Well, hello there. I hope that you are well and have had a wonderful weekend and now all set for the week ahead. This week we are hearing from Fern who represents us to the travel trade in the UK. Without much further ado, its over to Fern:
“It has been a while since I was last in South Luangwa, and this time I brought the family with me! My husband, Jeff who grew up in Spain and my children, Noah, 12 and Casey, 10 who hear me talk about Robin Pope Safaris and Africa all the time! The South Luangwa is as magical as I remember, and it did not disappoint with our game sightings!
The journey to South Luangwa was straightforward: we went via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines; we were met at Lusaka Airport by RPS and taken to the domestic terminal where we were catching our flight up to Mfuwe. We arrived at Robin’s House in the dark although, enroute we were lucky enough to see elephant and giraffe! Michael and our guide, Obi took brilliant care of us over the next 4 nights. On our game drives we saw so much game, including very relaxed leopards, hyaena, lion cubs, elephants and plenty of plains game! Obi managed to bring the bush alive for my kids who enjoyed learning about buffalo and elephant skulls, feeling the weight of the sausages from the tree and the circle of life.
We stayed in Robin’s House, our two-bedroom exclusive-use property, where the panoramic views of the Luangwa River kept us mesmerized! This was home away from home, the warm, calm, welcome feeling of the house makes you instantly relax. Having a separate room for Jeff and me from the kids always makes a difference to our holiday. It’s nice to have our own space, and the kids loved having their own large, spacious room with an ensuite just for them! They also thoroughly enjoyed finding geckos each night and, in the morning, we loved this ‘entertainment’ that kept them occupied for a good hour each day! Michael looked after us so well (he even helped find geckos), it felt like we became an extension of his family. We celebrated Noah’s birthday, the RPS team had made him a delicious chocolate cake and even sang for him! He loved it, what a way to see in his 12th birthday!
From Robin’s House we also did some site inspections at Nkwali, Tena Tena and Luangwa River Camp, which Casey accompanied me on. She loved seeing the different camps and seeing what was unique at each. It was great to hear what she thought of the different camps; from a child’s perspective! On our way back across the river after visiting Luangwa River Camp, she dropped her phone in the shallows of the Luangwa River, which was skillfully retrieved by Yumbe – the phone still works to this day!
We then headed to Luangwa Safari House, a four-bedroom exclusive-use house. This property is simply spectacular, from the moment you see the house, admiring its grandeur as you walk through the gigantic door and see the breath-taking views of the watering hole from the deck and pool. It is enough to make you stop and appreciate where you are at that moment in time, until the kids realise they can choose a bedroom each…… then chaos ensues! Casey and Noah both grabbed the upstairs bedrooms, Casey loved the ‘glass room’ and Noah was in the ‘metal room’. For those that don’t know, the rooms are named according to the material of the basins that are in each of the ensuite bathrooms! We stayed in the sand room, while the copper room remained untouched!
The kids took full advantage of the pool for hours! Our game drives were still amazing with lots of sightings, which we had become spoilt with.
It is hard to put into words the effect that the bush had on us as a family. Noah and Casey’s horizons have been broadened and they have a renewed appreciation for what they have, conservation and protecting the planet.
It was amazing to be able to share aspects of my job with my family and show them just how special South Luangwa and all of the Robin Pope Safaris team are!”
Wow Fern! Sounds like you had an incredible time, thank you for sharing with us. Always such a delight to see the young people embrace safari experiences as well.
Well, that is all for me then for this week too. Have yourself an amazing week ahead and don’t forget to look after one another.
