Well, hello there. I hope that you are fabulously well and have had a lovely weekend. Here in the Luangwa after the onslaught of rain, we have had a very dry week and let me tell you, the bush is simply magnificent. The light is clear and sparkling and the bush is emerald green – there is a reason it’s called the emerald season. Anyway, before I go into raptures over the current beauty, lets rewind the clock a few weeks to before it rained and hear from David Rogers who was recently with us leading a photographic safari in some of the camps. David over to you:
“It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since my last trip to South Luangwa — far too long, really. How wonderful it was to return and see all my old friends again. Where else but RPS do you get welcome hugs from the security guards? It felt like coming home.
I was back on safari with Maria José Carballo — such a frequent visitor to both the Park and Robin Pope Safaris that I’m convinced they should name a game-drive road after her. The other two guests on our photographic safari, Stefaan and Katren, were also from Brussels, and it didn’t take long to discover they had mutual friends.
Kanga was our guide, and we could not have asked for anyone better to lead our journey from Nkwali to Nsefu. He has risen through the ranks at Robin Pope Safaris, starting as a tea bearer and now serving as one of the head safari guides of RPS’s Mobile Walking Safaris. His dedication was recognised with the 2024 Chairman’s Award from the Zambia Tourism Agency – richly deserved.
In a world where some people value brass fittings and plunge-pool taps over authenticity, I’m always reminded how at home I feel in the South Luangwa, where the emphasis remains on exceptional guiding, comfortable accommodation, and extraordinary wildlife. Robin Pope Safaris continues to offer one of the most genuine safari experiences anywhere.
October is always a fantastic time to visit, and our timing rewarded us with wild dogs, lions, and leopards.
The sausage trees were in full flower, and vivid carmine bee-eaters were nesting in the banks. The Luangwa River had dwindled to a trickle, drawing vast herds of thirsty buffalo to the shrinking pans – with lions waiting patiently nearby.
We witnessed incredible scenes, and everyone captured remarkable photographs. Stefaan’s image of sausage tree flowers forming a heart was original and perfectly fitting. Maria, with her superb eye and quick reflexes, caught a magical shot of yellow baboons leaping across the shrinking river. That’s the joy of a photographic safari: we share the same sightings, yet each interpretation is completely unique.
I’m already looking forward to returning to the Luangwa next October. That departure has filled with regulars, so we’ve added a new trip in June – and it would be wonderful to see familiar faces or meet new ones.
It’s heartening to hear the rains have arrived in South Luangwa. Hard to believe that in just a few months the river will be swollen once again, and travellers will be drifting along it on river safaris.’’
Wow, what an amazing trip and incredible photos! Thank you so very much for sharing with us David.
Nothing for me to add to this that is for sure. So instead, I shall simply bid you a very fond farewell and hope that you have a fabulous week ahead with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another.
