I am traveling with a friend with whom I share my love for Africa. The meet and assist helps us get from the door of Schiphol Airport to the departure hall in 20 minutes. Separate check in and separate security. We travel with Emirates in one trip via Dubai and Lusaka to Mfuwe in Zambia. A perfect flight with no delays.
Typical African villages
Mfuwe has remained the same, timeless as I remember it from the first time. The sun sets and colors the sky blood red. We drive in an hour to South Luangwa National Park.
The road to the park is past typical African villages, you can smell the fires being stoked and see locals passing by on foot or by bicycle, waving happily. We are in Africa again! You smell, taste and feel it right away.
South Luangwa
The Luangwa Valley appeals to me because the Luangwa River is dominant in the landscape and there is always something to see. You’ll see animals like giraffes coming to drink and hippos and elephants crossing. Every turn gives another enchanting picture.
Dining under the stars
The nice thing about the accommodations in South Luangwa is that they are typical bush camps. Thatch is used, with often open bathrooms. During the day the front is opened completely so you are one with nature and in the evening everything is securely zipped up with canvas. You dine under the stars and fall asleep with the whinnying of hippos and lions roaring in the night in the background.
We sleep at three different lodges. By combining several locations, you get to know the enourmous park well and the huge variety of landscape and wild life. We start with Kakuli bushcamp (a typical bush camp), then the new Shawa lodge with tree house tents and end in the luxury tented villa room with its own pool in Chinzombo.
The accommodations are all top notch! The service here still comes from the heart with a smile. Everyone is friendly and helpful and service is perfect! The guides are among the best in Zambia. If you are interested in hiking safaris, Zambia is definitely the place to be!
Leopards and hunting lions
You have a good chance of encountering leopards, which is what the park is known for. We see them regularly and up close. Magnificent! Every time I am amazed. We also see troops of lions with regularity. We are lucky and also see mating lions and a pride of lions that just killed a buffalo.
Absolute highlight in terms of lions was seeing a lioness hunt. The excitement builds and after observing the herd of zebras for 10 minutes, she goes for it. Unfortunately, the Francolin birds betray the attack with a lot of noise and the zebras escape. A spectacle that could easily be a scene from a National Geographic!
Surprise!
I personally really like spotting elephants. Once, during a day’s safari, the guide surprised us with a lunch in the bush. Our table is set and with a glass of wine we are ready for a delicious lunch. Suddenly, we are summoned to return to the jeep, as a mother elephant with cubs also likes our lunch. Fortunately, the table with food is protected by an armed ranger. We are having so much fun about this event! This kind of experience makes one so happy and joyful!
The last safari day is one to remember. We see a pride of lions with two males having an impala kill. However, a large herd of elephants pounces on the spectacle which makes for very exciting moments. We are in the midst of angry elephants who try to chace the lions away with a lot of noise. But the lions don’t want to lose their prey. There is roaring and running. Of course, we are never in danger because of the knowledgeable guide who knows exactly what he is doing.
In the late afternoon, our return flight departs from Mfuwe Airport. Once again, the sky turns a beautiful red. We fly home, loaded with wonderful new experiences in the African wilderness. My fourth visit to South Luangwa was another one with a golden edge. A week-long safari, but the long days and intense experiences made it feel like three weeks. For me, definitely one of the favorite safari locations!
