Hadass Segal : Unspoilt places
The road from Chipata to Zambias South Luangwa National Park is both a blessing and a curse. Just as you dislodge your stomach from your mouth, another pothole puts it right back for you. But it certainly is worth getting there. The fact that only 4x4s and overland trucks can survive the road is one of the reasons the national park remains as unspoilt as it is.
Covering an area of 9 050km2, South Luangwa is one of the finest game sanctuaries in Africa. There is no shortage of wildlife here elephant, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, leopard and lion abound, and the park is rich in bird life too.
If youre intrepid enough to try somewhere untouristed and fresh, then the aptly though unimaginatively named Wildlife Camp is the place to stay. Run by a German woman, Anke, and her Australian husband, Ron, the campsite-cum-resthouse has done little to intrude on the natural wonder surrounding it. The Wildlife Camp consists of four chalets, four family rooms and ample space to pitch a tent.
The dramatic centre-piece of the site is the open-air bar. This wood and thatch marvel is enough to make teetotallers take up drinking. From a dug-out canoe in the bar, you can watch hippos heaving themselves out of the water to graze on the Luangwa River bank. Anke and Ron will warn you, however, that hippos are not as innocuous as they seem, and a toilet trip in the middle of the night is ill-advised. Unless you have a strange desire to discover how fast you can run with over a ton of animal chasing you.
If youd rather look for animals than have them find you, the camp offers guided day or night drives in open-air range rovers. Even more wild are the walking safaris that take you through the park. Led by Anke or Ron (and accompanied by an attractive Zambian man carrying a large gun), these two hour excursions give you a chance to view the game and surroundings from up close. You can learn a fortune about the bush from being in the thick of it and the guides are happy to impart their extensive knowledge.
A strange phenomenon unique to South Luangwa is the existence of miniature elephants, they tell us. As a result of so much culling of large male bulls, the female elephants of the park were forced to mate with younger males. The offspring are thus much smaller than most African elephants.
Despite their diminutive size, elephants are numerous in South Luangwa. In fact, the Luangwa valley has been called the Last Kingdom of Elephants its current population estimated at 15 000.
An equal number of hippos populate the Luangwa River. Being there in mid-June, just after the rainy season, was ideal. The weather was hot but not unbearable, the wildlife were healthy and the park was incredibly lush. Ron recommends June to October as the prime time to enjoy the hospitality of the Wildlife Camp, and explains that the park has to shut down from December to April because the rain makes the roads even more impassable than usual.
On the final night of our week in South Luangwa a lone Aussie backpacker admitted: Watching the sun set over the Luangwa river with a Zambezi beer in hand is as close to paradise as Im ever likely to get. He handed me a beer, and I had to agree.
Accommodation is $22 for a chalet per night, $16,50 for a family room and $5 for camping with your own equipment. Park entry fee is $15. For more information call Ron or Anke on 0926 (062) 45026 e-mail: [email protected] or write to: Miles Safaris Box 53, Mfuwe, Zambia South Luangwa, NP