Zambia has been great!

After a terrible road that got people wondering ‘is it really worth the drive?’, South Luangwa National Park has fast become one of the highlights of the trip.

Jason & Cherie

One of Zambia’s most pristine and fairly difficult-to-get-to National Parks, South Luangwa really is wild. We camped on the banks of the Luangwa river, and it is here that wild animals and their power really become a reality. Massive crocs and hippos in the river, and at night time the hippos come out to graze. Listening to the sound of a hippo munching just metres outside your tent and staring through the mozzie flaps at these massive creatures is pretty hectic. A family of elephants were also regular visitors to our camp. It’s amazing how silently they manage to move about, and how they carefully avoid stepping on your tent...

Some went for a guided walk in the park, and/or game drives – some of the rarer sightings included honeybadgers, civet cats, and a Pel’s Fishing Owl (which means something if you’re a twitcher).

From South Luangwa we took a couple of days driving across Zambia to get to Livingstone. Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders) is just down river from where we are camping, and apart from seeing the Falls there are many activities centred around the Falls and the Zambezi River.  Micro-lighting over the Falls, walking down to the ‘boiling pot’ at the base of the Falls, bunji-ing off the bridge next to the Falls, or rafting the Zambezi below the Falls – take your pick how you wish to view them! And the sunset cruise is also always an ‘experience’...

Nick and Jason helping to load charcoal on the road to Livingstone

Sue at Victoria Falls

Paul going micro-lite-ing

Nervous smiles from Claire and Cherie before their tandem bridge swing

On the way down!

On the sunset cruise

Cherie, Claire and Zoe enjoying the cruise

Alison & Jason after the cruise...

Alison, after not so voluntarily going for a swim...

Still a little more time in Livingstone to recover from the activities, and maybe do a few more. High Tea at the grandest hotel in Livingstone has also been on the cards – don’t worry, they do make an exception and let us overlanders in to have a taste of the life of the rich and famous... (I’m sure we eat more cake than they do!)

Colleen, Sue, Hazel, Bob, Paul, Glenn and Kaye at High Tea

Next stop, Botswana.