|
Africa Travel Newsletter > Zambia - The Promise Unveiled > Page 2
1.1 Zambia - The Promise Unveiled
South Luangwa is always
brilliant- whether on 4X4 vehicle, horse or elephant back, river canoe,
or simply on foot. Said to be the home of ‘walking
safaris’, the park offers very good up-close game viewing- but
remember the animals are wild, and it is not a good idea to walk
without an armed game ranger. On these jaunts, the songs of birds,
rambling of buffaloes, trumpeting of elephants, roaring of lions,
buzzing of insects and chirping of crickets fill the air.
The park is at its best at the start and end of the summer rains in
November through to December, and April through to May. At this time,
the park is lush with vegetation and rampant with new life. The best
time to view wildlife is during the winter season- particularly
between August and September, when the water levels are at their lowest
and animals congregate in huge numbers around the waters edge.
The South Luangwa has come a long way, having survived a dark period in
1980s and early 1990's. At that time unbridled poaching saw its black
rhinos wiped out, and its tuskers seriously depopulated. All this is
now in the past and it today offers Zambia’s best safari
experience. It is also the country's most accessible game sanctuary and has well regarded accommodation and amenities.
The Luangwa for all its accomplishments is hardly crowded, and it
receives few visitors than equivalent parks in more popular safari
destinations. The park is easily accessible by road from Mfuwe, but
those with less time to spare prefer to fly in.
Kafue National Park is the oldest and largest of Zambia’s game
parks. At 22,400 square km, it is the size of a small country, and is
Africa’s second largest national park. It was established in 1924
and named
after the river of the same name. Stretching over the country’s
North Western, Central and Southern Provinces, the park lies in close
proximity to Lusaka and the Copperbelt and is accessible from all sides
of the country’s 4 main highways.
Kafue’s landscape varies greatly but most prominent are miombo
woodlands, riverine forests and marshy grasslands known as
‘dambos’. The north of the park is dominated by floodplains
and rich wetlands, where the stunning unspoilt plains of Busanga
harbour an abundance of game and bird-life. The area lies between the
Lunga, Lufupa and Kafue Rivers, and enjoys luxuriant vegetation.
The south of the park is characterised by miombo and mopane woodlands,
open grasslands, rocky outcrops and Kalahari sandveld. Nanzhila Plains,
Lake Itezhi-Tezhi and Ngoma Forest are the main attractions.
Kafue has 55 species of animals, but it is largely antelope country.
The red lechwe, sitatunga and Defassa waterbuck are the stars. Others
of their species that roam the vast wetlands include: impala, eland,
duiker, roan, blue wildebeest, Lichtenstein's hartebeest,
grysbok, oribi, sable, kudu, puku, oribi, and reedbuck.
Other common residents include elephant, zebra and buffalo, and a good
count of predators such as lion, cheetah and the occasional leopard.
You will also find wild dog, hyena, jackal, serval, civet, genet,
bushpig, warthog, porcupine, vervet monkey, and baboon. At the Kafue
River, numerous hippos, water monitors and crocodiles have found a
welcome.
Birding at Kafue, especially at the river and the swamps is excellent,
and over bird 400 species have been sighted. Here you will find
numerous water birds, and others such as spoonbills, Fulleborn’s
longclaw, fish eagles, African finfoot, Pel’s fishing owl,
goliath Heron,
Bohms bee-eater, purple crested loerie, great cormorants, half collared kingfisher and the wattled crane.
In addition to game viewing and bird watching, a bonus at Kafue is the
excellent game fishing. At the end of the line a good day may reel in
bream, fresh water pike, catfish and barbell. An annual fishing
competition is held every September at Lake Itezhi Tezhi.
The Lower Zambezi National Park is third ranked among Zambia’s
wildlife habitats. It is situated just east of Lusaka, and is on the
northern banks of the Zambezi River. Game viewing and birdwatching here
are excellent. You can also take canoe safaris, and your fishing day
out will be made by the tiger fish, bottle-nose fish and bream.
Nsumbu National Park near the country’s border with Tanzania
spreads over 2,000 square km. It touches the shores of Lake Tanganyika,
enjoying an 80 km stretch of beach. Nsumbu’s landscapes are
picture perfect, with its lakeside cliffs and sandy shorelines.
Wildlife is in good measure, and there are good opportunities for a
walking safari, boating and sport fishing. Fish to
catch here include Tigerfish, Lake Salmon, Nile Perch, Yellow Belly, Golden Perch and Vundu Catfish.
Be on the look out for beautifully plumaged birds, including the
flamingo. The beach looks made for a memorable sun and sand holiday.
But only the intrepid would dare, owing to the presence of weighty
hippos and giant Nile crocodiles. There are a few good accommodation
spots at Nsumbu.
Kasanka National Park in the central region is Zambia's first
privately-funded and managed national park. Though a national park
since 1942, Kasanka was nearly de-listed in the 1980's having greatly
devalued as a wildlife sanctuary due to poaching and poor management.
It was saved by collaboration between wildlife experts and the local
community. You can watch game at the park including
such delights as the slender snouted crocodile, and the rare sitatunga antelope.
The Lochinvar National Park -part of which is a World Heritage Wetland
site, is renowned for its wonderful birding opportunities. Together
with the Blue Lagoon – a 500 sq. km wildlife haven 100 km west of
Lusaka –the two parks are favourites with birders. Lochinvar is
found to the south west of Lusaka.
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe,
is home to Zambia’s share of the awe inspiring Victoria Falls.
Mosi-oa-Tunya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and lives off the Zambezi
River which draws the boundary between the two countries. Covering just
66 sq. km- it is pretty small as far as
national parks go. It divides into two sections: a wildlife sanctuary
on one side, and the mighty falls on the other –each of which has
a separate entry.
Nature in the area is varied and rich. Numerous antelope species,
zebras, giraffes, and hippos are found here. More importantly,
Mosi-oa-Tunya is home to Zambia’s only surviving rhino. There are
also several herds of elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, klipspringer,
vervet monkey, baboon and the occasional lion and leopard. The upstream
and downstream sides of the falls each hosts distinct fish fauna. Below
the falls, the fish species count is 39, while upstream it
is 84. Some of the fish species are endemic to the Zambezi.
Victoria Falls is listed among the Seven Wonders of the Natural World,
in the exalted company of the Grand Canyon (US), Great Barrier Reef
(Australia) and Mount Everest (Nepal).
The western world first heard of the falls in 1855 from David
Livingstone - the Scottish missionary and explorer. The spellbound
explorer reported: "No one can imagine the beauty of the view from
anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by
European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by
angels in their flight". He named the falls after Queen Victoria, then England's monarch.
Victoria Falls is the world's largest curtain of falling water. The
magnificent, awe-inspiring spectacle arises as the mighty Zambezi River
spreading over nearly 2 km plunges into a narrow chasm 120 metres
below. It gives rise to a ferocious torrent of mist and thunder. The
mist can rise to a height above 1.5 km, and can be seen from
up to 40 km away. When the Zambezi is in full flood- around February
and March, the flow over the falls exceeds 8 million litres of water
per second.
The Kololo people of Zambia called the falls Mosi-oa-Tunya - 'The Smoke
that Thunders'. Victoria Falls is Zambia's most popular destination for
international visitors. The country has somewhat
benefited from the decline of Zimbabwe, previously the more popular
base for viewing the falls. The city of Livingstone in particular
has done well from the recent growth of the tourist trade, and it has
many new luxury hotels, lodges, and shops. You can get into Livingstone
by flying from Lusaka or Johannesburg.
Victoria Falls has in recent years developed into a centre for extreme
sports and adventure travel. At the Batoka Gorge, you can experience 23
white water rapids, within the high and hard basalt walls. For this
incomparable thrill, you go over the rapids in large
rubber rafts. Most visitors take the half-day, full day or two-day
option. But hardened adventurers go for a week-long ride to the mouth
of Lake Kariba. To go over all the rapids, you need to go between June
and February. The rest of the year water levels are high and you can
only do the last thirteen.
For a rush of adrenaline, take a helicopter flip over the falls or down
the Batoka Gorge. But no extreme sports lover will leave without taking
the world- renowned bungee jump at the Victoria Falls Bridge. The jump
is taken in the no-man's land between Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
You can undertake river boarding to experience some of the best fresh
water surfing you will ever encounter. There are also opportunities for
kayaking and jet boating. At the high walls of the Batoka Gorge, more
thrills can be experienced by way of abseiling, cable swinging, gorge
swinging and rap jumping.
The most stunning views of the falls are from air. There are micro
flights featuring open cockpits that enable game viewing upstream of
the falls over Mosi- oa- Tunya Park or an aerial perspective of the
rapids through the Batoka Gorge. Another aerial option commonly
referred to as the “Flight of the Angels” is conducted
using light aircraft. With the angels, you will experience splendid
views of Zambezi, the tremendous spray, and the winding gorges curved
by the awesome power of the falls. In addition, you can take a flight
in a tethered balloon.
In spite of its promise, Zambia has over the years lost a substantial
lot of its wildlife heritage to poaching. The country received 6500,000
foreign visitors in 2005. With on-going reforms, and improved
infrastructure, Zambia stands a good chance of becoming a significant
safari destination. To see the highlights of the country,
it is generally recommended you take an escorted Zambia safari package that includes transport, guide, park fees and accommodation.
Zambia enjoys a pleasant year-round sub-tropical climate. The country
lies below the equator, giving it distinct winter and summer seasons.
Summers last from November through April, and come with warm wet days,
and a good 700 mm of rainfall. This period occasionally experiences
tropical storms and floods, and access roads are then muddy and
impassable. This is when you find most parks closed, and viewing
animals is in any case difficult as the vegetation is high.
The month of May witnesses a transition from summer to winter. As the
rains subside, the first part of winter sets in starting June through
to August. Conditions remain cool but dry, and you have temperatures at
an average of 12 degrees Celsius. September to October is the second
part of winter- when it gets hot and dry -with
temperatures averaging 32 degrees Celsius. This is usually the best
time to visit if your interest is game viewing. Water levels are at
their lowest and animals in their numbers congregate at the waters edge.
Zambia's climate calls for easy cotton wear. Brimmed caps or safari
hats are a must to protect you from the unrelenting African sun.
Comfortable waterproof boots are advised, as parts of the country are
quite swampy. The humidity in the region makes it prone to malaria, and
every traveller is advised to take some anti-malarial
prophylactics. Insect repellents are quite handy, but you should still sleep under a mosquito net.
NOTE: If you have a
friend who is going on vacation to Africa and would find the above
information useful then you can email this page to the person by clicking here
|
