Thinking of Nkwali - Think of the Green Season, You’ll Love It!
Christmas 2002
By Jill Whillock, UK
John and I have been to Africa many times, but always in the dry season when animals tend to gather around any available water and their profiles merge with the surrounding dry, fawn coloured habitant. The days are typically hot, hazy and very dusty with an occasionally warm, but welcome breeze. Evenings are cooler but still too warm for a long peaceful and restful sleep.
Many times we have talked about spending a whole year in Africa to experience the changing seasons and animal behaviour. Safari guides from camps we have stayed in have impressed on us that the Green Season is such a wonderful period in which to visit, of course conditions are more of a challenge, but they are certainly not impossible and the rewards are certainly worth the effort. Our past reluctance to see Africa outside of the core times has largely stemmed from only having 5 weeks vacation per year and the wish to ensure that we have a good wildlife experiences in our limited time but last year we threw caution to the wind and decided to go for the GREEN SEASON!
We had an idea of what to expect - we were 100% sure it would rain, be cool, overcast with a high probability of thunder and lightning. Cold early morning and evenings, impassable roads and the animals would hide to keep dry. WHY are we going!
Well, we were now determined not to be dissuaded and our investigations indicated that all was not lost, we read the past Green Season reports of “Its Monday” and although there were reports of rain there were also reports of GREAT animal sightings. It was decided - Champagne and smoked salmon for breakfast on Christmas Day, coupled with favourable conditions for good nights sleep was not to be missed……...we decided to JUST DO IT! If we wanted to see Africa Green then by staying with RPS at Nkwali we were certainly guaranteed to have a great time whatever nature had in store for us.
We flew out for Christmas and the New Year period; arriving on the 22nd December, imagine our surprise and pleasure when we landed at Mfuwe to a hot sunny day with clear blue skies and the occasional fluffy white cloud. Later that afternoon we took our first game drive into the park, the drive out of Nkwali took ages, we were not stuck in the mud, the roads were great in fact we came across the most amazingly huge herds of Elephant and Giraffe. We hardly recognised the area from our previous visits - the bush was a lush vibrant green, not too high, and the animals glowed in the soft afternoon sunlight, perfect conditions for taking photographs.
We eventually reached the park gates and there appeared to be no shortage of routes to take, of course some tracks were impassable, but this did not matter as there were noticeably lower concentrations of other vehicles. 
The abundance of water flowing in the rivers and in the lagoons provided good hippo and crocodile viewing plus great reflections for yet more picture taking. The sun continued to shine with a cloud build up in the distance and so far the animal sightings far exceeded our expectations and easily equalled the dry season. A fresh, clear and clean environment replaced the dry, dusty and hazy atmosphere, which is so typical of the summertime. The lack of dust in the atmosphere meant that the suns rays in the heat of the day were far more intense and that extra sunscreen with a higher factor was called for. We were caught out and after an early morning drive we returned to camp wrapped in the Kikois provided by RPS, needless to say the sunscreen was applied rather generously after that.
We spent 10 days in total at Nkwali and during this time the mornings tended to be a little overcast and cool very early on, the sun would rise and burn the cloud away and by 9.00am the weather would be sunny and warm. The sun would last until mid afternoon when during siesta time a wind would suddenly whip up, the leaves on the trees would rustle loudly and clouds would gather. A couple of times the skies opened with enormous ferocity, the thunder clapped and lightening forked on the horizon. It was amazing to witness the river level by the camp rise significantly in matter of hours due to the many tributary rivers suddenly swelling and emptying into the Luwanga river. Other times it would rain for 15 – 20 minutes with the skies clearing so fast that by the time afternoon tea was drunk and cakes demolished the paths and roads were virtually dry, the sun would shine and only the occasional fresh puddle gave the game away that it had just rained.
Surprisingly, we found that the animals were relatively undisturbed by the wet weather, infact they tended to come closer to the roads as the internal plains were too boggy for them. The Impala and Puku concentrated themselves into large herds in an effort to give protection to recently born lambs, which persisted in straying away from the group on their delicate and extremely fragile looking legs. The lambs were often seen drinking from the waters edge where crocs were likely to be lurking in murky depths, ready and keenly waiting for the opportunity to leap out in a split second to grab a young, tender and unsuspecting victim.
Lions were highly visible with all four prides, Mfuwe, Chichele, Mushilashi and Katete being sighted several times, the Katete and Chichele prides had some very young and adorable cubs both of whom we saw gorging on recent kills of hippo and zebra. Leopards were sighted several times on night drives quietly slinking along the roadside in and out of the bushes hunting for any unsuspecting youngsters straying from the main herd. Baboons and their young provided endless entertainment, with their family loyalty very evident when any threat was to approach. Branches of trees supported hundreds of black storks as they kept watch for food in the nearby lagoons. Egrets filled the bushes to capacity resting and enjoying the warm sun.
Sundowners took on a new meaning, as the huge glowing ball of fire would sink slowly down between fabulous cloud formations, light radiating through the gaps and lighting up the sky with deep hues of orange, red and yellow. Gin and Tonics were sipped to the visible and increasing intensity of a far distant storm, which was occasionally accompanied by rumblings of thunder and lighting flashes. The light tended to disappear fast as the clouds closed in. One night we spied a lion hiding behind a bush with impala in front, blissfully and totally unaware of the lion’s presence. It wasn’t raining but the thunder rumbled loudly and lightning lit up the scene, it was a truly magical moment. Sometimes we stopped the vehicle and turned off all the lights, we would watch a storm in the distance and all around there would be thousands of fireflies, only their tiny bright lights seen surrounding us as they danced in the cool air. Once or twice the skies opened during the afternoon drive, poncho’s magically appeared and cameras were safely tucked away beneath the poncho or carefully stowed in a spare cooler box, no one minded the rain too much so long as the cameras were safe, it was all part of the green experience.
The Green Season also brings many other opportunities and excitement such as Sunrise Safaris with breakfast in the bush. The possibility of boating on the now full and flowing Luwanga River, seeing the many migratory birds, dodging the unpredictable hippos enjoying themselves in the deep waters and identifying passing logs as crocodiles. Perhaps the most wished for highlight is the good possibility of seeing WILD DOGS.
For some reason they seem to make guest appearances throughout the green season and they tend to disappear in the far depths of the park during the dry season. We caught sight of the dogs twice during our stay, once at a distance of about 50 metres from us feeding on a kill and constantly chasing the vultures away. The second time was on Christmas morning after they had just finished feeding and all ten of them decided to come and investigate our vehicle. They came up very close to the jeep, heads held high with noses pointed upwards sniffing our presence, their glistening sharp pointed white teeth bared through slightly open mouths. They are spectacular animals, such beautiful faces and expressions, their fur irregularly patterned with such an array of colours, earning them the name “painted” dogs. To our delight the dogs were very relaxed and began to settle down to sleep close by.
The possibility of spending Christmas and New Year in Africa are also a feature of the Green Season, we found it to be very special, un-commercialised, yet there were still subtle reminders of the festive season so that it didn’t feel totally alien or forgotten. On Christmas Eve it was baking hot and sunny so pre lunch we boated out to a small land spit (now an island) in the middle of the river not far from the camp. Here we enjoyed ice cold Pimms and lemonade served under a huge umbrella to protect us all from the intense sun.
Late afternoon it began to rain in true British Christmas style, we all proceeded to Mfuwe Lodge which is situated just inside the Park, a short drive from the gate. We all gathered outside on the covered veranda which overlooks the lagoon, a representation of staff from each of the local safari camps and lodges came together to form the “South Luwanga Choir” singing carols under the soft glow of candlelight. Guests and remaining staff from the camps and lodges were also given candles and carol sheets and we were all encouraged to join in. Each camp brought drinks and canapés and as the wine and beer flowed so the carol singing took off with gusto.
A special guest of the evening was an orphaned baby vervet monkey who was in constant need of feeding in an effort to strengthen and prepare it for its’ eventual release into the wild. The monkey, who was recently found by a park ranger was taken to the nearby Chipembele Educational centre, which inadvertently, appears to have become the local sanctuary for sick and orphaned animals.
After the carols we continued to drink and chat amongst ourselves when the local Zambians decided it was time to treat us to some traditional dancing and music, of course we were all invited to join in and majority of us could not resist the invitation – it was great fun. All too soon it was time for us all to disappear and to make our way back to our idyllic, peaceful riverside hideaway, Nkwali, where Shanie and the chefs had excelled once again with a super festive Christmas Eve feast.
Christmas Day we ventured out on a game drive and as mentioned above we were treated to a superb Wild Dog sighting.
We came back to camp early at 9.00am and enjoyed a sumptuous cooked breakfast of Scrambled Eggs, Smoked Salmon and Champagne, which we ate by the lagoon to the rear of the camp watching the baboons and impala feeding and playing. Lunch was served in truly traditional festive style, more champagne, wine, turkey, roast potatoes and all the trimmings. A huge dining table was erected under the canopy of the huge ebony tree, it was decorated with crackers, party poppers and creative bush flora and fauna candle displays. To one side was the bar and to the other was the river where hippos grunted and splashed around as we ate, drank and made merry. Rain came during lunch, the hippos loved it and entertained us all the more.
Everyone felt very well fed and watered and one by one they slipped away for a late afternoon siesta. That evening we all gathered together again for more food, drinks and merriment.
A few days later and a change of guests we all looked forward to the New Year. Drinks, champagne and canapés were served around the bar followed by a superb meal with a selection of delicious cheeses, port and coffee to finish. After dinner, guests could choose to go to “Flatdogs” a nearby camp to see in the New Year with many other people from the surrounding valley camps or they could choose to stay at Nkwali and see in the New Year at the bar on the banks of the Luwanga River. Whatever their choice everyone enjoyed their selves and this was the one time in any safari camp we have stayed at that NO guests appeared for a morning game drive despite the guides and drivers being impressively ready, waiting and I think willing!
In conclusion, the Zambian Green Season typically from November until April was a fabulous experience and we certainly saw Africa and its wildlife from another angle. Both the animals and the occasional inclement weather conditions all contributed to another wonderful and memorable African (and Christmas) experience that certainly equals the best of the many other African Safaris we have been fortunate to be on.
all photos on this page by John Whillock
