Hello. I hope that you are splendidly well and have had a lovely weekend and are ready and raring for the week ahead. Here in the Luangwa its been pretty busy one way or another whether it be the pride of 18 lions killing a hippo right opposite Luangwa River Camp or leopards bounding through the ebony trees hunting baboons.
However, this week we are heading all the way up to our Mobile Walking Safaris as we have a short season in this very very special part of the park and need to make the most of it. The guests leave after a relaxed breakfast at Nkwali Camp armed with lots of water, morning tea, a picnic lunch and plenty of enthusiasm. The drive up takes you through the main game viewing area up until you hit the 05 road which is an epic event in itself. Dotted with pockets of animals and massive stretches of woodland before opening up to huge grassy plains you really can’t help but wonder where it is you are going.
Glimpses of hartebeest and kudu on the open plains and then if you are super lucky a duiker on the road startled at the sight of a car and quickly dashing back into the cover. It’s the sort of African wilderness that I often think to myself if I were to get out of the car and walk off the road 10meters had another human ever walked there?
Either side of the Luwi river there often seems to be loads and loads of warthogs as well as the occasional elephant marching along the banks of this magnificent sand river and then let us not forget the ever so impressive Lundu Plain. A vast grassy plain dominated by the most enormous baobab tree as well as elephants, buffalo and zebra that periodically march through. All of this before descending towards the Mupamadzi river a stunning shallow sandy river offering hydration and cooling for all the animals in the area including the humans (although probably less of the hydration for the humans and more the cooling).
Arriving in camp the team are there to welcome you with cool flannels and big smiles before showing you to your very comfortable tent and home for the next 5 nights. Lovely walks in the evening met by chairs and tables in the river and an ice-cold gin and tonic followed by relaxed evenings around the campfire.
Morning walks are longer as there is more daylight and often the camp is moved although aside from a different location your room miraculously appears in exactly the same set up as you left it. Everything is packed onto the Samil 50 truck as the camp is moved and then when it arrives at the new camp it spreads its solar panel wings and settles down to catch some rays while the team is busy getting everything ready.
In the last couple of weeks guests have been woken with the gentle sound of lions calling in the distance which is a truly magical way to start the day. The wild dogs have been scampering around and killed a puku in the river, just upstream from camp 2 but gobbled it up and went on their way before the guests caught up with them.
The puku love just standing in the river and the gentle bellows from the buffalo are regularly heard as they all come down to drink. If the wind is in the right direction you can sit on the bank and wait for them all to appear but don’t move a muscle otherwise, they all scamper away. As for the elephants well this year they seem to be absolutely everywhere and are being seen almost daily along with a few wildebeest who cunningly try to disguise themselves as zebra but luckily our guides catch them out!!
Leopards have also been spotted (excuse the pun) … on foot these animals are quite tricky to find but thankfully the baboons are very good at giving away their location. More than anything our Mobile Walking Safaris are about the true African wilderness experience removed from all the trappings of city life, it’s a truly magical escape.
However, before I lose myself in my musings, I should really leave you to your week and bid you a very fond farewell and have a wonderful week ahead with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another.
