Zambia: Our Experiences
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Zambia: Our Experiences
Zambia Experience by Alison Waldegrave (Product Manager)
There is something beguiling about Lower Zambezi National Park that I can’t quite put my finger on.Over millions of years the mighty Zambezi River has cut a huge rift in the earth’s crust to form the lush green valley that marks the international border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The meandering river has formed endless oxbow lakes which nurture beautiful groves of leadwoods, ebonies and acacias. Both sides of the border are protected, Mana Pools NP on the Zimbabwean bank and Lower Zambezi NP on the Zambian side provide a sanctuary for an incredibly diverse range of flora and fauna. Maybe that’s it, this elegant landscape doesn’t work on a human time scale and to understand it we must step into another world.
On my recent visit I was delighted to see so many positive changes in the valley, thanks to a partnership between Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ is an organisation formed by safari operators, lodge managers and other stakeholders) and the Zambia Wildlife Authority in their efforts to conserve this exceptional habitat.
The light aircraft transfer from Lusaka is a self contained adventure, this is the best way to travel and gain a fish eagle’s eye view of the valley. Then that magical moment, as the engine is cut, the aircraft door opens and you step out into the bush. My fellow passengers, all safari virgins, and I were met by our guides Geoff and Laurence who provided an informative and amusing introduction to the Valley en route to the wonderful Sausage Tree Camp.
Venturing out into the bush is always a thrilling experience but here on the banks of the great river you don’t have to travel far, for Sausage Tree Camp is unfenced and animals do wander through, this is the perfect place for an arm chair safari. During our daily walks and drives we encountered leopard, hunting lions and had a few close encounters with feisty bull elephants but some of my best memories are of the ‘in between’ times relaxing in camp. As the sun sets gales of strange snorting laughter erupt as pods of hippos make their way onto the river banks for a night’s grazing. Elephants frequently wander into camp, indeed there is something very soothing about their presence. Each tent has a two way radio for guests to summon an escort after dark. A visit to Sausage Tree Camp enables you to experience an African safari at its finest. Whilst you savour the hospitality just remind yourself that your visit is important and supports the work of the CLZ, its activities are vital to the protection of this remarkable wilderness.