| Picture: Robin Pope Safaris |
WITH a total of 19 national parks – the largest of
which is Kafue, the size of Wales – visitors to Zambia in
search of wildlife are spoilt for choice.
The three main draws, or Zambia’s so-called Golden
Triangle, are South Luangwa National Park, the Lower Zambezi Valley
and the Victoria Falls. In the Lower Zambezi national park many
activities are water-based, taking place on the Zambezi River. As
well as game drives, activities include gliding along crocodile and
hippo-infested waters in a tiny dug-out canoe, or fishing for the
ferocious tiger fish.
South Luangwa tends to dominate most itineraries, not least
because it is long-established, boasts outstanding guiding and is
packed with wildlife.
The park is the birthplace of Zambia’s famous walking
safaris, and is still one of the few places in Africa to offer
them. It attracts some of the best guides in Zambia who undergo
tough training.
Most of them hail from the local area and are eager to share
entertaining anecdotes that have been handed down through
generations of life in the bush.
The park’s dense bush provides a perfect habitat for its
population of leopard. I was fortunate enough to see one dart
across the road and pounce on an African wild cat, which managed to
escape into the safety of a nearby thicket. Seeing leopards on the
move is a rare treat for any safari-goer, but such interaction is
almost unheard of.
The murky Luangwa River forms a natural boundary to the east of
the park. Here, countless hippos can be seen bobbing up for air,
and the sun-baked sandbank is peppered with man-eating crocs
basking in the heat. More than 400 species of bird can be seen
flying against the backdrop of the indigo Munchinga mountains, the
park’s western border.
While it’s not possible to get that close to the animals
on foot, walking through an untamed wilderness and taking in the
sights, smells and sounds of the bush is an unforgettable
experience.
Guides teach guests how to identify footprints and dung –
and even what the animals have been eating – as well as
looking at the vegetation and its many remedial uses.
South Luangwa’s game lodges are remote and extremely
difficult to access – most are several hours’ bumpy
drive from the nearest town. Despite this, food in the lodges is
excellent.
It is usual for guests, guides and lodge managers to share meals
together, making it the ideal time to compare sightings and
exchange tales from the bush.
