The call of nature was tempered by a pair of lions, male and female, sauntering through the safari lodge in the dead of night, their grunts piecing the eerily silence that had settled over the dark African bush. It’s literally a hop skip and jump to the ablution block but…to pee or not to pee?
This is perhaps one of the last truly pristine wildernesses in Zambia, if not all of Africa.
Zam Lodge on the Kafue River
The
Kafue National Park, named for the majestic Kafue River, was established in 1924. Covering an impressive 22,400 km² (slightly larger than Israel and roughly the same size as the U.S state of New Jersey), it is not only the largest game park in
Zambia, but also lays claim to the Number 2 spot in all of Africa. Stretching over three provinces -North Western, Central and Southern- the park is readily accessible from the capital Lusaka, the Copper Belt in the north and the tourist hub of Livingstone in the south of the country. Roads are generally good, and the park is also serviced by several all-weather airfields.
Despite its ease of access and great diversity of flora & fauna, the park remains little-known and unspoiled having escaped the level of commercialization that makes many of the better known African game parks, such as South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a tourist trap.
The Kafue National Park is a
must on any bucket list.
This is one of the few places south of the Congo basin where you can within a 24-hour period still encounter the
Big 5 – Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Hyena and Wild Dogs. While healthy populations of the more charismatic wildlife are standard fare, expect to be delighted by rare and elusive antelope such as sitatunga, lechwe, roan, sable and hartebeest to mention but a few. A
local safari guide with good knowledge of the park will have no problem pointing out many of the 158 documented species in the park.
Fortunately, large scale commercialization remains a distant prospect.
The ongoing liberalization of southern African economies has, though, seen numerous foreign safari operations establish a foothold in the park. It is not uncommon to see eye watering rates of USD1,000 PLUS per night. The mere presence of these operators indicates there is a market for their services; however, the “sanitized safaris” served up detracts from the true experience. Seek out a local Zambian safari operator for the quintessential African Safari Experience.
The locally operated
Zam Lodge is nestled between 2 enormous islands capping either side of a near right angle bend in the meandering Kafue River. The lodge, consisting of four cozy chalets, rotunda, kitchen, and ablution block, opens right onto the banks of the Kafue. Think “bush camp”!
Three and a half hours out of Lusaka on excellent asphalt roads, a quick lunch, and our local guide whisked us straight to the fishing grounds. Fishing on the Kafue River is excellent. Within minutes of casting, lines were running out on screaming reels. Various varieties of bream, pike, sliver barbel and monstrous black barbel would be on the menu. After an hour on the water the haul of the day was enough to feed our entire party of nine, and that was after battling the resident fish eagle. This regal bird of prey would from time to time swoop down from its lofty perch high in the forest canopy, attempting to take catch right off our lines!
With the sun setting, we headed back to camp weaving around hippos & crocs blocking our route.
Kafue River Sunset
Dinning in the rotunda was eschewed for chairs pulled up around a blazing camp fire under the brisk night sky. A sumptuous meal of freshly caught fish was washed down with copious amounts of drink capped with coffee. Nearby the kids grilled their catch the old-fashioned way -- Skewered over a ‘mini grill’ the friendly staff taught them how to make. Self-entertainment for kids, relaxation for the rest!
Zam Lodge is a child friendly safari operation. And, staff constantly keep an eye on the little ones; this is, after all, the deep African bush.
Our 3 days on the Kafue, characterized by fishing, day & night game drives, spectacularly crimson sunsets & sunrises, camp fire meals and excellent company way into the melodious African night, was, sadly, over all too soon. Zam Lodge’s
expert safari guides delivered -- Elephants, hippos, crocodiles, hyena, wild dogs, sitatunga, lechwe, sable, kudo, puku, impala, and bushbuck to name but a few. Unfortunately, we never got to see the notoriously elusive male leopard hanging around, although the shy bushbuck did alert us to its presence with alarm calls of short & sharp barks continuing way into the night.
But, when lion are on the prowl even leopards know better than to be out and about. Bolted behind heavy, 2-inch-thick steel-hard mukwa wooden doors ready to pee a river, the ablution block may as well have been on the other side of the river…
Rotunda Dinning & Bar
About the Author
The author is a
Japanese translator in Tokyo, Japan specializing in travel & tourism translations. Contact SAECULII YK, owner of the Tokyo based Japanese Translation Company,
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