wheelchair-friendly properties in South Luangwa. There are concrete ramps and paths to get from the carpark to reception to all of the rooms, and the dining and lounge area is the same level making it completely fine for wheelchairs. They have one specific room that is accessible with rails in the bathrooms. They have wooden steps to help guests get into the front seat of game viewers, and can back the vehicles up to the steps to enable guests to get into the back rows. Similarly Potato Bush Camp is set up so guests can seamlessly get in and out of game vehicles. The entire camp is connected via raised timber walkways. From the vehicle platform through the main front of house area and leading to tents one never has to touch the ground. The Royal Livingstone is both wheelchair friendly and they also have rooms set up with all required facilities to host a paraplegic. The newest addition to Green Safaris, Chisa Busanga Camp, has one bird’s nest unit with an elevator!

And connecting to these destinations is possible via ProFlight and ProCharter. On a case-by-case basis depending on the extent of the request (such as, if a passenger is traveling with their own wheelchair or needs to book one, if the destination is equipped to offload the traveler, how many people are on the charter, what the routing is etc.) they are able to accommodate almost all passengers. They can be more flexible with charter flights and can send their own ground staff with the charter to assist at the destination with boarding/disembarking. Most of their charter aircraft can accommodate wheelchairs with the exception of the Baron where access is over the wing and therefore not recommended for persons with limited mobility. They have a specific manifest for any passenger with a special need, which they classify as either “selfreliant” or “non-self-reliant”, which contains information on anything from unaccompanied minors to pregnant women to guests with a physical or sensory impairment.

Chundukwa expressed a sentiment that many share: in Africa we make a plan.

[ Chisa Busanga elevator ]