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TRIP DOSSIER

ZAMBIA:  Unspoiled Eden (ZA)

(15 DAYS LAND ONLY)

Revised 31/07/2005

Zambia is considered to be “real" Africa by many people and appeals to the explorer in all of us. It beckons the intrepid, the adventurous and to those who want to step off the conveyor belt of mass tourism. Zambia offers some of the best wildlife and wild areas in all of Africa including the astonishing wildlife of Luangwa Valley, Kafue, and Lower Zambezi, not to mention the graceful Lechwe antelope filling the vast plains of Busanga and Bangweulu in their tens of thousands and the annual wildebeest migration of the Liuwa plains. Of course there is also the white water frenzy of Batoka Gorge, the ‘flight of angels’ over the ‘smoke that thunders’, the adrenalin-choked bungee jump off Victoria Falls Bridge, the limitless expanses of Lakes Kariba and Tanganyika, fishing, diving, house boating and canoeing.

Zambia is a land of long, lazy sunsets, relentless wilderness, ancestral ceremony, and smiling faces. Here you will find hills wrapped in dense emerald green woods bursting with bird song and insect noise, huge sky blue island lakes, with golden beaches and lake side resorts, waterfalls of ever changing colours fed by rushing rivers, gigantic national parks where lions roam across a sea of tawny coloured grass and where the haunting cry of a fish eagle can be heard as it plummets down to cease a silver fish in its talons. Zambia offers much for the tourist with a keen, open mind and a taste for something original and different. It is a place that appeals to travellers with an independent spirit who value personal discovery above prescribed experience. It offers opportunities for real exploration in an age of increasing dissatisfaction with the passive predictability of conventional holidaymaking.  Venture into the countryside and you will be immersed in an age old rhythm of life. This is the old eternal Africa where life goes on in the more leisurely traditional way. This is the land of small thatched houses glowing by the light of cooking fires, of women in their chitenges pounding maize with pestle and mortar, of men in dug out canoes fishing with nets, of children herding cattle, of colourful and picturesque traditional ceremonies and of exquisite baskets and beautiful pottery.

Day 1: Lusaka

After our flight, we transfer to our first night’s accommodation and check in. The rest of the day is free for a variety of optional excursions.   

Hotel/Lodge; 1 night

Day 2: Lake Kariba

After breakfast we head south, passing the Kafue flats en-route to Siavonga at Lake Kariba.  This is an excellent place to pick up beautiful Tonga baskets and carvings.  We stop over at Choma, visiting the museum, a local village and a fossil forest en-route.  This national monument dates back 150 million years.  The afternoon is spent exploring the lakeshore.  

Lodge; 2 Nights (B)

Day 3: Lake Kariba

Work on the biggest man-made lake of its time started in the 1950’s.  It was considered a triumph of mankind and came into existence following the damming of the Zambezi River to provide hydroelectric power to the industries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.  The creation of Lake Kariba was not without controversy:  the Tonga tribe was uprooted to make way for the dam, not only did they oppose the building, but according to the Tongas, Nyaminyami, the snakelike River God was opposed to the construction.  The Batonga believe the wrathful River God sent the biggest storm in 10,000 years that destroyed the cofferdams in 1957.  We visit the dam wall, which remains a major attraction. Optional excursions will be available to take a cruise at sundown or cross to the town of Kariba in Zimbabwe. For the more energetic; a canoe cruise down the mighty Zambezi may be available

(B)

Day 4: Victoria Falls

Today we travel to one of the seven natural wonders of the world; the Victoria Falls are the greatest curtain of falling water on earth.  The clouds of spray and the tremendous roar produced by this immense amount of water crashing down into a narrow chasm, gave rise to its more evocative African Name, Mosi-O-Tunya, “Smoke that Thunders”. About 1,708 metres wide and 103 metres deep at the highest point; the Victoria Falls is in fact divided into six waterfalls:  Devils Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, Armchair Falls and Eastern Cataract.

For centuries, these dazzling waterfalls were considered to be sacred and local people came here to pray and make their offerings.  Only following the visit of David Livingstone on 16^th November 1855 did they come to the attention of the western world.  Soon they became an integral part of the grand African tour for the adventurous and wealthy.  However, only with the explosion of air travel have more people been able to view them.  After settling into our lodge we head for a visit.  There can be few experiences on earth as gratifying as watching the gushing white waters of these magnificent falls.  The experience is enhanced by the fact that it is possible to walk in front of them, unlike many other waterfalls.  Well-kept paths lead to a range of different views but the most astonishing view is from the Knife Edge Bridge.  This is as close as you will ever get to the falls.

Lodge, 2 nights (B)

Day 5: Victoria Falls

Today is set aside to explore this area.  The following optional excursions are available.

• Canoeing: The natural beauty of the Zambezi is unsurpassed and a canoe trip is the best way to enjoy the upper parts of this lovely river.  This is a part of the Zambezi so different from the one that challenges white water rafters.
• Jet Boating:  For stomach-churning thrills, spin on the Zambezi in a sleek and powerful jet boat.
• River Surfing:  If you ever wanted to pit yourself against the Zambezi, river surfing is the way to do it.  After learning the basic skills of catching waves in calm water, armed only with a helmet, flippers, wetsuit and body board take on progressively larger rapids with names like Terminator, Gnashing Jaws of Death and Stairway to Heaven
• Flight of Angels:  For an unsurpassed view of the famous water falls and the Zambezi River rapids, just above and below the falls take to the air in a helicopter or light wing aircraft.  Or even more exiting take a micro light flight.
• White-water rafting:  White-water rafting is the most famous activity in the area and how it began is a piece of local history. In 1981, amid gales of publicity, Sobek, an American rafting company made the first attempt to raft the Zambezi.  This attempt was successful and within a week of this first exploratory expedition, Sobek was offering commercial trips down the Zambezi.  Today there are numerous reputable and licensed companies willing to take you down the Zambezi.  Kitted out in helmets and life jackets, you will listen closely to a final briefing from your guides.  Then you are off to a gentle start down river, but soon you find yourself hollering with fear or joy as you experience the most exciting white water in the world.
• Bungee jumping:  For sheer heart-stopping terror, bungee jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge on the Zambezi River. At 111 metres, it is reputed to be the second highest commercial bungee jump in the world.  The scenery of the gorge and the Zambezi River with the Victoria Falls as a backdrop makes this jump even more breath taking.
• Abseiling:  Expertly harnessed in climbing gear abseil down the side of the beautiful Batoka Gorge.  Or try free falling off a 70m cliff harnessed to a rope.
• River cruises.  To relax take a sundown cruise up the Zambezi River.  While gently sipping a cold drink, watch the wildlife and gorgeous sunset over the river.
• The Victoria Field Museum:  A few metres away from the falls is a museum of the Victoria Falls geology.  Built around an actual excavation site the purpose of this museum is to preserve and display material telling the story of the falls.
• The Curio Market:  The small curio market, located by the Victoria Falls car park, offers a wide range of arts and crafts.
• Mosi-O-Tunya Zoological Park, Old Drift Cemetery, Mukuni Village, Songwe Point Village, Livingstone Museum, Railway Museum and Maramba Cultural Village is also there to explore.  Your guide would assist you to organize the optional excursions you would prefer to partake in.

(B)

Day 6: Chisamba

After an early breakfast we venture north to Chisamba.  Leaving the ‘smoke that thunders’ behind we follow in the footsteps of David Livingstone passing through rich farming districts, and small thatched villages.  We stop at one of the hills where David Livingstone first surveyed the Kafue flats.  Through our ulendo a rich cultural mosaic unfold before our eyes.  This afternoon is free to explore an operational cattle farm. 

Chalets, 1 night (B)

Day 7: Kasanka National Park

After breakfast we head north through rich farmland on the Great North Road to Kasanka National Park. This peaceful sanctuary is one of Zambia's smallest National Parks. The proceeds from tourism go directly into conservation and development of the park and the surrounding communities. Kasanka is only 450 square kilometres in area, but has a wide variety of vegetation zones from dry evergreen forests to permanent papyrus swamps with rivers, lakes, lagoons, meadows and dambos. On the way to our camp you will see some of the wide range of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles that the park supports.

African Rondavel (twin share hut, communal ablutions, paraffin lamps, hot water for showers, mosquito nets; 2 nights (B, D)

Day 8: 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. Today we go for an early morning drive to a special, 18-metre-high platform hide, in a giant Mululu tree with a panoramic view over the Kapani Swamps.  We hope to spot the rare and elusive swamp-dwelling Sitatunga from here. For the remainder of the day we enjoy Kasanka’s varied birdlife and mammals; puku, waterbuck, sable antelope, elephants, buffalo, hartebeest, Sharpe’s grysbok as well as their predators to name but a few. Many come into view whilst on our game drive through grassy plains and ‘mushitu’ forests.  Over 330 bird species have been recorded, including such rarities as Pel’s fishing owl, pygmy goose, Ross’s loerie and wattled crane. We may even catch a glimpse of the rare shoebill stork!

In the afternoon you can canoe down the meandering Luwombwa River and perhaps catch a glimpse of the rare slender snouted crocodile, or try an exciting walking safari with a National Park scout (both optional). Another option exists to drive to Livingstone’s Memorial in Chitambos Village. 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 1,500km, which took them over eleven months to the coast where it was shipped back to England.

(BLD)

Day 9: Kapisha

On the way to the spectacular Kundalila Falls, we visit a Bemba village to see their way of life.  The falls plummet 70m into a deep pool where you can swim in a magnificent setting.  Kundalila and the surrounding forest is famous for its wild flowers and rare blue monkey. The view from the top of the falls out over the distant Luangwa Valley is breathtaking. Travelling via Mpika we pass huge granite outcrops and after 70km turn west on to a dust road where we visit Shiwa Ng’andu (http://www.shiwangandu.com/), situated on 4,000 hectares. This 40-roomed mansion built in the 1920’s by Sir Stewart Gore Brown can be visited (optional). After a further drive we reach Kapisha Hot Springs offering accommodation in traditional ‘rondavels’. The exquisite natural hot spring surrounded by lush tropical vegetation makes for a great scenic walk. The hot water bubbles out from the white sands of a crystal clear pool and flows into the Manshya River. Some 10km down stream are the Chusa Falls, a series of three steps, each 3 or 4 meters high and well worth a visit.  A 3-hour walk to the summit of Nachipala Bareback Hill gives a magnificent view of Lake Shiwa Ng’andu. 

Traditional Rondavels; 1 night (B)

Day 10, 11 & 12: North Luangwa National park

After an early breakfast we go north-east further into this vast wilderness and cross the escarpment into North Luangwa National Park. This remote track of land covering 4,636 square kilometres offers one of the finest wilderness experiences in Zambia if not in Africa. The beauty of visiting this Park is the truly remarkable opportunity to experience Africa as it was. It would be unusual to encounter any other tourists during our adventure here. It is wild and untouched and we are simply an unobtrusive witness to its natural beauty and drama. The National Park lies on the western bank of the Luangwa River, bordered on the other side by the dramatic Muchinga Escarpment, which rises over 1,000 meters from the valley floor. Vegetation ranges from mopane woodland to riverine forest, open grasslands and acacia thickets, beautiful Sangaje trees, vegetable Ivory Palm, Red Mahogany and Leadwood. The days are used to explore the park with its multitude of mammals and bird life on foot with an armed game scout (optional night drives). 

Reed chalets; 3 nights (3 x B, 3 x L, 3 x D)

Day 13: En-route to Lusaka.

We leave the wilderness area behind, turn to the south and go via Mpika and Serenge towards Lusaka.  We spent the afternoon walking in the Miambo Forest before we have our sundowners. 

Lodge; 1 Night (B)

Day 14: Lusaka

Arriving at lunchtime in Lusaka, we have time to do some last-minute curio shopping or we can relax next to the swimming pool at the motel. 

Motel; 1Night (B)

Day 15: To Airport

We transfer to the airport after breakfast

(B)