Days 12 - 17: Zambia

Stan and I have finally returned from the natural wonder that is the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia. We spent 4 nights at Chiawa Camp and 2 nights at Old Mondoro bush camp. Twenty kilometers apart, both are operated by the same owner, yet each offers a different safari experience along the Zambezi River.

Chiawa was super luxurious, with each individual tent containing amenities comparable to any boutique hotel, plus hot water bottles in bed at night, complimentary laundry service (more geared towards guests visiting during the scorching summer months but we took advantage nonetheless) and a killer view. We were lucky to have requested the "best" tent, which faced the salt flats, an area teeming with impala, baboons, warthogs, bushbucks and even elephants! In fact, within an hour of checking in, we were treated to the sight of a herd of six elephants crossing the Zambezi River (from the Zimbabwe to the Zambian side), after which they munched happily on trees that were no more than 30 feet from our back porch! We sat frozen as we observed the gentle giants for over an hour and felt truly lucky to experience this uniquely rich and natural environment firsthand.

 

Old Mondoro was more of a "bush camp" experience, which really just translates to what I would call "rustic chic." The overall smaller camp (hosting only 8 people at a time) had smaller, slightly less bug proof tents and outdoor showers/baths (we were warned that if an elephant decides to drink from your bath while you're in it, you should definitely get out), but aside from that they had the same amenities as Chiawa plus another fantastic view, this time a marshy area which was host to hippos, crocodiles, kudu, impala, bushbucks, baboons and elephants. At one point we had another close encounter with a few curious elephants who hung out just a few feet from our porch to eat, drink and spray themselves with water and dust!

Going to sleep was an interesting change of pace with hippos serenading us throughout the night as well as the occasional baboon screech and lion roar. One male adult lion was literally roaring for ~30 mins next to our tent one night, waking up the entire camp and sending us on a wild goose chase the next morning to find him! (We didn't.) It wasn't difficult for us to be 100% on board with the dusk-to-dawn escort policy to and from our tents.

So how did the two camps compare? They both had the same incredible landscapes, rich wildlife, impeccable and personal service, delicious food, ridiculously knowledgeable guides (Zambia has become known for its stringent guide certification process compared with neighboring countries) and exceedingly friendly managers (a married couple at each camp). Chiawa offered incredible rooms, awesome guides and unique repeat lion sightings (we had 4!). Old Mondoro quickly won us over with its more intimate experience, daily leopard sightings and phenomenal night drives. In the end I think we can both agree that each camp has something special and the only thing we might have done differently is spend a bit more time at Old Mondoro.

Both camps were pretty much alike in their daily routine:

6 am - wake up call, breakfast around the campfire
~7 am - choice of game drive, bush walk, canoeing or fishing
~11:30 am - brunch/lunch
1 pm - siesta/watch animals from the porch
3:30 pm - afternoon tea/snacks
4 pm - choice of game drive, bush walk, canoeing or fishing
6 pm - sundowners (AKA sunset happy hour somewhere in the wilderness with a spectacular view)
6:30 pm - night drive
8 pm - cocktails & over-the-top dinner

 

We took advantage of all activities, with an emphasis on game drives, which were often the best way to see a lot of game in a short period of time. Below are just a few of the hundreds of shots that we took while on drives:

 

We also fished for tiger fish on the Zambezi River! It was a surreal experience to drift along the river with hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and elephants on either side. We didn't have much luck outside of a few nibbles on our first trip, but on the second Stan caught two tigers, one 8 pounder and one 1 pounder. We also "caught" a vundu (catfish) but we lost it before we could land it.

 

Canoeing was another fascinating experience that was super relaxing and provided game viewing from another perspective. Lots of hippos, crocs, an elephant crossing, buffalo, baboons, monitor lizards and smaller sightings like birds and turtles. Common sense tells me I should have been more worried about potential wildlife hazards, but in reality our guides were so safety conscious and knowledgeable about animal behavior that we felt completely at ease as we glided past some of the most powerful and revered wild animals in the world.

 

Bush walking... awesome. We got to see things we just blew by on game drives. Accompanied by a rifle-toting ZAWA scout and a guide from camp (Zambian law prevents guides from carrying weapons), you drive out to a remote location and hop out for a 2-3 hour walk. It's a more educational experience that teaches about the smaller creepy crawlies (ant lions, termite mounds, millipedes) as well as the local flora, animal tracks/droppings and how each step in the ecosystem is so critical. [cue the Lion King soundtrack, Circle of Life] Bush walking can also be exciting - we ended up tracking a leopard and lion during one of our walks! (We didn't find them, which was fine by me.)

 

Overall, Zambia was a spectacular stop on our round-the-world adventure, and one that will be hard to beat. We're already looking forward to planning our next safari, especially as some animals - giraffes, cheetah, rhinos - are not indigenous to / are no longer present in Zambia. Perhaps something to consider for the next epic Wong-Chan adventure??