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| Zambia really is an outstanding country - with beautiful rugged scenery, prolific wildlife and warm friendly people - so we were thrilled to be back there earlier this year. Having lived there for five years she has a special place in our hearts. After a night at Ciela Resort, conveniently just 10 minutes from Lusaka's Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, we headed down to Royal Zambezi Lodge on the edge of Lower Zambezi National Park. And what a great start - we had a wonderful stay with elephants definitely being the highlight. They entertained us from near (in the hide) and far on all levels - visually, audibly, and with their behaviour often easily enjoyed on a anthropomorphic level. Of course they weren't the only wildlife - we had fascinating hyena interactions, displaying impala, herds of buffalo, many, many birds of course and some of the smaller things caught our eye too. We were extremely well looked after by the lodge - with delicious food at every turn, soothing massages and knowledgable guides. |
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Sunrise over the Zambezi River from the Royal Zambezi Lodge deck. |
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Bracket Fungus |
African Caper White |
Water Hyacinth family |
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Underwater views |
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Openbill Stork |
Double-banded Sandgrouse |
Little Bee-eater |
| Then we were off to the Nsefu Sector of South Luangwa National Park for an equally fabulous stay at Tafika Camp. This camp is a firm favourite of ours - a simple, rustic delight that oozes charm on every level. And - as has been said before - Luangwa always delivers; and she did! More elephants - playing in the river, looking after young, interacting family groups and more. Leopard on the first afternoon, lion harassing a herd of buffalo and the sighting of the trip - a pack of wild dog taking down an impala and then being relieved of their kill by a hyena clan! The amazing (and very vocal!) Yellow-billed Stork colony, Crowned Cranes courtship display, many more great birds and the beautiful changing colours of the Wooden Banana (Entandrophragma caudatum) - there was so much for us to enjoy. Our waistlines expanded even further with the excellent cuisine and our guides were excellent with much local knowledge and fascinating folklore tales and traditions. |
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Sunrise over the Luangwa River from Tafika Camp. |
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White-fronted Bee-eaters warming up in the early morning sun. |
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Wooden Banana (Entandrophragma caudatum) |
Vlei Ink Flower (Cycnium tubulosum) |
Lucky Bean (Abrus precatorius ) |
Wild Hibiscus (Hibiscus cannabinus) |
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A very small portion of the Yellow-billed Stork colony. |
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Grey-headed Kingfisher |
Malachite Kingfisher (juvenile) |
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Crawshay's Zebra (a subspeices) |
| A visit to Luangwa is perfectly rounded off with time spent at two unique artisan workshops - Mulberry Mongoose (stunning hand crafted jewellery from snare wire) and Tribal Textiles (beautiful hand painted textiles on 100% cotton). |
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| A really special stay in Zambia - made more so by the company of a lovely family, many of them experiencing this safari adventure for the first time. They'll be back! |
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