Zambia, a confirmed fan
During the time I ran safari camps in Botswana in the 1980s, I never had the opportunity to go further north and into Zambia. So with great enthusiasm I left an overheated UK in July for the Luangwa Valley. A fan of simple bushcamps, this educational trip had almost been tailor-made for him. It included time with the Bush Camp Company, Robin Pope Safaris, a stay in Shiwa N’gandu and Kutandala in North Luangwa National Park. Best of all, walking was high on the agenda.
The drive from Mfuwe airport, in the direction of South Luangwa National Park, immediately revived my African senses. It’s a great introduction to real African life as you pass the rural settlements along the route, the variety of shops and bars, and subsistence gardens filled with mangoes, corn, and other essential crops. So many people walking or cycling down the road with big bundles on their backs or strapped to their bikes, all going home and I really felt at home. It made me realize that any newcomer to Africa should try a road trip at some point during their stay, just to see a little of the real
Africa.
My excitement started when we crossed the Luangwa River and entered the South Luangwa National Park. The sound of the hippos and the cry of the osprey filled the air. With Andy Hogg, owner of the Bushcamp Company, we headed south to Chindeni Camp. A beautifully simple tent camp that blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. The shops are on raised platforms and have all the amenities you may need. We dined overlooking the darkened lagoon with the usual bell frogs tinkling in the background.
That night the cacophony of lions singing was deafening and at breakfast we could see some rather strange looking lions at the end of the lagoon. Later on foot we ran into them. With a buffalo kill in two feet of water, they were totally covered in mud and still chewing on the carcass. It was a great start to our trek from Chindeni to Chamilandu Camp, about three to four hours away. Walking is encouraged here, not just between camps but at any time and after two days mostly on foot it was with some reluctance that I climbed back into a vehicle.
Part of the beauty of the camps in South Luangwa and in Zambia in general is that many are run by their owners. Robin Pope Safaris, Norman Carr Safaris and the Bushcamp Company are great examples of this, the camps are small and unassuming and the quality of the guide is supreme. Due to the nature of the soil here, which is heavy black cotton, many of the areas cannot be traversed for more than six or seven months of the year. This means that the game isn’t too used to people and the staff isn’t too jaded. The South Luangwa for me was a magical piece.
For anyone who has read and been intrigued by the book “The House of Africa” by Christina Lamb, the reality of seeing the house itself, known as Shiwa N’Gandu, is much better. Built at the beginning of the 20th century by the Englishman Stewart Gore-Browne, it is an interesting architectural mixture of an English manor house and a Tuscan villa. After several years of neglect, it is now being managed and restored by Charlie Harvey and his wife Jo. Charlie is one of Stewart Gore-Browne’s grandchildren. The Harveys are great company, very hospitable, very knowledgeable and due to their combined hard work this extraordinary place once again supports a growing local population. The once-abandoned farm is now productive, the hospital is undergoing renovations, and the schools are once again full. The Gore-Browne legacy lives on in and with the lake for fishing and boating, horses, great birding trails, and an abundance of historical documents and photography to explore. A visit here is a must.
From here we head south to North Luangwa National Park, which is rising from the ashes after many years of intense poaching. Support from the Frankfurt Zoological Society has meant that National Parks teams are back and recently the first shipment of black rhinos was transported and released into a large boma. The dense miombo forest at the top of the escarpment gives way to fantastic views of miles and miles of remote bush and the last meters of our journey to Kutandala camp were on foot, wading through the shallows of the Mwaleshi River. The camp is an absolute gem. It only takes six guests and it feels, and is, extremely remote. The grass, cane and straw huts are built each year and the attention to detail is impeccable. Rod Tether guides with a friendly manner and great knowledge, and his wife Gus provides the best food I’ve ever eaten on safari. It’s all walking, and on our last night we found eight lions lying down against a backdrop of three hundred buffalo. I could have simply stayed here for days.
Zambia reminded me a lot of Botswana that I had known fifteen years ago. Where the mountain, its sights and sounds are what really matters. You leave feeling like you’ve felt it, smelled it, and learned so much more about it. It certainly makes me smile to wake up in a thatched, reed hut and watch the sun come up.
[http://www.aardvarksafaris.com/articles-zambia-zealot]