Travel & Leisure Zambia & Zimbabwe Jan - Aug 2022

Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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CONTRIBUTIONS

CONTENTS

COVER Stork’s chicks nest.Nsefu Sector – South Luangwa National Park.

Photo credit: Remote Africa Safaris.

ISSUE 20 | JAN - APRIL 2022

A Word from the MD

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Family Friendly Travel Yellow-billed Stork Colony When the Going gets Tough

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8 12

Publisher Safari Magazine Editor & Managing Director Andrew Muswala - kwisanoent@gmail.com Layout & Art Director Lyn Grandemange - grandemangelyn@gmail.com Sub-Editor Tessa Buhrmann tessa@responsibletraveller.co.za Website www.zambiatravelmagazine.com

Food and Wine Pairing

44 46

Cape Town to Victoria Falls

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Southern Ground Hornbill

Sustainable South Luangwa Remote & Wild

14 16

The Zambezi - More than just an Adventure 22

A Victoria Falls River Cruise with a Difference 51

Subscriptions kwisanoent@gmail.com +260 977 308 711 Contributors Besnart Manda, Conservation South Luangwa, Sarah Kingdom, Green Safaris, Leslie Nevison, Frank Willems, Mama Tembo Tours Zambia, Kellie Bocxe, John Coppinger, Remote Africa Safaris, Brooke Berlin, Johann Van Zyl, Lesley Thomson, Homer, Sean Hind, Sarah Kerr, Karlien G Photography, Ian Thomson, Sally Wynn, Wild Zambezi, Chris Chiparaushe, Wilderness Air, Mana Meadows, Central Air Transport Services, Kim Sparrow, David Rodgers, Lee-Anne Russell, Michelle Berry, Trevor Lowein, Suzanne Elliott Smith, Lynda Kozacek Barkhuizen, Charles Chare, Leigh Anne Williams, Jenman African Safaris, Africa Albida Tourism, Lee-Anne Russell, Michelle Berry, Trevor Lowein, Suzanne Elliott Smith, Lynda Kozacek Barkhuizen, Charles Chare, Leigh Anne Williams.

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 kwisanoent@gmail.com for consideration.

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

Accessible Africa North West Zambia A Birders Paradise Travelling in Green

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28 Fly in Safaris

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Safari Stories Book Reviews

54 56 60

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

A WORD FROM THE MD

A WORD

WELCOME TO ISSUE 20 OF TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA & ZIMBABWE MAGAZINE.

from the MD

[

ANDREW MUSWALA

]

WELCOME TO ISSUE 20 OF TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA & ZIMBABWE MAGAZINE. This issue goes to press just at the beginning of a new year. The magazine is dedicated exclusively to two African countries.

Travel & Leisure Zambia & Zimbabwe magazine is an international voice that champions Zambia and Zimbabwe’s tourism destinations in a balanced way.

Some of this issue’s special features include: Family friendly travel (pg 38). When the going gets tough, the tough gets going (pg 12), Homer journey’s us through Food and Wine pairing (pg 46).

Elsewhere in this issue: in our cover feature, John Coppinger, owner of Remote Africa Safaris (pg8) opens a window onto the largest and most long standing yellow-billed stork colony in Zambia, Accessible Africa by Brooke Berlin (pg 28), and short safari stories (pg 56).

We are grateful to all those companies and individuals who have embraced our objective and continue making this publication possible.

Happy Reading!

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ZAMBIA | YELLOW-BILLED STORK COLONY

Yellow-Billed

STORK COLONY

[ WRITER: John Coppinger - owner of Remote Africa Safaris ] [ PHOTO: Remote Africa Safaris ] Each year, beginning in February, a wondrous spectacle unfolds in the Nsefu Sector of the South Luangwa National Park. The largest and most long standing yellow-billed stork colony in Zambia is situated in Chipela lagoon, a short distance from the Nsefu Luangwa Wafwa (oxbow lagoon or literally ‘Luangwa which has died’).

It is not clear exactly how long this colony has been in existence but Norman Carr describes it in his book ‘Valley of the Elephants’ in the 60s. Within the lagoon a dozen or so muchenja trees (Diospyros Mespiliformis) have

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YELLOW-BILLED STORK COLONY | ZAMBIA colonised various islands and it is in these trees which the storks fabricate their nests.

The site is seasonally inundated and this is the fundamental reason that the birds are attracted here as the flooding protects the nests from mammalian predators.

The birds begin congregating in late January, construct their nests early in February and lay their eggs later in the month. According to my observations over the past several decades, the first week of February is critical – should the rains have been sufficiently abundant and the lagoon already flooded, the birds immediately scurry about, excitedly competing for suitable material from the surrounding area and commence nest construction. A boom year is guaranteed. Not only does the flooding provide protection from land-based predators but the inundation of marshes and lagoons triggers an influx of fish, providing plentiful food for the birds.

consequently access is very difficult. In our early years of operation, when we offered River Safaris from Tafika, we would access by boat but even that was difficult and hazardous, due to fluctuating water levels. Sometimes we would trudge in through the mud from the main river, but this invariably became rather arduous with boots being swamped with mud and water.

From early May, by which time we have re-constructed our roads, access is possible and comfortable viewing is guaranteed. By

then chicks of varying ages may be observed, the youngest of which are still downy white balls of fluff. All are still nest bound. There is a cacophony of rasping bird call, with insatiable nestlings screaming for food. The trees are covered in guano by now and are almost completely white. The adults are flying backwards and forwards, bringing food back to the nests and sometimes materials for nest maintenance. Many come from a great height, folding their wings in a dive and whistle their way down, finally side slipping onto their nests.

An estimated thousand nests, each with two to three chicks, will result and several months of fascinating viewing is now assured.

As with many storks, hatching of young is not synchronised, resulting in significant differences in body size of the brood occupying a particular nest.

March, however, is traditionally the wettest time of year in the Luangwa Valley and

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ZAMBIA | YELLOW-BILLED STORK COLONY

In a dry year the nests will be considerably fewer and the colony may be only half the size expected in a good year, but this still results in a truly wonderful spectacle.

Both parents undertake guarding and feeding duties for the newly hatched young. Several nearby lagoons and the Luangwa River itself provide fish stock for this purpose – the birds gorge on small fish, return to the colony and regurgitate the catch for their young… an efficient and safe means of transporting and delivering food.

Several fish eagles and sometimes martial eagles are present, waiting for an opportunity for a free meal. Each time one of them launches into flight the volume of bird call reaches a new frenzied high, alerting all members of the colony that danger is present.

Birds of prey are wary of the adult storks, their sharp beaks presenting formidable weapons, but unattended nestlings are easy prey.

Large cats often predate on the storks and in recent years we witnessed a particular leopard regularly hunting the birds, even leaping up and pirouetting in the air in attempts to pluck a bird out of the sky.

By May it is usually dry beneath the colony and several crocodiles, together with numerous undertaker-like marabou storks, lurk, waiting for an opportunity. Sometimes a nestling is

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shouldered out by a neighbour and sometimes food brought back by the adults is dropped.

Sometimes nothing is presented, but they have learnt the art of patience and sooner or later their wait will pay-off.

Once fledglings have taken their first leap of faith, they spend much of the day on the ground beneath the trees. It is a comical sight to observe them resting on their haunches, bowing forward and backward, loudly squawking and begging for food from the adults. Those which do not belong to a particular brood will feign complete disinterest, but will watch keenly from the corner of their eye and dash in to steal some fish should the adult bird regurgitate. This results in much consternation and bickering amongst all concerned.

By the end of July all the birds have reached maturity and the colony is abandoned. Peace returns to the scene, the white guano on the trees remaining testament to the grand event of the previous months.

It is notable that most yellow-billed stork colonies throughout Africa consist of no more than 50 nests, so the Chipela colony is significantly larger than any other recorded in the birds’ range. It is a wonderful spectacle and a big highlight for early season visits to the Nsefu sector of the South Luangwa National Park.

YELLOW-BILLED STORK COLONY | ZAMBIA

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ZAMBIA | CONSERVATION SOUTH LUANGWA

When the going gets TOUGH, THE TOUGH, gets going [ WRITER: Besnart Manda ] When COVID arrived in 2020, our main focus was to secure enough finances just to keep everything going, expanding was definitely not on our radar. In 2021 we knew we needed to increase our antipoaching support as signs of an increase in poaching started to develop. Our existing teams work so hard as it is, it is impossible to ask more of them.

So, in June this year we sent 28 trainees to undergo a three-month para-military training course at Nyamaluma. Out of these 28 community scouts that we sent for training, only 18 of them graduated in which six were women and 12 were men. All these have helped boost the anti-poaching teams considerably.

Most of these scouts who graduated in August admitted that the training was very hard, they are all physically tough, but mental toughness and determination is what kept them going until the end.

Diana Banda, one of the female scouts, said that one thing that kept her going during the training was the morale that was there and the endurance spirit that all of them had. It gave her strength to work extra hard and do better.

“I am so glad that I was selected to be among those that graduated from this training because it shows how much effort we put in”, said Diana.

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[ PHOTO: Conservation South Luangwa ]

Furthermore, a lot of these new scouts especially women, feel that things have now changed in their lives compared to the way they were before they were fully employed. At first, many of them used to depend on their parents to provide them with basic needs but now that they are employed life has become easier and simple.

“I really felt nice when I started working at CSL (Conservation South Luangwa) as a scout on all full-time basis because it gave me an opportunity of being independent and having much confidence within myself”, said Elizabeth one of the new recruits.

The training has not only helped our scouts to become strong, but it has also helped them in building their confidence, self-esteem and courage, and has motivated them to become better people who would do anything to protect and save the wildlife of South Luangwa National Park.

It is inspiring to see the next generation of young, fit, and strong scouts who will look after South Luangwa.

CONSERVATION SOUTH LUANGWA | ZAMBIA

[ A day to be proud, graduating as a newly qualified community scout ] [ A new cohort of powerful women, new scouts – Martha Daka and Mary Mwandila ]

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ZAMBIA | SUSTAINABLE SOUTH LUANGWA

Sustainable

SOUTH LUANGWA [ PHOTO: Green Safaris]

[ WRITER: Sarah Kingdom ] Rubbing the sleep from our eyes, we drink our morning coffee as we spy two male lions lying on the bank of the Luangwa River. It’s hard to tell if we are watching them, or they are watching us. We finish our coffee and head to the crossing point over the river, where a team of young men await to pull the pontoon across the water. Reaching the opposite bank, we jump into the waiting game drive vehicle and head off in search of the lions.

In these days of consumerism, depletion of natural resources, pollution, global warming and more, travellers have started taking stock of the environmental impact of their holidays.

They’ve started becoming more conscious, and conscientious, in their choices; looking to travel in a way that strikes a balance between seeing the world, and doing so in a way that won’t damage the planet. For these eco conscious travellers, in fact for all travellers, choosing a sustainable safari is a good start. A sustainable safari supports and empowers local communities, protects the natural environment, advocates wildlife conservation; leaving behind a minimal footprint.

Luxury and amazing wildlife adventures don’t have to come at the expense of sustainability.

Some safari lodges have started to prioritise eco-friendly practices, in addition to the incredible wildlife experiences that people have come to expect. It was for this very reason that we had come to Green Safaris’ Shawa Luangwa lodge, in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, who pride themselves on their ‘green’ approach to safaris.

Green Safaris is a pioneering and passionately eco-friendly safari operator, with a strong commitment to reducing its footprint and focusing on sustainable initiatives. The company goal is to leave the areas they operate in as untouched as possible. Shawa Luangwa Camp is 100% sustainable, running completely off the grid, with a large solar farm

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powering the entire lodge and also recharging their other innovation, electric Land Cruisers.

The lodge operates the only ‘eCruisers’ (electric game drive vehicles) in South Luangwa. These are not only more environmentally friendly, but also mean you experience your safari in an entirely new way… silently. No more revving engines as you drive through the bush, a quieter, more immersive, and more enjoyable experience. In fact it was interesting to see the animals’ reactions to the ‘silent treatment’. We would find ourselves surrounded by a herd of zebra who hadn’t really noticed our arrival, and it was just as easy to ‘creep up’ on a group of buffalo, who would only give us the most casual of glances before carrying on eating, as if you weren’t even there.

Having crossed the river we set off in search of the morning’s lions, but our search was in vain.

By the time we reached where they’d been lying, there was not a trace of them to be seen.

The lions may have been elusive, but there was plenty else to see. Two of the park’s endemic species, Thornicroft’s giraffe and Crawshay’s zebra were spread across the plains. Impala, waterbuck and a lone Cookson’s wildebeest (another endemic species) dotted the landscape. A huge herd of buffalo, hundreds, possibly thousands strong, surrounded us as they crossed the road. A spotted hyena lay sleeping in the sand, illuminated in a patch of sunlight. Helmeted guinea fowl trooped across the grassland. Weaver birds’ nests hung like

SUSTAINABLE SOUTH LUANGWA | ZAMBIA Christmas decorations in the acacia trees. And finally, just as we returned to the pontoon on our way back to camp, a young female leopard appeared alongside us, clearly not having heard our almost silent approach.

South Luangwa National Park, often referred to as the “Valley of the Leopard” for its high density of leopards, covers 9,050km2 in eastern Zambia. The park holds the highest carnivore population in Zambia, as well as the largest hippo population in Africa. This is a dream destination for birdwatchers, with over 469 species of birds. The wide, meandering Luangwa River is the life blood of the valley and a mosaic of lush vegetation lines the river and its tributaries. Further from the river there are large areas of thicket, scrub and woodland.

As we returned from our morning drive, we passed through a beautiful dense forest of ebony trees that encircled the rear of camp. A copious brunch was eaten on the verandah, overlooking the river bank and shaded by the branches of a magnificent winter thorn tree.

variety they consumed. Beyond the baboons we could see hippos and wading waterfowl in the river. A pied kingfisher repeatedly dived for fish in the shallow waters, and a pair of young male kudu stood amongst the trees on the opposite bank.

We spent the afternoon with more buffalo, impala, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and a herd of elephants who ranged in size from the large matriarch right down to the smallest of babies.

Later in the day, we would see more than our fair share of leopards. A young female using a gully to (unsuccessfully) stalk a puku, a young male lying in the shade by the side of the road, and finally a large male, who under cover of darkness sauntered down the road, liberally marking his territory as he went, keeping just ahead of us as we made our way back to camp at the close of day.

We left Shawa Luangwa in the early morning, crossing the pontoon at sunrise. The morning

air was chilly and still, the river flowed like silk and a brilliant sunrise lit the sky with streaks of red, pink, purple and orange. It was so beautiful you wanted to hold your breath in amazement, and hope the moment would last forever. We stood, watching and listening as the sky grew lighter, and the birds and other creatures woke up around us. It was a magical way to be reminded of just how small and insignificant we were, and was the perfect way to say goodbye to the park.

When you love the beauty of the bush, and its many opportunities for wonderful encounters and experiences, you want to protect these magical places. Fortunately there are people and places like Green Safaris and Shawa Luangwa working to create a sustainable future for tourism in South Luangwa.

SHAWA LUANGWA https://greensafaris.com/ shawa-luangwa/

Brunch on safari is not complete without a ‘post brunch siesta’, and we retired to our ‘tent’ to digest. Our tent made me think of an enormous, yet elegant ‘teepee’, raised on a platform, with canvas sides that could be lowered or raised on demand, depending on your preference. We elected to keep ours open so we could enjoy the view, and were rewarded by a visit from a huge troop of baboons. The trees above us were full of swinging, jumping and snacking baboons. On the ground below sat more baboons eating.

Fallen sausage tree fruits, grasses, blossoms, seed pods, the occasional insect, all found their way into their mouths and I was amazed at the

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ZAMBIA | NORTH LUANGWA CONSERVATION

REMOTE AND WILD: Luangwa’s exploring North new self-drive circuit [ WRITER / PHOTO: Mana Meadows ]

In late 2021, the North Luangwa Conservation Programme launched its first tourism circuit – a self-drive loop that brings together some of North Luangwa National Park’s finest undiscovered northern areas, opening up parts of the park that were previously inaccessible.

It was still early in the morning: the moon was so bright that it seemed just a shade darker than twilight. A sharp snort had woken me.

Half asleep, but somehow also sharply alert, I sat up, mind scrambling … Buffalo? Hippo?

Lion?! Then, I heard the swift soft footsteps of elephants. Aware that tents in this part of the park would be relatively new to them, I froze and watched with a mixture of reverence and primal tension as three grey ghosts walked by in a hushed single file, just fifteen meters from my tent: heads high, steps high, a cautious eye on these strange human homes freshly sprung in their domain.

Earlier that night we’d heard lion roars in the distance and, sometime later, the sawing cough of a leopard, followed by the unnerving

screams of terrified baboons, presumably in combat with said leopard. We were at Mushika, a campsite on the brand new “Chimana Loop”, and it was night one of a camping trip I have always hoped would come to pass.

The launch of the four campsites (three on the eastern Chimana Loop and one at Lufila Falls) marks the first time in its near 50-year history that self-drive campsites have opened in North Luangwa National Park. Recent infrastructural funding has allowed park management to build new roads for improved access for park activities and, excitingly, for local tourism.

Up until now, North Luangwa’s tourism has primarily catered to a mostly international market, consisting of a handful of simple but high-end bush-camps on the iconic Mwaleshi River, which cuts the park centrally from west to east and which, on the valley floor, is wide, sleepy, and peppered with wildlife.

But this loop celebrates the Luangwa River: one of Africa’s longest free-flowing rivers, and the park’s namesake and eastern boundary.

It also celebrates the Mwaleshi River in its faster-flowing form as it emerges from the western Muchinga escarpment; and introduces the beautiful but little-known Lufila River.

Additionally, the circuit includes Samala and Ituba community camps outside the park (on its western and eastern boundaries), creating a sense of ownership and enterprise around local community-based tourism.

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NORTH LUANGWA CONSERVATION | ZAMBIA North Luangwa National Park is known for being remote and untouched. This new route honors the reputation: visitors can experience the wonderful breadth and depth of eastern and northern North Luangwa without the crowds, through well-spaced campsites that have been carefully planned to avoid ecosystem interference.

CHIMANA LOOP The Chimana loop boasts some of the area’s most diverse and beautiful habitats and offers rich game-viewing opportunities. Mushika campsite (3.5 hours east through the park from Samala Camp near the park’s main entrance) lies in open cathedral mopane punctuated with tamarind trees, alongside a deep channel of the Luangwa. It offers sweeping river views, and overlooks a prime drinking access point.

Kudu, impala, waterbuck, zebra, warthog, puku, monkeys, baboons and a wide array of avian visitors kept up a regular stream of wildlife traffic all day – with a dawn visit by a herd of frolicking Cookson’s wildebeest (endemic to Luangwa) a special delight.

Crowned cranes and guineafowls ruled the roost, while flocks of Lillian’s lovebirds and the ubiquitous Meves’ starlings frequently visited the sand island in front of us. Here the river view is at its best: the restful Luangwa doubles back on itself; two slices of gun-metal grey,

streaked with golds and yellows, steel blues and washed out khaki greens.

An hour’s drive further north along the Luangwa introduced us to Muzungwe campsite – an enchanting little nook nestled between two lagoons. Here kudu and elephant hovered shyly across the water, a malachite kingfisher preened, a grey heron muttered, and cattle egrets moved like pale moths across the watery patchwork of jade and emerald greens.

This is prime elephant and hippo territory, so we paid extra attention to our surroundings.

On one early morning game drive, two shy lion lovers melted into the dewy cathedral mopane – the sun dancing off their retreating rumps. We saw tracks of all the big stuff: lion, leopard, hyena, painted dog, and steaming evidence of a recent massive buffalo herd. En route to Nkholo campsite, we found more than a hundred hippos sun-basking in the shrinking Luangwa below us. We sat and watched them for hours, our stillness rewarded when waterbuck and four elephant bulls came to drink.

Nkholo campsite, a two-hour meandering game drive from Muzungwe, is ensconced in the generous shade of African ebony trees, near a wide beach overlooking the Luangwa.

We wound our way around somnolent lagoons, where bushbuck tiptoed in the

riverine vegetation, sleepy-eyed pukus regarded us with surprise, and warthogs scuffled for delicacies in the hard black-cotton soil. Nkholo was just four kilometres from the charming Lufila River, which was wide and sandy, fringed with delicate waterberry trees; and with very recent lion tracks all around.

LUFILA FALLS CAMPSITE Lufila Falls campsite is on the Lufila River, which marks the northern park boundary. Overcome by curiosity to see more of the northern park, and admittedly, as much of the Lufila River as we could, from Nkholo we opted for the long way around – tackling a long and testing drive north up the Luangwa, and then west along the Lufila. Fallen trees, tsetse flies, punctures and sweltering mopane scrub in October heat melted into obscurity once we reached the clear-flowing waters of the Lufila. We explored its verdant riverbanks, serenaded by bird song and tinkling rapids, and surprised a hippo family in the deep pool below the main falls.

After cooling down in shallow rock pools (far away from the hippos!), we camped on the river’s edge below a rocky outcrop dotted with Euphorbia candelabras. The gentle rapids and trilling river frogs sang a new nighttime song as the camp fire flames danced and revealed the ancient rock formations around us. We toasted the last of our cold drinks, ate the last of our wilting cheese, and began planning our return trip.

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ZAMBIA | NORTH LUANGWA CONSERVATION

Know before you go:

There are a few routes to Lufila Falls campsite – some easier than others, so inquire when booking. With some steep gullies to cross and the odd elephant-induced fallen tree blocking the road, park management encourages you to do the Nkholo – Lufila leg with a minimum of two highclearance 4x4 vehicles (in case of a breakdown).

For all routes you must carry an axe, an off-road recovery kit (winch, high-lift jack, sand ladders) and a GPS. NLCP can assist with mechanical breakdowns in emergencies but the more remote parts of the route are best suited for experienced 4x4 drivers with appropriate equipment.

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NORTH LUANGWA CONSERVATION | ZAMBIA

Combine your trip WITH A VISIT TO ITUBA OR SAMALA COMMUNITY-RUN TENTED CAMPS

Start your “loop” at either one of the very reasonably priced community-co-ownedand-run accommodation options bordering the park. NLCP has partnered with local Community Resource Boards to promote enterprise opportunities around local tourism. Each community camp has four en suite, fully equipped, furnished tents, a dining area, fridge/freezer and braai stands.

Campsites are also available.

ITUBA CAMP (eastern park boundary on the Luangwa River) is a wildlife destination in its own right. This newly revamped and renamed camp replaces the old Chifunda Camp, which had fallen into disrepair. It has a prime location in one of the wildest areas of the North Luangwa ecosystem. A stay here is a springboard to explore more of the Chimana Loop and North Luangwa National Park, or an easy stop off en route to / from South Luangwa.

SAMALA CAMP (western park boundary on the upper Mwaleshi River) is ideal after a long day’s travel and open throughout the year. Great for birding, beautiful river views (swimming is possible) with access to Lufila and Kapamba waterfalls, the Lufila campsites and the Luswa Valley.

CONTACT For bookings and more information go to the North Luangwa website: www.northluangwa.org; call / WhatsApp +260 95 098 7579; email: nlcp@northluangwa.org

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ZAMBIA | THE ZAMBEZI

THE ZAMBEZI – More Than Just An Adventure [ WRITER: Lesley Thomson ] [ PHOTO: Ian Thomson ]

BIO – LESLEY CRIPPS THOMSON Lesley Cripps Thomson is a freelance writer, author, promoter of African art & books and active conservationist.

Having had a long and successful career in all aspects of tourism, in which she still consults, she has been awarded internationally for her promotion of travel to Africa. As founder of Africa Talked, a media platform for sharing news, conservation, books and art from Africa, Lesley is passionate about creating an awareness of environmental education. She lives with her husband, a wildlife management and environment consultant in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

Their website is www.africatalked.co.za

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“Garth” I hissed trying to disturb his total concentration on watching the brown snake eagle soaring in a thermal overhead, without disturbing the hippo eyeing us from a few metres away. Known to be rather grumpy and possessive of ‘his’ channel alongside the shoreline, I had no intention of disturbing him.

“Hippo to the right. Very close!” Shocked out of his trance, Garth paddled furiously wedging us straight into a steep sandbank. Not the safest place to be, but swift reverse action headed us in the right direction.

The majestic Zambezi River. This ever-changing river means so much, for so many people, in so many ways. To my two sons, Garth 12 years old and Ryan 11 years old, it was an adventure of a lifetime. We were going, with a few others and our guide Collin, to canoe this magnificent and diverse waterway for 200 kms.

I had drawn the short straw, sharing my canoe with my day-dreaming 12 year old. Ryan, luckily, was with a young man whose father had instilled in him a love of the wilds and was sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with him. In the party was an elderly music

teacher and her friend who was almost completely deaf, a delightful older couple who were doctors, and their very unhappy, difficult daughter. To two young boys daughter dear was quite an education, for not only was she always upsetting everyone, she was incredibly hairy and rather large, and insisted on wearing a tiny bikini all the time.

I never did discover why we had no tents, but remember it being so cold some nights that we burrowed into the sand with our sleeping bags. One night we were warned by our unflappable guide that as there were buffalo around, which means there could be lion, it would be better to sleep close to each other.

We enjoyed eight days canoeing past grass covered sandbanks hearing the gentle splash of crocodiles as they slithered into the water. We

THE ZAMBEZI | ZAMBIA Why is that lady sitting under a scruffy, tiny, thatch shelter in this intense humid heat? She is on guard watching for baboons that will raid her maize that is cobbing. The small boy up the tree on the outside of the fence, precariously balancing on the insecure platform of three branches tied together, has a better view to warn as the raiding troupes advance. Baboons are considered to be the worse crop raiding animals in Africa. There is little they can do to prevent these thieving creatures from taking their fill.

After the rains come swarms of crop-destroying corn crickets. This actually pleases the villagers, as carrying big baskets they collect them as fast as they can. Corn crickets are tasty and nutritious, not only for them, but also the hundreds of storks that fly in for the same delicacy.

Places and people, people and places – interwoven for survival.

watched the antelope browsing on the shoreline, and elephants wading into the reeds to pull succulent grass, shaking the mud off before eating it. The call of the fish-eagle, watching the giant kingfisher yet again miss his prey, the nightjars calling in the evenings and the myriad of early morning bird song, was ever present. Then through the steep treecovered hills of the Mupata Gorge and the red cliffs on the Zambia side of the river, glowing as they caught the sunlight. And of course the phenomenal sunrises and sunsets.

This is not only an adventure, but an amazing way of introducing people, especially the young, to the wonders of nature. In the evenings around the campfire Collin entertained us with his experiences and incredible insight to the synergy of survival for all flora and fauna of the living world around us.

But to know and understand this moody river, one needs to know the people that live alongside it.

Life is not always easy living along this river. Sitting with the ladies in their village, under the shadow of the imposing Zambian Escarpment, I developed such a deep admiration for the way they worked and lived. The area around them was almost treeless, sandy from previous flooding of the river, small adobe thatched huts were scattered around, and the pegged cloth we sat under gave little respite from the relentless heat. Chickens shared the fragile shade while we fanned ourselves with whatever was handy.

It can be hard to love wild animals when you live among them. The hippos stomp over your newly planted gardens, elephants trample the maize – usually just before it is about to ripen and be ready for harvesting – and one has to be continually aware of lurking crocodiles and snakes.

Crocodiles are an ever-present menace as they sun themselves on the sandy banks, waiting for easy pickings. Children at a very young age must learn to be aware of these cold-eyed and silent creatures that, with a snap of their powerful jaws, will take them. There are very few families who have not lost a child to these cold-blooded reptiles. Poles are hammered close together across small inlets to build a barrier against crocodiles creating a safer place to collect water and bathe.

In an attempt to help the Magurumeno Community under Chieftainess Chiawa, one of the nearby luxury lodge owners financed the development and fencing of a 20 hectare field. A small co-op was formed, mostly of women, with an ‘office’ under the one huge tree in the middle of the land to be cleared.

Before dawn the women would strap their babies to their backs, balance water on their heads, and carrying their budzas (hoes) they would set off to start manually clearing the field, arriving as the sun was just rising, burning off the mist over the Zambezi River. Day after day they worked until the area was clear enough of old roots, small trees and bushes to bring in a tractor, plough and harrow. Maize seeds were planted by hand. A solar powered electric fence was erected, the metal poles in the scorching heat of the day too hot to handle hindering progress.

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Photo Credit: Barbara Ingram Whilst staying on Tsika Island on the Zambezi River, we took an early morning boat ride down to the National Park. In the hot season the beautiful Winterthorn forest is full of elephants feeding on their pods.

This particular elephant was strolling along having a dust bath and was not aggressive at all.

It’s a photographer’s dream to visit the Winterthorn forest at this time of the year and we really enjoyed having breakfast on the banks of the Zambezi watching all these great creatures.

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KASANKA NATIONAL PARK

CANOEING Kasanka Trust is offering a 3 hour canoeing experience on the Luwombwa River at $30 per person during the 2022 season.

Enjoy birdwatching as you paddle downstream.

CAMPINGThe wilderness trail in Kasanka runs for 3 days from Wasa Lodge to Luwombwa River, via Chikufwe plains where you can see amazing sable, elephants and buffalo in the wild. Camping is only $25 per person per night.

CYCLING Kasanka offers a wilderness adventure trail for 3 nights, leaving Wasa Lodge and cycling to Luwombwa River (bikes available to hire at only $20 per person per day).

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All these activities are supported by an escort scout, safari guide and chef to offer you a memorable adventure. These activities bring you in close view of the large puku concentration along Kasanka River and allow interactions with the endangered Sitaunga.

Email: localres@kasanka.com Website: www.kasanka.com

W E L C O M E TO PA R A D I S E

KAFUE CAMPS & SAFARIS LTD - MAYUKUYUKU BUSH CAMP Are you thinking of a safari in Zambia? Maybe you already have some national parks in mind? Every visitor has a different idea of what they are looking for in a safari, and has different interests, so we hope we can help you make a good choice. The Kafue National Park and particularly Mayukuyuku Bush Camp is an ideal choice for serious wildlife enthusiasts and birders. If you prefer a small, intimate camp, lots of interaction with the guides and staff to really link you with the park and the people of the area, plus you like the idea of a “tradition style rustic bush camp” with top quality comfort and excellent freshly prepared food, then Mayukuyuku should be your choice.

Whether your trip is for photography, or to see a wide variety of mammals and birds, interesting trees and vegetation, butterflies and insects - many of which are not found in any other Zambian parks, or maybe you wish to relax and unwind or maybe it is your first safari experience, our little bush camp can tick all the boxes. We have an excellent 6 night stay on offer.

The great advantage of the Kafue is it’s size. The Kafue River can be enjoyed all year round as it never dries up. The fact that you are unlikely to see another vehicle on your game drives, nor another boat when on the river - game viewing or fishing – means you will have your own piece of paradise to enjoy.

You can take your time to feel the true ambience of the wild thickets and woodlands, open plains and rocky outcrops. The changes of scenery and vegetation will enhance your experience and each season is different. Also, if you wish to see other areas of the park, we can assist with building a package to include the North – Busanga Plains, and the South near Lake Itezhi Tezhi. Please note that Mayukuyuku stays open all year, is inside the park, opposite a beautiful island and we do NOT charge our single travellers a single supplement.

Kafue Camps & Safaris Ltd. Incorporated in the Republic of Zambia | Kafue Camps – “Wildlife and Community” Based in the North Kafue National Park at Mayukuyuku Camp. On the banks of the Kafue River

Contact us on info@kafuecamps.com for reservations and further information see www.kafueccamps.com for more info and photos | Tour Operators can contact us on: marketing@kafuecamps.com Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZAMBIA | 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

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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

ACCESSIBLE AFRICA | ZAMBIA 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

[ Chisa Busanga elevator ] 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.

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ZAMBIA | NORTH WEST ZAMBIA

NORTHWEST ZAMBIA – A Birding Paradise [ WRITER: Leslie Nevison ]

[ PHOTO: Frank Willems, Mama Tembo Tours Zambia ]

‘Off the beaten path’ is a relative and overused concept on our well-trodden planet.

But Northwest Zambia, pressed into a corner between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola, is truly remote. Unless you charter a plane to Mwinilunga, its commercial centre, or shorten the two-day road journey (and that is rushing it) by taking a scheduled flight to Solwezi and driving from there, the Northwest deserves its honestto-Betsy, off the beaten path status. Such travel experiences are increasingly rare to find.

I follow a 2,500-kilometre circular route to the Northwest which starts and ends in Lusaka.

On the way to Mwinilunga, I pass through the Zambian Copperbelt cities of Ndola, Chingola and Solwezi. The worst potholes lie between Solwezi and Mwinilunga, but the scenery grows more interesting which makes up for the need to navigate slowly or destroy the vehicle’s suspension. Enormous termite mounds appear, some of them as high as two-story buildings. Ingenious landowners use the higher ones as their water tank stands. On the way back, my route passes south of Solwezi to Kasempa town to the Lunga-Luswishi Game

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Management Area, a buffer zone of Kafue National Park, and from there to Mumbwa, Chisamba, and finally Lusaka. I am tempted to include West Lunga National Park, only 150 kilometres north of Kafue National Park, but it deserves more in-depth exploration than I can devote to it on this particular journey.

Although the Northwest has long appealed to me as an outpost, more recently I have promised to pay a site visit to Kalwelwa Bush Camp. It is operated by Dutch ornithologist and ecologist Frank Willems and his wife Inge Akerbom and located an hour’s drive north of Mwinilunga on Chief Kanyama’s land.

NORTH WEST ZAMBIA | ZAMBIA The Northwest is described as where the Congo meets the Kalahari.

It is a mosaic of evergreen forests, Kalahari grasslands, and miombo woodlands, which host at least 40 of Zambia’s indigenous bird species.

Several bird species are endemic to Mwinilunga and adjacent parts of nearby Angola and the DRC. Others, like the black-collared bulbul, are typical of the lowland forests and grasslands of Central Africa. (Frank is considering making the black-collared bulbul his logo.) Yet other species are typical of Africa’s montane areas. Birders to Kalwelwa can expect to see most of the Mwinilunga ‘specials’.

Frank’s and Inge’s camp is simple. There are five double and three single tents, each with en suite bucket showers and long-drop toilets.

There is the potential and passion to expand both camp and services in the future.

Lusaka-based MTT Safaris is happy to arrange your Northwest Zambia itinerary. For international visitors, I advise a fly-in and drive-out combination to save time and the rough roads. Birding at the Jimbe River Basin (at the very tip of Zambia where it borders Angola) can be included in an itinerary. The Northwest sees Zambia’s highest rainfall.

At the time of my visit in early September, Mwinilunga had already received its first rains of the rainy season. www.MTTSafaris.com leslie@MTTSafaris.com

Kalwelwa caters to birders, but there is plenty of unspoiled nature to enjoy if you are not an obsessive bird watcher. Under the tutelage of an excellent bird guide such as Frank, however, it is easy to quickly conform to twitcher mode and to understand why the Northwest is on international birders’ radar.

One of Frank’s favourite birds is the black-bellied seedcracker. I do not see one, nor the Pel’s fishing owl lucky guests see before my visit. But I do have a brief glimpse of the magnificent shining-blue kingfisher and the mobbing of a greater honeyguide by stout cisticolas as it leaves its egg in the nest of little bee-eaters to hatch and raise, a phenomenon in the bird world known as brood parasitism. Nature tourism is not always about big mammals. The honeyguide makes my day.

In Mwinilunga town I stay at 250-hectare Wina wa Nzambi which means the ‘Eye of God’. Wina’s main house, with its two spacious bedrooms and several guest cottages, perches on the rim of this ‘eye’—a sunken caldera and Zambia’s very own miniature Ngorongoro Crater. The half-moon-shaped wooden terrace of the main house overlooks the crater. I have my morning coffee on the terrace and I enjoy a bird’s- eye view of the depression shrouded in early mists. I listen to the guttural calls of turacos. The temperature is surprisingly cool for the month of September, when other parts of Zambia are hot and getting hotter.

Wina’s owner, Daniel Rea, comes from a lengthy line of early missionaries who, inspired by David Livingstone, came to Zambia beginning of the 19th century. Daniel’s great-grandfather first learned about the caldera on a walk through the area for his mission in 1911.

Daniel’s father, Charles, built Wina’s main building as the family home.

Wina has a large library of books collected over the years by this missionary family on its mission work, Zambia’s history and local culture.

These provide hours of fascinating browsing.

The source of the Zambezi River which is both a UNESCO World Heritage and a Zambian National Monument is a short drive from Mwinilunga. Africa’s fourth largest river begins its 2,500-kilometre journey to the Indian Ocean from here. After rising in Zambia, it flows east into Angola before re-entering Zambia. The Zambezi can send five hundred million litres of water per second over Victoria Falls, but its beginnings are not impressive. The small wet patch of seepage reminds me of a broken underground water pipe in my garden. Yet, within a few metres the Zambezi’s trickle becomes a stream. Within a few kilometres, at a spot to where you can walk or drive, the river is wider still and its flow strengthens.

The source is located within a small nature reserve on the DRC’s border with Zambia. The access road to the monument is in fact the border between the two countries. The nature reserve protects an equatorial rainforest and to walk under its canopy to where the Zambezi bubbles out of the earth is well worth the visit.

The Northwest is known for pineapples and Zambezi Gold brand honey, the latter sold in ShopRite and exported to Europe where a London friend buys it at hugely inflated prices. (She swears it is the best.) Zambezi Gold employs local beekeepers who tend traditional hives in the forests around Mwinilunga. I hope to see honey sold by the roadside and score a supply of liquid gold in litre-sized containers, but I am luckier in finding pineapples.

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PROUDLY ZAMBIAN OWNED AND MANAGED Mukalya Private Game Reserve, founded and managed by a Zambian family, provides the ultimate luxury bush experience. Our location, directly opposite Hurungwe Safari Area allows for sightings of a diverse range of wildlife including elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard. In the early hours of the morning and evening, you can enjoy the sounds of roaring lions or cackling hyenas.

Mukalya offers a safe experience to walk with game and experience an

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unique and luxurious stay.

maximise your connection with nature through the incorporation of open

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pebble work on the walls and wood features from the nearby woodlands.

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www.mukalya.com

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ZAMBIA | TRAVELLING IN GREEN

Travelling IN GREEN [ WRITER: Kellie Bocxe ]

[ PHOTO: Green Safaris, Kellie Bocxe ]

Working in community development can be very challenging.

There are days when you just want to stop. Then you see the smiles on children’s faces when they see elephants or hippos up close for the first time. Or you get caught up in the excitement of farmers who are finally harvesting the yields that their hard work deserves. These moments are so precious, and it is these people – with their passionate commitment to empower themselves and their communities – who keep us motivated and excited about the work we do. I don’t have the ability to uplift these communities. But WE do. The communities, me.

And you, if you would like to!

Let me introduce you to the Green Safaris Conservation Foundation (GSCF), and to just a few of the initiatives that our Green Team, along with many members of our communities, have implemented to make positive change. And let me tell you a little about how you, as an eco-conscious tourist, can have a lasting impact on community development, conservation, and sustainability in vulnerable African spaces.

THE GREEN SAFARIS VISION Green Safaris operates in five very different ecosystems around Zambia and Malawi. Their luxury sustainable lodges sit within carefully handpicked spots, each chosen for its pristine ecosystem, vulnerable wildlife, and isolated communities, since these are the places where Green Safaris can make the most positive impact.

Whilst these lodges focus on taking care of luxury travellers from around the world, our Green Safaris Conservation Foundation uses tourism as the cornerstone for an ever-growing number of conservation, community development, and environmental initiatives.

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TRAVELLING IN GREEN | ZAMBIA We could write a book about these projects, but since this is a word-limited article, here are just a few:

importantly, it provides free training about organic, healthy farming techniques to anyone who asks.

ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

We first trialled this system at the Ila Community Farm, which was founded in 2015 and is now entirely run by the Nalusanga community. Many of the fresh veggies at Ila Safari Lodge by Green Safaris have been coming from this farm for years!

For our community-development projects, our Green Team works closely with the Zambian NGO, By Life Connected. We believe that their approach, a refreshing new take on development, is the key for sustainable community projects. It is called the ABCD method: Asset-Based-CommunityDevelopment.

This approach focuses on the assets rather than the needs of a community, and builds on existing strengths. Even more importantly, it mobilizes each community to start developing for themselves, thereby ensuring ownership and long-term sustainability in each project.

The role of By Life Connected and the GSCF is therefor to facilitate rather than lead.

NURTURING FARMING HEARTS IN ZAMBIA Working in community development in rural parts of Zambia quickly brought us all to a realisation: most Zambians are farmers at heart.

They may mostly farm for subsistence, but they have a passion for growing. This is why many of our main projects focus on helping smallscale farmers increase their yields. The Mukuni Community Farm is located in the Mukuni Chiefdom in Livingstone, just by the mighty Mosi oa Tunya (or Victoria Falls). This space, which in 2020 was just a 12.6-hectare piece of barren, overgrazed land, is now a sustainable and organic farm. It provides fresh produce to the community and to nearby lodges whilst generating an income for the members of the community who work on the project. Most

WILDLIFE LESSONS, IN THE WILD. The GSCF also funds education in many forms, from building sustainable secondary school classrooms in Nalusanga, to installing a solar plant in the Chunga Community School to power computer lessons. But we were especially shocked to find out that there are children living next to the biggest National Park in Zambia who have never seen an elephant, lion, or hippo in real life. And if they have, it is usually in a fraught human-wildlife interaction, hardly likely to engender a passion for conservation.

So we set up a Conservation Education Club within the Nalusanga Community, to teach students about nature conservation directly from field professionals. The teachers are safari guides, researchers from the Zambian Carnivore Programme and Panthera; and even DNPW officers. And the classroom is the National Park itself, with a full safari experience hosted by Green Safaris.

TRAVELLING IN LUXURY, AND IN GREEN Whilst we are incredibly proud of our communities and the vital projects they work on every day, none of this would be possible without the support of people around the world with a passion for Africa. By visiting a Green Safaris property, part of your magical safari is directly benefitting local communities.

Creating a direct line of empowerment from safari tourists to local communities is a vital step in spreading a passion for protecting our wildlife and ecosystems throughout Africa.

Without this relationship, we could not carry out all of our vital work.

It is thanks to our guests that we have started reforestation projects near Tongabezi, Ila Safari Lodge, Kaya Mawa in Malawi, and Shawa Luangwa. It is thanks to travellers with a purpose that we can support the Young Mother’s Programme on Likoma Island, and that the Tongabezi Trust School (a fully registered and self-sustaining trust school) can provide a free, holistic education to over 300 local children. Thanks to you that we can invest in Panthera’s vital conservation work, fund Conservation South Luangwa, and support anti-snaring projects by the Zambian Carnivore Project.

Similar programmes are happening in the Luangwa Valley, where our Foundation supports Project Luangwa in their large range of community development work in the form of education, sponsorship, gender empowerment, and conservation.

SO HOW CAN YOU BECOME A PART OF THIS GREEN STORY? Visit us. Walk around the Mukuni Community Farm and let the bright-eyed farmers show you how they now grow their family’s meals organically. Meet the Panthera researchers around the Ila Safari Lodge camp fire and learn the lessons they teach the Conservation Club on why big cats are vital for our wildlife.

Get hands on and dance on the Tongabezi Trust School stage with the reigning National Champions of Traditional Dancing.

Or you could simply go on holiday, spoil yourself, safari in luxury, and know that the wonderful memories you are making are fuelling positive change for Africa.

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ZIMBABWE | FAMILY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL

FAMILY FRIENDLY [ WRITER / PHOTO : Sarah Kerr ]

Travel

I feel my shoulders relax the moment we step onto our luxurious transfer boat. Around us, the wide, blue Zambezi sparkles in the sunshine of a perfect day.

My husband and I relax onto the leather seats and I can feel my son’s excitement at being on a boat.

We make our way upriver toward Old Drift Lodge, enjoying the gentle breeze and views of the islands and ilala palm-dotted banks as we search for animals. The lodge is in the wildlife enclave of Zambezi National Park, just upstream from Victoria Falls. It is an ideal retreat for families, which is an unusual point of difference in the safari world.

A mere 15 minutes later, we round a large bend in the wide river and catch our first glimpse of the lodge.

The 14 tented riverside suites are strung along a broad stretch of the Zambezi. Each of them is carefully placed so that they merge harmoniously with the riverine forest, their cream canvas peaks nestled amongst the mangosteen and bird plums. I know we are just seven kilometres from the town of Victoria Falls, but I feel a world away as the sound of a hippo laughing reverberates across the water.

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FAMILY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL | ZIMBABWE We step off the boat and camp managers Brad and Annie welcome us with broad smiles, cold drinks, and refreshing towels. After a short introduction, they ask what we would like to do next, and we choose to relax in the room before lunch. We make our way along the elevated boardwalks that connect the suites and as I open the door to our family unit, the cool air of an air conditioner greets me as I step inside and take in our rooms.

Constructed from pale canvas walls, the suite is outfitted with elegant, contemporary decor and art. Three large sliding glass doors to the adjoining deck bring the magnificent views inside and flood the room with light. The high ceilings feature wrought iron chandeliers, a reminder of the past, set amongst the future of this special place in Victoria Falls. The spacious open-plan bedroom has a king-sized bed and a dressing room behind the bed that features built-in cupboards. The natural tones and materials are offset by pops of vibrant

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ZIMBABWE | FAMILY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL chartreuse and golden yellow. The colour scheme enlivens the space and recalls the yellow hues of a southern masked weaver bird, the fresh green of new shoots, or the blooms of a fever tree. The fresh, spacious and welcoming room sets the tone for our stay here.

There is also a seating area, wooden desk, minibar, tea and coffee station and even an ice-making machine. The en suite bathroom is luxurious with twin copper basins, a walk-in shower, and a closed toilet. It is stocked with toiletries, dressing gowns, and slippers. When you step through the glass bathroom door, you are greeted by an outdoor shower and a roll-top tub with views of the Zambezi.

My husband and son are immediately drawn out of the doors to the private plunge pool on the deck. I personally decide I like the look of the sun loungers from which to take in the breathtaking views and passing wildlife. While the boys change into swimming gear, I inspect what must be the most perfect twin-bedded kid’s room, next door to ours. It is air-conditioned for comfort and has its own cupboard and en suite bathroom to make life easier.

We make the most of a few hours of swimming and relaxing.

Our suite proves to be an excellent spot for bird and animal watching.

Banded mongoose, vervet monkeys and warthogs all pay us a visit and we can hear an elephant breaking branches as he browses nearby.

Eventually, hunger calls, and we make our way back down the winding boardwalk to the central area for a late lunch. Ivory coloured umbrellas shelter outdoor living areas on split-level decks that extend down to the firepit and jetty. On the biggest deck above, a large tent offers sheltered dining, a full-service bar, and comfortable lounge areas, all with a mix of timber and wicker furnishings. All the areas are

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FAMILY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL | ZIMBABWE

smattered with the same vibrant, warm yellows and greens as the guest rooms. We choose hearty burgers from the à la carte menu, and as we enjoy them, the chef comes to inquire about our dining preferences for the evening.

With satisfied bellies, we decide it is time to explore beyond the camp and head out on a game drive with our knowledgeable guide.

Throughout our stay, the staff went the extra mile to accommodate our young child. The chef was happy to have us dine early and to make a kid-friendly spaghetti for my son for dinner. At one point, I looked up to see the barman playing hide and seek with my son, much to his delight. Bright, one of the managers, was incredibly welcoming and friendly and spent time playing with our son. On our game drive, our guide Vusa was fantastic at entertaining and educating. From reading the spoor left by passing animals and explaining how he could tell when that animal passed, to entertaining my son by pretending to let him talk on the radio, he made his drive a delight.

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ZIMBABWE | FAMILY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL Morning and afternoon game drives take you through Zambezi National Park, where elephants, buffalo, kudu, giraffe, eland, impala, warthog, lion, painted dog, and other animals can be seen. We saw several elephants, including a family group with a very young calf and a huge herd of buffalo meandering down to the Zambezi to drink. It was incredible driving amongst the hundreds of buffalo.

We almost felt like a part of the herd as they snorted and shuffled, the herd projecting an enormous sense of power and movement.

We rounded a bend as the sun was setting to find an incredible view of the Zambezi, with a white sand beach. A picnic and bar had been laid out for us. The scene was set with copper jugs, white table cloths, a teak bar, delectable hors d’oeuvres and an inviting array of pillows and carpets. As we sank into the pillows, we were served our drink of choice, and a herd of elephants passed by to drink from the river.

We watched the sun go down as the elephants drank and we sipped on sparkling wine. Some of the large bull elephants took to the river to swim and passed close by us as they returned to land. My son was captivated.

After a full day, we returned to camp and I retired to the room early to put my tired but happy little boy into bed. A delicious dinner was sent to the room for us. Zesty gazpacho was perfect for the hot weather. I sampled the crocodile tail while my husband had the beef fillet, both of which were delicious. A decadent chocolate creation for dessert topped off a great day.

The following morning, I rose to watch a gorgeous pink-hued sunrise over the Zambezi

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FAMILY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL | ZIMBABWE

River from the comfort of my bed. Hearing the sounds of the African bush waking up and watching the lightly rolling mist caressing the surface of the water, all while lounging in bed with a cup of filtered coffee, was a highlight of my stay.

When we went to the main area for breakfast, I browsed the informational boards on the camp’s history. Old Drift Lodge takes its name from its location. Though you would never know it today, this was once the main Zambezi River crossing point for Northern and Southern Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe). A ‘drift’ is a section of the river that is shallow enough to traverse without needing a boat.

Known as “Clarke’s Drift”, it was the narrowest part of the river, making it the best crossing point.

Before the Victoria Falls Bridge was completed in 1898, people would carry goods, vehicles, people, animals, and other items across the drift. It became a crossroads, and a small settlement sprang up around it. When the settlers moved into town, the site was abandoned, and nature reclaimed it. The fascinating history adds another layer to what is already an exceptional place to stay.

We enjoy the buffet-style breakfast and a waiter takes our orders for a cooked breakfast as well. Sadly, our time here is ending, and we make our way through the national park and

back to town. This is the only complaint about our trip- it’s just too short!

I would suggest a stay of three or more nights at Old Drift. This will give you time to relax at the lodge, enjoy the varied activities on offer in the park, as well as enjoy some of the many activities in Victoria Falls. In the park, you can enjoy morning and afternoon game drives or river safaris. Guided walking safaris along the river or the spring lines of the park are also an option. Children under the age of 16 cannot join walks for safety reasons.

The lodge also includes a guided tour of Victoria Falls. If you’re going to Victoria Falls town for a tour of the Falls or any other activity, you’ll either be driven in or transferred by boat to the Old Drift dock, just a 10-minute drive from town. Lunch is included at the Lookout Café for any activities that will keep you in town over lunchtime. The café is a large open-air restaurant overlooking the spectacular Batoka Gorge just downstream from the Victoria Falls waterfall.

No matter how long your stay, the kind, attentive, and knowledgeable guides and staff will ensure it is an enjoyable one. You will have a great blend of nature and luxury at your fingertips in big, light, and well-appointed tents overlooking the river.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY INFORMATION BOX •

Four spacious family suites with inter-leading rooms.

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Air conditioning and plunge pools help little ones cope with the heat the hotter months.

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Children over the age of seven are most welcome at Old Drift Lodge.

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Families with young children should pay extra for a private vehicle for game drives. This will allow them to be taken at your own pace and avoid inconveniencing others.

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Staff are attentive and friendly and will provide child-friendly meals and more.

Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZIMBABWE | GROUND HORNBILL

SOUTHERN GROUND HORNBILL (Bucorvus Leadbeateri)

[ WRITER: Sean Hind (Safaris I Can See) ] [ PHOTO: Sean Hind / National Geographics ]

It is 4:45am in the morning, I am in the middle of Hwange National Park, there is a booming sound in the distance, is it a lion? No it’s the deep booming sound of a pair of southern ground hornbills announcing the start of a new day. These birds are very territorial and the calling is to advertise their territory and is done mostly at dawn or early morning when the air is still cool and allows for the sound to travel further, sometimes as far as three kilometres.

It is always a great sight to come across a group of ground hornbills slowly moving through the bush foraging. These large black birds are often found in groups of three to five birds, but sometimes up to nine birds or more. They are often referred to as turkey buzzards because of the way they look and walk around but it has no close genetic affiliations to either, in fact the genus Bucorvus literally means huge crow.

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GROUND HORNBILL | ZIMBABWE

The ground hornbill is slightly different to the other smaller more typical hornbills in that it has 15 vertebra and not 14 and this could be an adaptation to the fact that the ground hornbill spends about seventy percent of the day on the ground feeding. When moving through the bush, group members sometimes inadvertently flush prey towards one another.

They will pretty much feed on anything they came across, from tortoises to dung beetles and snakes to frogs, pretty much anything goes. If an individual bird comes across a large prey species he will give a little bark and the others in the group will come and help out.

The southern ground hornbill has a long life span, possibly living up to forty years. It isnt possible to age the ground hornbills until they reach maturity. It takes anywhere between four to six years to reach maturity and when this happens their facial skin will be fully red, the female has a blue patch on the bare skin under the throat. So for the first year the facial skin starts off as grey-brown, turning yellow by the end of the year, by two years the facial skin is flecked red and at three years it is orange. This makes it a very long breeding cycle. They are monogamous, cooperative breeders. You will have the dominant breeding pair and the rest of the birds in the group will be helpers. The nest is usually built in a cavity of a tree or sometimes in a rock face, the cavity is not sealed, like with other hornbills.

The female bird normally lays one to two eggs which hatch asynchronously, this means if there are two eggs laid, then normally only the first chick to hatch will survive as the second born cannot compete with the older chick for

food and usually dies of starvation within the first week. The smaller clutch though means more dedicated parental care, which lowers mortality. Fledglings remain with the parental group until they reach maturity.

Unfortunately, the southern ground hornbill is listed as vulnerable throughout its sub-Saharan range (Birdlife International 2012), the main threats in Zimbabwe to this bird is habitat destruction, the large trees that the bird needs for nesting are reducing rapidly due to deforestation, which is because of the growing human population. The other causes of decline are secondary poisoning when they scavenge off carcasses laced with poison for pest control, and they also get persecuted for breaking

house and car windows when hammering at their own reflections in territorial aggression.

There is little known about the population in many of the areas where the ground hornbill exists in sub-Saharan Africa but it is reported that the numbers are in decline.

Birdlife Zimbabwe is currently running a project to try and work out what the population of southern ground hornbill is in Zimbabwe.

Please have a look at their website for more information on this project. www.birdlifezimbabwe.org

Happy Birding Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZIMBABWE | WINES

FOOD & WINE PAIRING [ WRITER: Homer ]

[ PHOTO: Freepix ]

Greetings fellow aficionados.

The start of a new year and new beginnings in the new normal does not stop giving a reason to celebrate. After almost two years with social gatherings given a backseat, we found ourselves dining in isolation and in some parts of the region with no access to enjoying a good bottle of our favorite fermented grape.

We remember our gallant wine makers who went through a tough period disposing gallons upon gallons of wine which could not be exported. Without a doubt we are back stronger. Fast forward on our wine journey, in this article we explore this often spoken about subject in brief and create a reason to have a conversation with some bit of authority on pairing.

We are talking basic union of wine and food and how in the comfort and safety of your home you can explore your way to a perfect match. To enjoy wine is to enjoy and celebrate life in its many forms and individual palates makes it entirely about personal taste at the

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end of the day. Thus said, the marrying of tastes has no limits, experiment with everything to create your own ‘Umami’ (“essence of deliciousness” in Japanese). First, for the novice, it’s understanding the basics of wine pairing and what to eat with your bottle of wine without throwing either away, and if it has to be …`let it be the food’. Achieving this requires the identification of the grape varietals as illustrated in previous articles.

We have always heard that white wine ‘goes’ with white meats, red wine with red meats, well we want to go beyond that and have cake with our wine too!! Remember it’s all about personal preferences and how wine and food blend with each other. There will be some distinct relationships that will have a positive or negative impact on the wine which lend themselves to the traditional guidelines.

I would use them only for guiding you when hosting to get a perfect union.

WINES | ZIMBABWE

al restaurant, or even choosing a wine in a form If the plan is to host a dinner party experience. plete com a to key is ents complim knowledge of what to choose that ler form. simp a in the A, B, C’s guide of pairing The chart below will be useful for

Courtesy www.winefolly.com

QUICK TIPS •

Start with what you will eat and then

•

Bubbly (Champagne, Prosecco, MCC a meal or event.

•

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choose the wine.

’s) can be drank right through

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ng that bottle of red wine into a In the hot months no harm in getti our neck of the woods is above cooler briefly (room temperature in wine through ice blocks which will your ing 28 degrees) or you will be dilut be a sad waste of any bottle.

•

the meat.

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found in game meat and beef while Red wine works with bold flavors fish. intensity meats such as chicken and light with r white wine pairs bette

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•

Work with food with similar flavor

•

White with light intensity meals like

food. intensities. chicken and fish.

with endless possibilities of the not be intimidating but an adventure A walk down the wine aisles must in knowledge. ping shop to is with wine. Here making of a memorable occasion next time, Drink responsibly, stay safe and until

May the vine be with you.

Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZIMBABWE | CAPE TOWN TO VIC FALLS

CAPE TOWN TO VICTORIA FALLS: A Hop, Skip, and a Jump into a Wild Getaway [ WRITER: Kim Sparrow ]

[ PHOTO: David Rodgers, Jenman African Safaris, Africa Albida Tourism ]

When one travels, one searches for different perspectives. We seek change. Of scenery, of mind, of conversation and stimulus. We also aim to change gear – to slow down and reconnect, or to chase adrenalin and reawaken our adventurous spirits.

Africa’s landscape is undoubtedly an invitation for adventure. It calls to the wild wanderer, the culturally curious, the artist as well as the philosopher. Its rivers summon the athletic explorer, whereas its vistas beckon the dreamers, and its cultural quilt, historians.

Africa offers a travel tincture for everyone reaching out in recognition of what you seek in a journey.

There are no boundaries or borders to the adventurous spirit, whether it be tackling fresh terrain outdoors, or absorbing surroundings in inner exploration; the soul is equally fulfilled.

Lucky enough to be the soul searching lesser spotted tourists, Viwe Ndongeni and I, Kim

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Sparrow from Jenman African Safaris, recently embarked on a trip to one of Africa’s top travel destinations; Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Travelling from Cape Town on Kenya Airways, I was collecting stories for Jenman African Safaris and Viwe for IOL Travel. We were ready to immerse ourselves in new experiences.

Adventure, enveloped in awareness, had finally become a reality after being armchair travellers for the last few months, the light at the end of the travel tunnel shining brightly as we boarded the plane.

Travelling now is different to what everyone was once used to. There is a level of

trepidation involved, however if done in the correct way, with intention and awareness, fears and hurdles can be overcome. One of the biggest challenges has been the everchanging protocols and flight connectivity between destinations, making the planning of a trip overwhelming. However, our journey from check-in to our flight, to landing with Kenya Airways was smooth sailing; all safety protocols adhered to, allowing travel to be both an adventurous and responsible affair. We were even gifted with an upgrade to Business Class, the start of our adventure paired with champagne!

The three-hour direct flight delivered us onto Zimbabwean soil in effortless efficiency. A transfer to town with Wild Horizons had us sipping sundowners at Ilala Lodge beneath the

CAPE TOWN TO VIC FALLS | ZIMBABWE

[ NANTWICH LODGE HIDEAWAYS ]

glow of its golden cassia tree. We reflected on the easy access South Africa now has to this eccentric town, thanks to Kenya Airways, home to a world wonder as well as untamed wilderness.

Striking up excited conversation with other travellers around us, our compatriots of curiosity, we discovered many were residents of neighbouring countries. The understanding that adventure is really on one’s doorstep, around the corner or just over the border has reignited a pride in our land, taking the time to absorb our surroundings. Africa has never been more determined to share the wild wonders of its colourful and quilted landscapes. We have been reminded why she is the motherland.

ILALA LODGE is conveniently located in the heart of town, a mere 8-minute walk to the waterfall wonder! Rising with the dawn, we went to explore Victoria Falls, the spray of its water inviting from a distance, living true to its name, ‘Mosi-oaTunya’ - ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. As a local Zimbabwean, I was returning home, the Zambezi already running through my veins, the sound of the waterfall as natural as its flow for me.

Witnessing Viwe encounter the Victoria Falls for the first time, however, filled me both with pride as well as a reminder of its wonder.

Next stop; NANTWICH LODGE HIDEAWAYS, Hwange National Park. Nantwich is located a mere hour’s drive from Victoria Falls, on the northwestern wing of Hwange. The lodge sits on the borders of both the Matetsi concession as well as Chobe National Park in Botswana, animals migrating freely between the areas – a veritable animal intersection. Remote, refurbished and resurrected from a bygone era, the lodge is built Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZIMBABWE | CAPE TOWN TO VIC FALLS on the foundations of responsible tourism, simple yet refined, with a personal twist. In time for lunch, we sat overlooking the vlei, the rising heat an invitation for animals to appear at the waterhole. This experience reframed the definition of ‘armchair safari’ for us, a travel dream which was now a reality as zebras and buffalo descended mere metres away to quench their thirst.

A game drive the next day led with the advice of, ‘expect anything and assume nothing’.

Simply happy to be in the bush and immersed in nature, we were open to whatever gifts the wild was willing to give. Exploring the various pans in the area, seeking out water sources where wildlife may find reprieve, we came across a rare and surprising find. Two female lions fringed the pan, staring intently into its shallow waters, with the backdrop of a large bull elephant. Pawing at the mud, our guide explained they were fishing out the catfish stuck in the receding waters of summer!

We sat quietly mesmerised at the ancient knowledge and resilience of nature, adapting and surviving each respective season.

Waking with the sun the following morning, I sat on my verandah, coffee accompanied by gratitude of the simplicity of the beauty before me. Time in the wild moves at its own pace.

It seems to slow down, stretching across the horizon. Surrendering to the wilderness that surrounds us, we are changed by nature, being allowed a small glimpse into its timeless ways, charmed by its magic.

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Our next adventure took us back to Victoria Falls, onto the elegant RA-IKANE boat launching from the Palm River Hotel for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. The Palm River Hotel is a simple, yet beautifully elegant hotel situated on the banks of the river, nestled within the riverine forest. The Zambezi waters offer a consistent channel of wild wonder, from its wildlife to its ecosystems and iconic African sunsets. Our cruise was blessed with the sighting of elephants grazing along the riverbank, proceeding to wade into its waters and swim across to the other side, a breathtaking safari spectacle. This is where a safari upon water holds its charm – it’s invitation to unwind with the proximity and viewpoint of the African landscape unlike any other.

The rhythm of the Boma at SAFARI LODGE filled our final evening with the heartbeat of Zimbabwe, djembe drums leading traditional dancers around the floor. We had a glimpse

[ Victoria Falls Safari Club Lounge deck ]

through the window of Zimbabwean ritual, cultural curiosity fulfilled. Falling into our beds with satisfied exhaustion at the exclusive and stylish Victoria Falls Safari Club, we dreamed deeply of freshly formed memories of waterfalls, fishing felines, sunset cruises, and the steady beat of Africa.

Our return journey home took us into Zambia, flying out of Livingstone, once again with Kenya Airways. A straightforward transit with Wild Horizons took us seamlessly through the border and onto the airport, checked in and ready to fly. Sun-kissed and soul filled, this 5-day adventure had us refreshed and our hunger for adventure, satiated. Our direct flight home had us sharing our stories of the wonders of Zimbabwe, its accessibility, its people, its activities and its wild spaces. We urge you to do the same, embarking on a weekend away, Cape town to Victoria Falls, a hop, skip, and a jump into a wild getaway.

VIC FALLS RIVER CRUISE | ZIMBABWE

A VICTORIA FALLS RIVER CRUISE With a Difference – the gentle, genteel version

[ WRITER: Sally Wynn, Wild Zambezi ]

[ PHOTO: Wild Zambezi, Sean Hind ]

Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZIMBABWE | VIC FALLS RIVER CRUISE

The boats are named after Livingstone’s guide, Lazarus Ra-Ikane, who helped the explorer to reach the legendary waterfall which he subsequently named after his Queen. They have a shallow draught and sit low in the water, with excellent, open-air viewing both sides and minimal noise disturbance because of their very silent, unobtrusive, four-stroke motors. All this allows the boat captain to make careful, close up approaches to wild animals or birds in the river shallows for optimal viewing and photographic opportunities.

One of the highlights of a recent visit to the Victoria Falls in October 2021 was a delightful, leisurely mid-morning Zambezi River cruise aboard one of the beautiful fleet of Ra-Ikane vessels operated by the owners of Ilala Lodge and their brand new Palm River Hotel.

I confess to being a somewhat reluctant Zambezi River cruise enthusiast, having been put off on previous trips to the Victoria Falls, by the sight and sound of boatloads of rowdy revellers accompanied by loud music all “enjoying” a sunset cruise amidst a crush of other vessels jam-packed into a small section of the Zambezi River above the Falls.

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The Ra-IKane experience, however was different – vastly different – and hugely enjoyable. I’m converted!

For a start, the boats are small (maximum 16 passengers), built to a classic mono-hull design inspired by the boat David Livingstone used when journeying along the Zambezi River.

What I loved about our Ra-IKane trip was that its focus was on the wild beauty of the Zambezi River. We sipped on ice-cold glasses of bubbly and nibbled on plates of delicious snacks, while journeying quietly downstream towards the Falls, (in the opposite direction from most of the river cruiseboats), admiring huge African ebonies, waterberries, ilala palms and other pristine woodland species which thrive on the riverbanks and islands, and eventually reaching the rocky outcrops which herald the water’s final approaches to the tumultuous mile-wide, 100-metre drop of the Falls. The birdlife in this section of the river is spectacular, and the crew on board took pride in showing us some rare avian treats, including several pairs of rock pratincoles, an African finfoot skulking in the quiet backwaters of an island, and a group of African skimmers nesting on a sandbank in the river.

As we threaded our way back among the island shallows, we slowed to watch at a respectful distance as an elephant swam

VIC FALLS RIVER CRUISE | ZIMBABWE across the river between the Zambian and Zimbabwean banks, using his trunk as a snorkel. And as the heat of midday descended, two more elephant bulls appeared at the river’s edge to indulge in a leisurely drink followed by a sandy dust bath! We were no more than 20 metres away. It was magic!

There are three boats in the Ra-IKane fleet, each offering a choice of a 2-hour breakfast, lunch or sunset cruise on the Zambezi River above the Falls, as well as specialist birding cruises or private charters. You don’t have to be staying at Ilala Lodge or The Palm River Hotel to take one of these delightful, quiet, wildlife and history-orientated cruises – they can be booked by residents staying at any accommodation option in the resort town of Victoria Falls.

There are a lot of different cruising options of all types and sizes to choose from at the Falls. But if you’re like me, and prefer to enjoy your wild surroundings in peace and quiet with Nature, while absorbing a little bit of the history of the river, its people and its famous Victorian explorer at the same time, then this gentle, genteel, Ra-IKane Zambezi River cruising experience might just be the one for you.

Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZIMBABWE | FLY IN SAFARIS

FLY IN SAFARIS [ WRITER: Chris Chiparaushe ]

[ PHOTO: Wilderness Air, Central Air Transport Services ]

“So much to do and see and yet so little time!”

This quote adapted from John Gunther’s famous quote rings true for many safari guests. Africa’s unspoilt and pristine wildlife areas attract many visitors that are drawn to their natural beauty and remoteness. One feels a sense of space and connection with nature as natural sounds fill the air. The more remote the location, away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation, the better. In order to enjoy such incredible vistas, one still has to get there in the first place. Most of these places are inaccessible by road and water.

For some, road access takes so long, eating into that valuable and scarce resource – time. This leaves air access as the only option in many cases. Welcome to the world of the Fly-in safari.

Fly-in safaris in Africa are said to have originated in Kenya. They allow one to spend more time on the ground looking for animals rather than spending time getting from point A to point B. They allow one to do and see more on a safari holiday. Fly-in safaris have opened up access to off the beaten track areas enhancing the safari offering. Apart from providing access, Fly-in safaris add to the spirit of adventure and excitement as one takes off and lands on dirt airstrips while getting an aerial view of wildlife and the areas that one would explore on land. An aerial view gives you a full picture of the area you will be exploring.

Indeed, some of these light aircraft are used for scenic flights.

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FLY IN SAFARIS | ZIMBABWE While some people are nervous about flying on these small aircraft, they are a very convenient way of getting around these vast areas and most flights are not very long. In the next two issues of Travel and Leisure Zambia and Zimbabwe, we look at some of the people that have made a career of flying guests into these remote areas and hear their stories. Often times, when guests get back home, they talk about the great or not so great guide they had on safari, the animals they saw and the camp/lodge they stayed in. Not much is said of the pilot that got them there but they are a vital cog in the whole safari package.

We will also take a brief look at some of the aircraft used in these remote areas. In this issue we profile two pilots from Wilderness Air.

TINASHE CHISEWE Born and bred in Harare Zimbabwe, Tinashe remembers vividly when the seed to be a pilot was planted in his head. It was on the 31st of October 1993 when the Concorde flew to Zimbabwe. While there were a hundred lucky ones that managed to board this incredible machine, little Tinashe, then ten years old, was among the hundreds that thronged the airport to catch a glimpse of this spectacle. Tinashe remembers wondering what it would be like to be in charge of such a machine. The dream of flying would later come true, sixteen years later.

In the meantime, Tinashe would go to school and onto university to study for a degree in Business Administration majoring in Finance, graduating in 2007.While looking for a job in finance, an opportunity presented itself to start flying lessons at the then Harare International Airport. However, he was advised to move to South Africa but his parents could not afford to sponsor him. Luckily, his elder sister came to the rescue and this saw him moving to South Africa to train at Westline Aviation in Bloemfontein. Armed with a commercial pilot’s licence, Tinashe returned to Zimbabwe in 2011 to find an aviation industry on its knees. There were no jobs! He started hustling to make a living selling clothes from Dubai until he landed his first job at Wilderness Air in 2014.Tinashe has risen through to the position of Flight Operations Manager.

Tinashe sees his role as very important, being the first and last interface with guests on safari and finds it fulfilling when guests leave with a sense of satisfaction and a promise to come back at their earliest convenience. For him, a sincere handshake and ‘thank you’ for a great holiday from guests are music to his ears. He rates Mana Pools as his favourite national park both from a safari and flying perspective (a good challenge for a pilot as it is always a crosswind landing). When I asked him how he put guests that are nervous about flying at ease, he said he often cracked a few appropriate jokes (he is the resident Wilderness Safaris Zambezi region Master of Ceremony at functions). He says he tells them to sit closer to the front where there is less aircraft motion, to look out for the horizon and that if they do not see him sweating, then all is well. He also reminds them that turbulence does not bring an aircraft down.

“His message to young aspiring pilots out there: Dreams do come true but they do require hard work and dedication. Never give up on the dream. Knock on doors, speak to people and once they see your dedication, they will back you up,”

NATSAI CHIREMBA “Many times, I feel guests do not feel confident with me flying them. Having a woman on a single crew flight and someone of a small stature who sits on cushions freaks them out.”

Natsai is 1.56 m tall but is a competent pilot and who does her job like any other pilot and does not let the lack of confidence of some guests put her down. She says she just concentrates on doing her job as best she can. The last born in a family of ten, Natsai grew up in Pasipamire village in the Buhera district of Zimbabwe. Her father was a school teacher in the same village. Although she loved planes from an early age, opportunities of seeing one let alone flying on one were very rare and although her brother was a pilot, her first ever flight was her first flying lesson!

One of the greatest challenges she has faced in her career was the lack of a mentor as she had to figure out most things herself since her brother had passed on. And figure them out she did! Since joining Wilderness Air in 2014, she hasn’t looked back. Today, she balances being a wife, a pilot and a mother to two children aged four and two months! As they say, dynamite comes is small packages.

What does she love about flying into safari camps and lodges?

She enjoys the beautiful scenery in the remote areas, the camps themselves and the animals. Her favourite animal is the baboon which is her totem. She also enjoys chatting to guests that she will be flying as they have a sense of anticipation and she is able to fill them in on what to expect. Flying also affords her the opportunity to spend time in cities from time to time and she does what most ladies do… go shopping.

Natsai spends time playing with her kids when she is not working as well as surfing the internet and watching documentaries. She is also a big fan of Bush Pilots TV program. She says she relates to the situations the pilots faced (technical faults, bad weather, etc.) and learnt a lot from what they experienced.

There is no limit to what you can achieve. “If I could do it then you can do it too.” This is Natsai’s message to young aspiring girl pilots out there.

Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZIMBABWE | SAFARI STORIES

SAFARI STORIES

[ WRITER / PHOTO: Michelle Berry ] In July 2021 we decided to visit parks that we hadn’t seen before.

We set off to Chinhoyi Caves, which is an absolute must see for those who haven’t been.

We spent one night there and the following day set off on the long drive to Matusadona National Park.

[ WRITER / PHOTO: Charles Chare ] Zimbabwe is a tea pot shaped country and offers a special kind in uniqueness.

Close to Beit Bridge, on the banks of the Limpopo River, is the Nottingham Estate which in my opinion is a wonder.

[ WRITER / PHOTO:

Lee-Anne Russell

]

Come to Chiredzi, and the Gonarezhou National Park, which means ‘the place of elephants’. You can explore it from south to north and see the Chilojo cliffs and the Chipinda pools, to name just a few places.

Right before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020, we were lucky enough to squeeze a trip into Hwange National Park. This is not our normal time of year to travel to the parks but we went anyway.

We have the Save Valley Conservancy and the Malilangwe Trust Conservancy, and the Chirinda Forest in Chipinge, where you can see the Big Tree, Zimbabwe’s tallest indigenous tree, a red mahogany that has been declared a National Monument.

Our sightings included 27 lions over the four days and not one but two leopards. This beautiful young female was absolute pure chance. We had gone into the park in the morning as normal and drove around for a while, I remember feeling not so great and saying to my husband, “let’s go out already.”

It was 8:30am, virtually unheard of for me to leave the park willingly let alone early.

Chimanimani is a paradise on its own with the Bridal Veil Falls and Tessa’s Pool, walk the Mbira Trail in the wilds of Chimanimani and see the bubbling pool and the squeaker frog, endemic to Chimanimani and once presumed to be enxict but recently discovered in the clear waters in the Chimanimani Mountains.

At the Nyanga National Park you can hike to the top point in Zimbabwe, the Inyangani Mountain, explore the Mtarazi Falls and Nyangombe Falls, the pit structures and experience the zip line.

I end with some photos of my recent trip to Hwange - sunset at the Dete Vlei between Sable Sands and Hwange Safari lodge, at Ngweshla with Humba as he rest.

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We were driving towards the main boom gate when I spotted this leopard (proud moment as I usually suck at spotting anything myself).

I spluttered out who knows what to get my husband to stop the car and slowly back track towards the cat. She was barely 15 meters from us, climbing higher into the branches. She chose a fairly high out of normal sight branch and proceeded to have a nap. She stayed there till just after 11 in the morning. When she came down from the tree she disappeared into the bush.

I was shocked at the level of camouflage and then realised why spotting them is so rare.

The road to Matusadona was busy being repaired and although it took us most of the day it was mostly a pleasant drive. We camped at Tashinga which is absolutely lovely! The African parks officials were very friendly and helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed our first trip to this beautiful park. We spent one day in camp and we were lucky enough to see a raptor trying to use our car as camouflage and catch a guinea fowl. We also had an elephant spend most of the day with us and take leaves off our car roof. It was a great stay.

We decided to try another route on our way out and spent one night at Chizarira National Park, a gorgeous park which definitely deserves more exploring on our part!

On our way home we stopped at Hwange for one night to break up the journey. This is probably still my favourite part of Zimbabwe.

Maybe because it is so close. But also because the sightings are magnificent. They had a special on so we splurged and spent the night in a chalet at main camp.

Zimbabwe has absolutely amazing parks and we as locals should explore more!

SAFARI STORIES | ZIMBABWE

[ WRITER / PHOTO: Suzanne Elliott Smith ]

I was very lucky to be exposed to the bush from a very young age, and it started off a love affair that will never end…and I always hoped that my kids would feel the same way about it as I do. I can very happily say that they do…so much so that they are often the ones that request we jump in the car and go for a game drive whenever we have some free time (and living in Vic Falls again, after years in Dars Salaam, it is now easy to do).

And that is why I chose this photo for my story – two things that make my heart incredibly happy…my kids (in this case just the one of them) and wildlife.

[ WRITER / PHOTO: Lee-Anne Russell ] This shot was taken from our most recent trip to Mana Pools.

In the early hours of the morning we heard a lion calling nearby. We bolted upright and jumped out of bed. It was half past four in the morning but we really didn’t care, we’d be ready to move at first light. Longest hour and a half in my life. We listened for ages as he moved a bit further away. We headed towards the sounds of his calls expecting to find at least four tour guide vehicles already on site.

The light was too weak to take photos but the memories are crystal in my mind. When the herd finally moved off, we sat for a while watching the pride (two females, this big male and three cubs) lay about relaxing.

As the females and cubs started to move off this beautiful male lion, as if prompted by my inner hopes, lay down right under the perfect arch with the perfect golden lighting behind him. I was amazed, he sat for a minute and then up and walked off with his family.

There was no one. Not a single soul, the scene before us was this male lion charging towards a heard of buffalo and making them scatter followed closely by the pushing of him and his pride back into the bush.

Mana Pools National Park is an absolute must for the bush lover at least once in their lives.

We have been four times now and every time has a new experience that just blows your mind.

Taken at Nantwich, Hwange National Park in October 2020, my daughter had just sat down to watch the sunset. As the air started changing and the blue gave way to the oranges and pinks that arrive with the setting sun, a big cloud of dust appeared on the horizon… and moments later this huge herd of buffalo started making its way down the waterhole to drink and graze. She sat down calmly and quite serenely taking in the hundreds of buffalo that were walking towards her. They seemed to glow. Just as did she.

This whole trip was magic. The buffalo came in their hundreds every night, as did the elephants (one evening both arrived at the same time and the noise that ensued was quite deafening). But this moment is one that will long remain in my memory, as well as hers.

I think it is so important to get kids to love it out there – it makes the future look brighter.

[ WRITER: Lynda Kozacek Barkhuizen ] Whilst at the Victoria Falls recently some friends of ours invited us to Chamabonda Vlei (turnoff just before Victoria Falls) which I did not know existed. We jumped on the back of a Land Cruiser and off we went. Well, what a wonderful experience. We must have seen about 300 elephants and a herd of about 100 Buffalo.

We also came upon a family of hyena which were getting ready for their nightly “outing.”

What a treat it was to see the babies popping their heads out of their den. We also passed some platforms which, I believe, can be hired from National Parks for an overnight stay.

Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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ZIMBABWE | SAFARI STORIES

[ WRITER / PHOTO:

Suzanne Elliott Smith

]

One rainy and overcast day in February last year I decided to take my girls for a drive in the Zambezi National Park.

It was the wrong time of the day and not the most ideal weather so we didn’t think we would see much in the way of wildlife, but the bird life is always fabulous. So, we thought we would just go and see some birds.

Gosh were we wrong! There seemed to be something to see around just about every corner. Elephants, zebra, wildebeest, impala, warthogs, kudu, giraffes… big and small, male and female… dodging the rain, they were all out making the most of their Sunday.

[ WRITER / PHOTO: Leigh Anne Williams ] Hwange National Park holds my heart just as Matopos does.

[ WRITER / PHOTO: Lee-Anne Russell ] The day started off very quietly with the usual sunrise shots, a jackal and some plains game.

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TRAVEL & LEISURE | Jan - April 2022

The particular photo was taken from a recent trip to Hwange in August last year and taken from Nyamandlovu viewing platform (one of the ‘must go to’ when in Hwange).

A lone bull wandered in to bathe, drink and play in the water. The naughty baboons were creating a scene and misbehaving, and his highness here had quite enough of their nonsense and chased them, spraying them with water and putting on quite a show with his trumpeting and carrying on. This seemed to please the baboons greatly who only turned up the volume on their bad behavior and eventually his royal highness took his leave looking rather annoyed at his defeat in discipline.

At 12 when we went into the campsite, we heard that a small pride of lion were on a buffalo kill. We had lunch quickly and went to find them. We were disappointed to find the lions way off from the kill and hiding from the midday heat under some shady trees, and at this point I would have killed a buffalo for a shady tree, it was sweltering.

We waited around for ages and finally some vultures came in, at least there was some movement for photos. As the vultures closed

Heading home, all was very quiet, until we had to stop for a while for an oncoming elephant – it was happily strolling down the middle of the road straight towards us. We sat, just waiting a while to see what it was going to do – to see if we needed to turn around or if we would be able to go forward again. Then after a few lifts of the trunk to smell the air it moved off into the bush. We moved forward cautiously – just to make sure it wasn’t going to pop out right in front of us again… and then we realised what it must been smelling.

Just the cherry on the top of a day of fabulous (and much unexpected) game viewing… a leopard! First time the girls have seen one in the wild. I grabbed the camera as it was moving down the tree and didn’t even have time to focus properly – and still we got it – even the water coming off it’s back. It moved into the grass – turned to give us a last look – and headed off again into thick bush – just as the elephant popped out again.

The girls’ excitement was just so special to experience too - Zimbabwe parks definitely have a way of giving you unexpected surprises.

in, the male lion that we had not even previously noticed charged out of the bush to protect his meal.

Wow, no one had anticipated that! I didn’t get any shots, but that definitely perked up our attention. As the sun drifted across the sky, we watched the pride come in one at a time, every now and again, to inspect their dinner only to walk off again into the shade. The vultures were now edging closer and the largest lioness was getting very edgy. I noticed her starting to stalk a vulture from below the ridge,I focused in on her and hoped everyone else had seen what she was up to. Within seconds she was in a full charge at the vulture, who naturally took off rather hastily. Where we had parked had provided the absolute best vantage point for her face, when she charged. Looking at the images now it almost feels like she is staring right at me over her kill.

Remember to always keep a healthy distance at a kill, lions are very possessive of their meals.

SAFARI STORIES | ZIMBABWE

[ WRITER / PHOTO:

Suzanne Elliott Smith ]

A LITTLE KNOWN GEM We are incredibly lucky here in Zimbabwe with so many National Parks and game reserves… Hwange, Mana Pools, Gonarezhou etc. but we don’t always have the time, or the finances to visit these places. Some of us, however, are so incredibly lucky to live close to places that might not be nearly as large as the more well-known places, but hold just as much punch in the magic and memory stakes. An absolute favourite of ours is one such place…the absolute gem that is Chamabonda National Park. Part of Zambezi National Park but not very well known, this park that runs along the Kazungula road is absolutely fantastic.

I tried to pick one story and one photo to go with it. It was completely impossible. I have literally, thousands of pictures taken there, and that is just from the last two- and a-bit years. We have done game drives there early morning, we have gone in the afternoon, spent full days, just popped in briefly, and we have camped (just the most basic of camps set up on one of the hides). Many a time – sometimes as a family, sometimes with friends (I have even gone alone with just my two kids).

We have been kept awake by the whooping of hyena, and by the roaring of lions, and the squealing and chattering sounds of jackal, and the trumpeting and drinking of huge herds of elephant.

[ WRITER / PHOTO: Michelle Berry ] So, for my last story… which park to write about was an incredibly hard choice! I love them all. Matopos is very close to my heart, but as I live in Matopos I decided it probably didn’t count as a park I’d visited.

So I will talk about our trip in December 2020, which was filled with more firsts for us. Our first stop was Gonarezhou National Park, where we camped at Rossi pools for a few nights. We can’t wait to come back to this gorgeous campsite, what an amazing view!!!!

We thoroughly enjoyed seeing this park for the first time. Unfortunately the river was flowing so we couldn’t cross over to Chilojo cliffs but we look forward to getting there soon.

We then went past Lake Mutriwiki National Park and spent one night there. This park totally surprised us with the amount of game and how beautiful the scenery is! We plan to go back there this year for a longer stay.

[ WRITER / PHOTO: Trevor Lowein ] A bit of an old story but one that unfolded over four hours. A pack of painted dogs had made a kill on the edge of Guvalala Pan in Hwangwe and remained there after consuming their prey.

I arrived around eight in the morning and found a lone kudu bull in the water with the whole pack of dogs spread around the perimeter. The waiting game was on, very cunning and clever are these dogs. At times the whole pack would lie down facing away from the kudu to show that they had lost interest. Only one dog would be watching, seemingly out of the corner of its eye.

We spent our last morning at Great Zimbabwe exploring the ruins, before heading home.

To cut a long story short, this kudu left the pan on three occasions with the whole pack in pursuit. On each of these runs the kudu made a U-turn about 500 metres from the pan and returned to the safety of the water.

Another fantastic trip exploring the beautiful parks this amazing country has to offer…all done in a Landrover and not one breakdown.

On his final exit from the water at around one o’clock, only two of the dogs trailed him and he made good his freedom.

We have had lions mating right next to the car, wild dogs lazing right by the 3rd platform and thinking about taking on a passing giraffe and zebra, jackals nipping at the butts of hyena as they try to drink, super herds of buffalo filling the Chamabonda Vlei, huge herds of elephants appearing out of nowhere to come for a drink, journeys of giraffe walking out in the open, prides of lions with incredibly handsome big maned males spending hours at a waterhole, majestic sables and very large eland with their clicking feet. Seen a huge variety of birds (my best being the slightly crazy secretary bird just seen in the long grass, or the many kori bustards you see along the way) and so much more.

We have seen new life in baby hyena and baby bush pigs and lapwing chicks diving for cover.

We have seen death in the old limping buffalo, in the kill near the road, the vultures cleaning up a carcass, and in the bones lying around the place. We have seen and learnt so much from this place. And most of the time we have been seemingly alone in the park – other than the birds and the wildlife.

We have driven up and down that Vlei a lot – we go as often as we possibly can and it never disappoints. So here is just the smallest snippet of one of our most favourite places.

Happy travels!

Jan - April 2022 | TRAVEL & LEISURE

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BOOK REVIEWS

A WINDOW ON ZAMBIA’S PAST

by Gill Staden A fascinating look at the history and culture of Zambia, from the notorious slave trade which was in effect before colonisation, to the influence of people from the north moving into Zambia, the missionaries, farmers and the power of the chiefs - some of which were good, some of which were evil.

Well researched with names and dates, identifying tribes, routes and areas with clear maps and photographs, this extremely interesting book will add to the enjoyment of travellers to Zambia. It will also appeal to anyone wanting to know a little more about their home country.

Published by Gill Staden, who is the author of two previous books on Zambia, An Historical Guide to Livingstone and Beyond the Victoria Falls. A Window on Zambia is available on Amazon.

Available from Africa Talked africatalks@africatalked.co.za.

Check out the website for more fascinating books https://www.africatalked.co.za/

K O O B S W E I REV Book Review by Lesley Thomson, Africa Talked

BIRDS OF ZAMBIA

by Rory McDougall & Derek Solomon A concise and user-friendly guide to 425 of the estimated 782 species of birds to be found in Zambia, this handy compact book includes information on habitats, bird distribution, maps and superb colour photographs of each bird identified. Though mostly identifying the more common and conspicuous birds, a few ‘specials’ are included. Common names as well as scientific names, whether familiar, vulnerable or endangered, if the breeding male has a longer tail, and the bird’s call, are all included.

The quick reference guide is a perfect size for pockets and backpacks. Rory McDougall and Derek Solomon are both highly acclaimed ornithologists and authors.

Published by Struik Nature, Penguin Random House ISBN 978 1 77584 714 4 Available from Africa Talked africatalks@africatalked.co.za.

Check out the website for more fascinating books https://www.africatalked.co.za/

SNAKES AND OTHER REPTILES of Zambia and Malawi

by Darren Pietersen, Luke Verburgt, John Davies This is the first definitive field guide to describe all of the 240 known species of reptiles in Zambia and Malawi. With clear descriptions and behavioural patterns, excellent colour photographs, diagrams and up-to-date distribution maps, this important guide includes 14 endemic and several new discoveries. It also advises on the different venom types, which are dangerous to humans and the basic principles of snake bite treatment.

Authored by highly respected herpetologists specialising in African reptiles and amphibians, and leaders in their field, this comprehensive guide is written in a manner that will be understood by the layman as well as scientists.

A welcome, and extrememly usable and significant record of the snakes and reptiles in Zambia and Malawi.

Published September 2021 by Struik Nature / Penguin Rand House ISBN 9781775847373

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