September 8

Sian’s Zambian Experience – daunting but worth it!

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September 8, 2011

This is Africa!

I was fortunate enough to join Katja from Sanctuary Retreats on a trip to South Luangwa in Zambia. We enjoyed one night at Chichele Presidential Lodge, popped into Puku Ridge and then spent two nights at Zebra Plains.

Getting There:

Travelling from Cape Town to Zambia is hectic. I don’t recommend it. Leaving from Johannesburg will lighten the load a bit but it’s even easier from Livingstone as you can fly direct into Lusaka and then take a quick flight to Mfuwe. From Johannesburg I took another flight into Lusaka (2 hrs) and then to Mfuwe with Proflight (1 hr).

Locate Zambia on the map

Airport in Zambia

Once you get into Lusaka, it really is deepest darkest Africa. While the airport is pretty jacked up, it is rather small and there are lots of military police walking around.

Clearing customs was frightening too – you’re questioned about everything, including how much money you intend to spend in the country. No questions were asked about yellow fever vaccinations even though all was in order. It takes forever to clear customs as you have your eyeballs scanned, fingerprints are taken for each finger and numerous pictures are snapped. As long as you know what to expect, it’s fine. So be prepared…

Local girl in Zambia

Once in Lusaka it is rather daunting to find the check-in counters for Pro-flight. There is only one representative who checks in all flights for Mfuwe, Jeki and Royal airstrips. Keep an eye out for this as they manually change the boards stating the airstrip and no announcements are made. The same applies for your flight – an official announces the flight and that’s that. I highly recommend that you check in as soon as possible and wait in the departure area until your flight, as you don’t want to miss it.

Pro-flight is a subsidiary of SA Airlink. Mfuwe Airport is tiny and like everywhere else, your guide will be there to meet you and assist you to the car that’ll transport you to the lodge. The drive to Chichele and Puku Ridge is in the region of three hours. The first hour of the drive takes you through the most picturesque of villages – truly one of the beauties of Zambia.

Zambian roads at sunset

The villages are absolutely spotless and the locals are such beautiful people. Zambia is a true reflection of how humans can actually live in harmony with their surrounding environments. There are a few villages that are actually in the centre of the reserve (Nsefu Sector) and are spotless. It’s rather strange watching elephants at a water hole as someone rides past them on their bicycle.

The drive can be cut short if you are able to go across the river via the pont. If not, you go around, over a bridge which is slightly quicker. Driving through the village, the pont was certainly a highlight for me even though we only got to Chichele after 19h00.

River crossing in Zambia

Camps

Chichele Presidential Lodge

This lodge is very grand and colonial in a sense, as it was built for the former Zambian President.  There is a large verandah that wraps around the whole of the main area with outstanding views of the South Luangwa. It is rather Karen Blixenish (“I had a farm in AAAfrica”) when you sit at the breakfast table in the morning. It was very dry when I was there, with not much vegetation around, but in Emerald Season it is apparently amazing. It is the most cost effective accommodation option out of the Sanctuary properties.

The Birdlife is abundant here

Look out for birds flittering past

I would highly recommend two nights here if you’re doing a circuit. You’re likely to be exhausted from your travels and this is a good way to ease into the area and the other more remote and exposed camps. There is a swimming pool and the rooms have aircon, which is essential in August/September. The food and service was fantastic with staff that you just wish you could take home with you, they’re so sweet and helpful.

Game drives from the lodge are amazing and the game in this particular area is great. Just from the lodge we saw a heard of about 2000 buffalo.

A Zambian Safari of dreams

Puku Ridge

AMAZING! The lodge is very intimate with a beautiful open lounge/bar and dining area. The lodge overlooks a natural drainage pan so there is a lot of water around in dry season. There is also plenty game activity around the lodge.

The rooms are gorgeous – big tents with mesh windows and wooded sliding doors and great outside showers. They have fantastic decks where you can sit all day and admire the view. The game drives are also fantastic! I recommend two nights here.

Sleep in comfort

Zebra Plains

Here you can enjoy great walking safaris. You are transferred from Chichele or Puku Ridge for three hours to a half way point in the morning and usually stop at one of the most impressive Ebony forests I have ever seen. There are a few lodges in this particular area so there is a fair amount of activity on offer. When you move from the half way mark you won’t see or hear another vehicle until you make your way back to the airport. The drive is long but interesting and the different vegetation types you drive through are impressive.

See various game in the wilderness of Zambia

Look our for giraafe and other animals in the Zambian wilderness

Zambia is a landlocked country lying between Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Angola. The Thornicroft Giraffe, the Cookson’s Wildebeest (sub-species of the Blue Wildebeest) and the Crawshay’s Zebra are endemic species to the Luangwa Valley. Predators such as lion, leopard and the elusive wild dog can be seen tracking their quarry whilst the rivers and tributaries are teeming with hippo, elephant and crocodile. A safari on foot also ensures that you can see many of the 400 species of birds in the area.

When you’re close to the lodge another vehicle will meet you – these are the tea bearers and tent attendants who are with you for the duration of your stay. You walk from the vehicle to the camp with your guide and a highly skilled game scout – the scouts at Zebra plains are ex-members of the Zambian anti-poaching units and are incredibly experienced and know the area backwards.

The knowledgable Garth

Zebra Plains is managed and run by Garth Hovell, who is insane. In a good way. He has over 20 years experience and his level of guiding is second to none. To give you an idea as to how wild this area is, David Attenborough’s “Life” series is filmed in many areas close to Zebra Plains and the area is home to one of the largest hippo populations on earth. It really is one of THE most beautiful places I have been to. The Camp is only open from June to October and is then broken down completely and rebuilt again the following season.

Making fire for camp

The tents were very comfortable and the amazing bucket showers were always ready when you wanted them, you didn’t even have to ask. There were beds to die for. What made things even more comfortable was the solar lighting in the tents. The camp is so remote. The meals the kitchen came up with blew me away. There were fresh salads and a great variety of food. Due to the location of the camp, you need to submit dietary requirements very early on. Strangely, I was asked if I wanted Gin and Whisky in my Bloody Mary. Hey, why not?

While the walking was a welcome change, I would not recommend it unless you are a die-hard, gung-ho walker.

Zambian boat ride

South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi are the perfect destinations to combine with Livingstone/Vic Falls and easy to connect with Malawi for a “beach” experience. It’s ideal for the more adventurous guest. There is great variety on this truly African safari and there’s the added bonus of the rich Zambian culture that makes it unforgettable.

Want to know more? Want to book your own Zambian adventure? Contact Sian or one of our other travel experts and we’ll help you plan a trip of a lifetime. Enquire now! You can also find out more about Zambia on our website and in our other blogs about Zambia.


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About the author 

Matthew Sterne

Matt discovered a passion for writing in the six years he spent travelling abroad. He worked for a turtle sanctuary in Nicaragua, in an ice cream factory in Norway and on a camel safari in India. He was a door-to-door lightbulb-exchanger in Australia, a pub crawl guide in Amsterdam and a journalist in Colombia. Now, he writes and travels with us.

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