Exploring the Lower Zambezi
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Part 2 of our Zambia Safari Adventure.
After spending 5 wonderful nights in South Luangwa exploring the area on game drives and through a walking safari we moved on to the second location of our safari adventure - the Lower Zambezi. This is a much different area as the water levels are controlled by a dam whereas the Luangwa River remains a naturally regulating water course resulting in significant water level changes throughout the year.
Beauty From Brutality bracelet. (EXIF data iPhone image)
The safari adventure transition started with a drive to the Mfuwe Airport with a stop at a few local shops looking for the green tomato chutney we had become addicted to at Mwamba. We also stopped in a jewelry shop called Beauty From Brutality which is a remarkable women-led workshop focused on conservation and artisan creativity where deadly wire snares set by poachers are transformed into powerful handcrafted pieces of jewelry. I purchased a bracelet and felt good that the money raised by this group goes back into the community providing much needed employment for artists as well as anti poaching patrols.
From Mfuwe we took a short plane ride from South Luangwa to Lower Zambezi where we are stayed right on the river looking across to Zimbabwe. The days were starting to bleed into each other and we had to purposely slow down and change things up in order to fully appreciate the experience.
Kutali and Chula Island Camps
Our next 8 nights were spent at two Classic Zambia Safari camps - Kutali and Chula Island Camps. We were fortunate to be able to mix up the game drives with walking safaris, river channel canoe trips as well as river cruises in a pontoon boat. This afforded us different sighting opportunities as well as educational experiences. I also started to change up my photographic approach to more creative expressions - using a neutral density filter and a slow shutter speed to create multiple exposure ICM (intentional camera movement) images which captured the enchanted feeling of the Winterthorn forests.
A large bull elephant coming down to the Winterthorn forests from the Luiwa Plains (close to the Jekti airport) with a termite mound in the foreground. (EXIF data 400mm, f7.1, 1/1250s, ISO400).
The landscape changed dramatically from Mopane trees with short brush savanah and Baoabab forest (woodland savanah) in the last remaining natural river system (i.e., not damed) to an area strongly influenced by a river which is subject to water level changes due to a hydro electric power dam. The Lower Zambezi has vast Winterthorn forests that provide unique habitat for the area in that they retain their green leaves in the winter season when most other vegetation loses its leaves and then shed them in the summer months. This allows the canopy to open up and allow sunlight to flood the forest floor where the grasses and short shrubs thrive.
Our accomodations were much more rustic, but very comfortable with a tent and attached outdoor shower/bathroom - after this safari adventure I’m not sure how I will adjust to not having open air and stars above me when I shower at home. The night sky is so vast and star filled - truly magical to behold.
Full Days
With the change in landscape came different wildlife and bird sightings. The magic of the Winterthorn forests made for interesting light conditions that would often present a mystical bluish hue making for some amazing photography opportunities. Our days were full on from 5 am up to dinner at 7 pm. The fun engagement of the staff really made for a special time as we learned more about their lives and how they have trained to work in the guiding industry. Zambia has a very stringent training/apprenticeship process that takes about 7 years for someone to reach full guiding status.
The amount of naturalist information that our guides were able to share is mind boggling. It was definitely an educational trip as we learned about the behaviours of hippopotamuses while canoeing down the Discovery Channel.
Kory spending quality downtime with an elephant. (iPhone image)
The camps are bush camps with no fences surrounding them, so the animals are free to roam wherever they choose - like the day an elephant decided the vegetation beside the outdoor lounge area was of particular interest. I looked up from editing images on my laptop to see Kory and the elephant getting up close and exchanging personal info. We felt very safe in the camps as we were always advised that the animals are not interested in us and as long as we stay calm and quiet they will go about their day - which proved to be true in all instances. It just meant that sometimes we had to adjust our schedule around the animals.
For example, there was the evening when dinner was delayed because a pride of lions (9 in total) wandered through camp and resulted in the chef being stuck in the kitchen tent until they moved out of the area. We had another night when we found leopard tracks along the path to our tent that were not there when we had walked to dinner a half hour earlier. Needless to say we were not allowed to wandered around the camp after dark without an escort. Once in our tent - we were set for the evening which was filled with the sounds of birds roosting and hippos grunting or bellowing their low pitched laughing sound. It did take some getting used to when sounds would erupt at all hours of the night.
Camp Life
Our tent at Chula Island Camp. (iPhone image)
The accommodations and meals in each camp were amazing and we started each day with breakfast by the campfire. A shot glass of a ginger/chilli concoction really got us woken up followed by a bowl of hearty porridge topped with yogurt, honey and marmalade. The coffee was always hot and strong with local coffee readily available.
Lunches were a lighter fare with dinner being the meal where the chef showed off his culinary skills. We were never hungry and we were able to try all sorts of local foods with my favourite being a grilled eggplant dish - very yummy!
Dinning al fresco was always a treat with feasts for the eyes and the pallet. (iPhone image)
The meals were all served outdoors with fireflies flickering and the night sounds playing a wonderful background melody. There is something magical about spending time in the African bush that brings me closer to a rhythm and heartbeat that feels timeless. It’s hard to describe, but if you’ve ever experienced it you’ll know what I mean.
Grateful for this Experience
I am extremely grateful to have had this experience and to have spent time with so many amazing people who were gracious and generous with their time and knowledge. It made for a wonderful trip, however I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the frogs. It wasn’t until close to the end of the trip when I learned that Chula Island actually means frog island - we were greeted by these cheeky critters each day when we went into our bathroom/shower area. They would be on the sink, taps, towel rack and even the shower nozzles. I came to look forward to counting the number of frogs I’d find each morning. I will admit that finding them in the toilet bowl was a bit disconcerting, but they happily hopped away when I shoo’d them.
I have finally finished sorting, cataloging and keyboarding all of our images (there’s some 13,000 images between the two of us) and now the exciting time of editing ones I’ve flagged as special begins. I’ll be sharing more images from the trip in the weeks to come - I’m so excited and inspired by what I’ve been able to capture that it feels like some of my best work to date. Here’s a teaser from the images I’ve edited so far.
What is the most impactful time you’ve spent in another country? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or send me a message directly by clicking on the Connect With Me Button.
A female leopard steps into the light from the shadows where she’s been resting after having her kill stolen by a hyena. (EXIF data f6.3, 1/1250s, 400mm, ISO400, -2.0EV)
final image is what gets used for the thumbnail
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
