Grading:
Anyone in good
health with a sense of adventure and humour should be able to take part.
There is no real physical difficulty involved, and the hikes are in the
scope of most; but as in much of Africa, where we go off the beaten track,
there will be rough roads, limited facilities, some basic accommodation, and
permanent campsites, which may require you to adjust your level of
expectations.
NB:
Although it is our
intention to operate this itinerary as printed in the brochure and detailed
below, it may be necessary to make some changes as a result of alterations
to flight/boat/train schedules, climatic conditions, or other operational
factors. As a consequence, the order or location of overnight stops may
vary from those outlined.
Included meals are indicated in the daily itinerary (i.e. BLD - Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner).
Day 1: Join Tour in Lusaka
We
are collected at Lusaka International Airport and it is a short drive to our
hotel in the outskirts of Lusaka. Lusaka lies at the junction of the main
highways to the north, east, south and west, and at an altitude of 1,300
metres above sea level has a year round pleasant climate. The capital
covers an area of over seventy square kilometres and is one of the fastest
growing cities in Central Africa. This afternoon is free for personal
exploration (unescorted) and offers us the chance to visit Cairo Street with
all its shops and street stalls and the markets which are a hive of
activity, riotous in colour and where the thousands of shanty stalls are
filled and cleared every day.
Motel/lodge, 1 night.
Day 2: Kasanka National Park
After breakfast we start our adventure by heading north, through rich
farmland on the Great North Road to Kasanka National Park. This peaceful
sanctuary, situated on the south western edge of Lake Bangweulu Basin is one
of Zambia‘s smallest National Parks. It is only 450 square kilometres, but
is so well endowed with rivers, lakes, wetlands, forests, lagoons, meadows
and dambos that it supports a wide range of mammals and abundant birds, fish
and reptiles. It is surely one of Zambia‘s most picturesque parks and best
kept secrets. We undertake a game drive on our way to our camp.
2 nights, Rondavel’s (BD).
Day 3: Kasanka National Park
Kasanka forms part of the Great Bangweulu Basin, which incorporates the vast
Bangweulu Lake, a massive wetland area, which lies in a shallow depression
in the centre of an ancient crater in the North Zambian plateau. The basin
is fed by seventeen principal rivers from a catchment area of 190,000 square kilometres,
but is drained by only one river, the Laupula. Today we go for an early
morning drive to a special platform hide, eighteen metres high, in a giant
Mululu tree with a panoramic view over the Kapani Swamps. We endeavour to
spot the rare and elusive swamp-dwelling Sitatunga from here. Together with
Kasanka‘s noted birdlife; the mammals; Puku, Waterbuck, Sable Antelope,
Elephants, Buffalo, Hartebeest, Sharp’s Grysbok as well as their predators,
can be seen on our game drive through grassy plains, “mushitu“ forests,
large tracts of Miombe woodland, riverine forest and papyrus swamps. Over
330 bird species have been recorded, including such rarities as Pel‘s
Fishing Owl, Pygmy Goose, Ross‘s Loerie and Wattled Crane. If we are lucky
we will catch a glimpse of the rare Shoebill Stork. In the afternoon we
have the option to canoe, meandering down the exquisitely beautiful Luwombwa
River, looking for the rare African Finfoot and Slender Snouted Crocodile,
or to undertake an exciting walking safari accompanied by an armed scout
(optional).
BLD
Day 4: Livingstone‘s Memorial
This
morning we take a pleasant drive to Livingstone‘s Memorial in Chitambo‘s
Village. Creatively decorated houses of the Bemba people, surrounded by
tall Miombe woodland line the road. The memorial is situated on the spot
where David Livingstone drew his last breath. His servants buried his heart
under a nearby tree, then wrapped his body and carried it 1,500 km over
eleven months to the coast where it was shipped back to England. Shortly
after his death an inscription was carved on the Mpundu tree under which he
died: Livingstone, May 4, 1873, and the names of his three followers. A
cast of this is now preserved at the Livingstone Museum, and the original
carving in the museum of the Royal Geographical Society in London. On the
way to the spectacular Kundalila Falls, meaning “cooing dove“, we visit a
Bemba village to have a glimpse of their way of life. The falls, set amidst
great scenic beauty near the lip of the Machinga Escarpment on the Kaombe
River, plummets seventy metres (230 feet) into a deep pool where we can swim
in safety and solitude. Kundalila is famous for its wild flowers and the
rare blue monkey inhabits the surrounding forest. The view from the top of
the falls out over the distant Luangwa Valley is breathtaking. We end our
day‘s driving by staying overnight at Mpika, one of the frontier towns in
the northern province, which can be explored at your leisure
(unaccompanied).
Overnight in Rest House (BL)
Day 5: Mbala
Heading further north we pass through rich farmland, changing scenery and
rural villages to Mbala, which was known as Abercorn before independence.
Mbala played an important role during the First World War because of its
proximity to the German East African border and is also the place where
German forces surrendered their control of East Africa. In the afternoon we
visit the Moto Moto museum, which holds an impressive and well displayed
range of cultural artefacts from the tribes of the Northern Province. There
are archaeological finds and historical displays of the earliest
explorations. We also have the opportunity to mingle with the local people
this afternoon as we explore this old colonial town.
Overnight in a lodge (BL).
Day 6: Lake Tanganyika
Today we travel a short distance to Mpulangu, Lake Tanganyika. This vast
inland sea was first made known to the European world in the mid 1800‘s by
the English explorers Richard Burton and John Speke. They pursued it as the
source of the Nile, arriving at its shores in February 1858 only to discover
that the Ruzuzi River in the north, which they thought to be the Nile,
flowed into and not out of the lake. We explore Mpulungu, Zambia‘s only
port, during the morning. It is a small town, which bustles with activity
when ships dock having brought goods from Burundi and Tanzania. It lays in a
natural bay along the lakeshore, protected by a large island a few hundred
metres offshore. It has a fishing village and every evening at sunset a
long procession of fishing boats hitches a ride from one of the bigger
fishing barges and heads out to the horizon for the evening‘s catch. This
afternoon we board MV Liemba, for our lake ulendo (journey) to the north of
Lake Tanganyika and Tanzania. The MV Liemba is a large former German
warship, converted into a passenger ferry. It was originally built as a
cargo vessel. When Germany occupied Tanganyika when the First World War
broke out it was converted to a military expedition ship to be used against
the British in Northern Rhodesia and the Belgian Congo. It was bombed and
sunk by the Belgians in 1916, raised and dragged to Kigoma where it sank
again. The British, who had taken control of Tanganyika after the war,
raised it again and renovated it into a passenger and cargo vessel. Liemba
was the name Livingstone gave to the Africans living in the area when he
first reached the lake.
2 nights on board en-route to Kigoma
(BL)
Day 7: MV Liemba
Today we continue steaming north to Kigoma visiting various small fishing
villages along the way. Lake Tanganyika‘s water laps Tanzania, Burundi, the
Congo and Zambia. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world and the
second deepest after Lake Baikal in Russia. The lake stretches north to
south a distance of 677 km and is 50 km at its widest point. The clear
water hosts more than 350 species of fish. This is a
journey of a lifetime not to be missed and offers us a spectacular
experience of this vast lake in the heart of the continent, with
breathtaking sunsets over the Congo and the sheer cliffs of Mahale National
Park in the east.
(B)
Day 8: Kigoma
We
arrive at Kigoma in the early afternoon after having our last look at one of
the ferry stops at a village. When the ferry arrives at a village it is
greeted by a floating market selling dried fish and other foodstuffs, while
passengers are ferried to and from the shore on rickety fishing boats. We
transfer to our hotel next to the lake. The afternoon is at leisure to
explore the largest town on Lake Tanganyika, founded in 1915. Kigoma has a
cosmopolitan mood. The town itself is small and easy-going, snaking uphill
from the lakeshore along a long avenue lined with mango trees, and the
surrounding hills are very scenic. We can visit the “Kaiser House“ built in
the German colonial era or browse through the busy market. (Afternoon
unescorted).
2 nights hotel BL
Day 9: Gombe Streams National Park
After an early breakfast we board our chartered motorboat to embark on one
of the greatest adventures in the world: Chimpanzee trekking. Our trip
north to Gombe Streams follows close to the lakeshore with spectacular
scenery on the landside and the Congo Mountains on the lakeside. As our
boat glides through the clear waters of Lake Tanganyika towards the sandy
beaches and rugged hills of Gombe Streams National Park, the beauty of this
unique place strikes us. Covering only 52 square km, this park is a narrow
strip of mountainous country bounded in the east by the crest of the eastern
Rift Valley Escarpment and in the west by Lake Tanganyika. In 1960, Jane
Goodall began a study of wild chimpanzees here and today it is the longest
running study of any wild animal population in the world. We embark on a
trek to spot the chimpanzee, which is classified among the great apes, with
the gorilla and orang-utan. Our first awareness of the
wild chimps may be through hearing their calls “pant-hoot“. We follow
trails through beautiful evergreen forest to the Kakombe waterfalls and then
follow the stream trail on the lookout for the colobus, red tail and blue
monkey’s and even the olive baboons might be feeding on the lakeshore. This
park supports a wide variety of birds as well as insects and reptiles and
forest mammals: Primates, bush baby, bushbuck, bush pig, porcupine, civet,
genet, palm civet, mongoose and chequered elephant shrew. There is an
opportunity to use a facemask to observe the fascinating fish while swimming
in the lake, which is bilharzia free at Gombe Streams National Park. After
an adventurous day we cruise back to Kigoma, while we have a sun downer
watching the sun set over the Congo. A National Park’s scout accompanies
all walks in Gombe Streams.
(BL)
Day 10: Ujiji.
Today we explore Ujiji said to be one of Africa‘s oldest market villages.
It was a 19th century Arab trading post and still shows Swahili
influences. This is where Burton and Speke first set foot on Lake
Tanganyika’s Tanzanian shore. Livingstone lived here for several months in
1872 and it is where Stanley uttered the immortal phrase “Doctor
Livingstone, I presume“. We visit this historic site where there are
plaques commemorating both events. We venture down to the lakeshore where
we can watch local fisherman and boat builders ply their trade. In the
afternoon we return to Kigoma where we board the train to Dodoma.
Overnight train (B)
Day 11: Dodoma.
We
travel by train to Dodoma through the heartland of Tanzania. We have a
glimpse of the vastness of Africa en-route to the capital of Tanzania. The
central region of Tanzania was one of the first to be explored by outsiders
when, between 1905 and 1914, Germany constructed the 1,238km-railway line
from Dar-es-Salaam to Kigoma. They were not trailblazing but followed a
centuries old slave caravan route that ran through Dodoma and Tabora,
reaching the lakeshore at Ujiji. Thus we follow in the footsteps of Burton
and Speke and Stanley in his search for Livingstone. The route takes us
through vast plains and indigenous woodlands. The scenery becomes more
lushes the closer we get to Dodoma with indigenous forest, swamp and dense
Miombe woodland along the line.
Overnight Dodoma Hotel.
Day 12: Mikumi
National Park
After breakfast we travel via Morogoro through Mikumi National Park en-route
to Udzungwa National Park. Mikumi National Park lies in a floodplain with
high ground on either side. This park hosts a considerable population of
antelope and their predators; Masai giraffe, Liechtenstein’s hartebeest,
blue wildebeest and Bohor‘s reedbuck. We turn east into the Arc Mountains
to Udzungwa Mountains National Park. 2 nights lodge.
(BL)
Day 13: Udzungwa Mountains National Park
The
Udzungwa Mountains are part of the eastern Arc Mountains and have been
described as the “Galapagos Island of Africa“. It is a forest that has
survived due to traditional belief and taboos! This National Park is
described as a “Primate National Park“since it is the only park, which
harbours ten (10) species of primates of which 4 are endemic. Not only do
we find endemic mammals but also find endemic birds notably Udzungwa
partridge and the Rufus-winged sunbird. We explore the National Park on
foot, escorted by a National Park scout, and trek on forest paths to the
Sanje waterfall, which has natural pools where swimming is allowed. The
mountains with their blanket of green mantled forest and mist are the core
of Udzungwa. There are hundreds of different species of trees, shrubs,
climbers and herbs of which around 50 are restricted to this area. Due to
the remoteness of the park we will concentrate our exploration of the park
to the Mwanihana portion. This area contains the Sanje waterfall and
primates such as black and white colobus, red colobus, Sanje mangabey, yellow baboon,
Skye’s and vervet monkey. A wide variety of mammals including elephant,
lion, leopard, buffalo, eland, suni, bush pig has been recorded in the
park. A visit to a traditional healer in the local village gives us an
insight to taboos and medicinal properties of the plants and herbs found in
the park. (Optional)
(BL)
Day 14: Iringa
Today we venture west and follow one of the most scenic routes in Tanzania
to our overnight stop in Iringa. Situated on a hill offering great views
over the Ruaha Valley, this compact town has an atmospheric old German
quarter near the market, while Majumba Street, the main trading road is very
colourful and lively. The market is an excellent place to buy local woven
rugs and baskets. We have the afternoon to explore the town and mingle with
the local people (unescorted).
Overnight hotel (BL)
Day 15: Ruaha National Park
Leaving the high altitude of Iringa behind us we travel to Ruaha National
Park through rural landscape and ever changing scenery. We settle into our
bandas at Tungamalenga on the fringe of the park and have the afternoon to
explore the surrounding local village, see how the villagers live and manage
their life, visit a local school, and for the energetic a 10km walk to the
Malunde falls.
Note: all excursions optional – a small fee to be paid to a local guide as
part of responsible tourism. This is the best opportunity for us to see the
rural life on the fringe of the great wilderness of the African bush and the
best opportunity to buy Makondo curious.
3 nights bandas (BLD)
Day 16 & 17: Ruaha National Park
We
explore the park in the next 2 days through game viewing (we are situated
10m from park boundary). Ruaha is Tanzania‘s second largest National Park,
covering an area of 12,950 square kilometres. The greater Ruaha ecosystem
covers roughly 26,000 square kilometres and is regarded to be one of the
wildest areas anywhere in Tanzania. The fauna and flora of Ruaha is
transitional between southern and eastern Africa. A wide variety of
habitats are protected within the park, including evergreen forest and
swamps, but the dominant vegetation type is brachystegia woodland, followed
by broken acacia grassland, dotted with boabab trees. The National Park
lies at the southern end of the range of several large mammal species,
including lesser kudu, Grant‘s gazelle and striped hyena. It is probably
the last accessible part of East Africa where the African hunting dog
survives in significant numbers and it harbours a number of mammals which
are rare or absent in Northern Tanzania. Other mammals are roan and sable
antelope, elephants, buffalo, giraffe, warthog, eland. Most predators are
present in large numbers and it is an excellent place to see leopard. Hippo
and croc are abundant in the Ruaha River. Over 400 bird species have been
recorded. The remoteness of Ruaha is its greatest charm and its very
inaccessibility makes it one of the highlights of this adventure. We
conduct game drives that last the whole day and we have our lunch break in
some remote area under a shady tree in the park.
(2xB, 2xL, 2xD)
Day 18: Isimila Stone-age Site.
We
leave this remote wilderness behind and ulendo (journey) to Isimila via
Iringa. We explore one of East Africa‘s richest stone-age sites on foot.
Stone-age people of the late Acheulian Culture about 60,000 inhabited
Isimila years ago at which time the dry riverbed was a shallow lake. We
visit the small museum housing a number of their tools including cleavers
and hand axes. Also to be seen are fossilised bones and the teeth of the
extinct hippopotamus gorgops. We continue to explore the area on
foot following another valley where we find a group of striking 10m high
sandstone pillars, carved by a river, which dried up centuries ago. We
continue our journey through the highland area of Mufindi, known for its tea
production, to Mbeya. It is an appealing town, with a skyline dominated by
the impressive Mbeya Range of mountains. In the afternoon we can explore
the town unescorted.
Overnight hotel (BL)
Day 19: Lake Malawi
We
turn south travelling through the tea estates, fringed by spectacular
mountain ranges, to Malawi. We cross into Malawi at Songwe and follow the
coast to Chitimba where we overnight. Lake Malawi, the second of the great
African lakes we explore on this adventure, looks and feels very tropical
with broad sweeps of white shimmering sand, scattered with quartz pebbles
and fringed with palm trees. The lake occupies one fifth of Malawi‘s total
landmass and is the third largest in Africa, stretching 575km in length and
85km at its widest point. The 23,000 square kilometres of this vast inland
sea are fed by 14 rivers but drained by only one. The afternoon is spent on
the edge of the lake enjoying the calm waters and sheltered beaches. David
Livingstone was the first British person to “discover“ Lake Malawi.
Overnight lodge (BLD)
Day 20: Viphya Plateau
This
morning our journey continues southwards to Luwawa Forest Reserve, following
the course of the North Rukana River in a breathtaking ascent of the Rift
Valley Escarpment, which brings us to Mzuzu, the northern capital of
Malawi. We have time to explore one of Malawi‘s local markets and we end
our day‘s journey by passing through Chikangawa to our lodge situated in
beautiful forest surroundings. The afternoon is spent on a nature walk
where we might spot some small mammals and primates.
Overnight lodge (BLD)
Day 21: Lilongwe.
After breakfast we drive through rich farmland on the Central African
plateau to Lilongwe, the Capital of Malawi. The afternoon we have the
opportunity to explore the capital unescorted, visiting the Nature Reserve,
and to do last minute shopping at the curio stalls.
Overnight lodge. (BL)
Day 22: LIA
Transfer to airport.
(B)
