27 July. Sunday. Ndola to South Luangwa National Park. Chinzombo Lodge
An early morning call at 5 am to leave the train by 5:30 am. The exit from the train involved a walk along the completely unlit uneven platform which I thought was dangerous. But then onto the buses to take us to Ndola. The early morning start was due to the airline having put the flight forward by two hours.
We took off at 7:30 am in a small twin propeller plane with only 18 of us on it. The flight time was just 45 minutes but they managed to service a snack during that time. Once at Mfuwe International Airport, we were greeted by the Jeep drivers of Time and Tide hotels, one of which was Chinzombo, where we would due to stay with 10 others.
But first we went to a larger one of their hotels and had a barbecued brunch at 10 am. This was interesting but somehow not very hot. We had some very nice juice out on their outer decks until it became really too hot to sit there. The lodge was right beside the Chinzombo old river bed and there were Impala walking along it. Then back into the nine person Jeep with just four of us in it, Christian and Farhana were the other two. We then found that we had to drive out of the park and round for an extra 15 minutes or so rather than take the ferry across the river because Christian could not walk well with his Parkinson’s disease.
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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At our lodge, Chinzombo Lodge, we were shown to our six respective cabins which were somewhat more than cabins, a huge complex of sofas chair beds, lounges, and its very own swimming pool. We had about two hours before lunch and I enjoyed a swim and sorted all our possessions out. Then back the four minute walk or so to the main area where we ate at a large table, which was a surprise as I had expected individual tables.
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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The approach over the river to the lodge is magical. The individual chalets/cabins/tents ( a sort of mix of all three) are enormous and luxurious. They are completely open (nets at night) so a guard patrols with a catapult to keep the monkeys from raiding you tent
With only 6 rooms, you hardly see the other rooms, and face out onto the open African landscape. Hippos wallow on the river banks, as well as crocodiles, the odd impala wanders by between you and the river
The food is good. The staff cheerful and competent They are helped with finding animals by the fact that they know their way around so well. And can find big game before others can. We saw most animals there. Particularly memorable was a young leopard that ambled by within a few meters of our jeep
Yes, it is expensive, but I guess you get what you pay for. I thought it represented good value for money and I liked it
Lunch was pleasant, tilapia and salad and rice proceeded by a good soup, albeit almost stone cold, and followed by a nondescript pudding. After an hour back in the cabin, we set out again at 4 pm this time we joined a different Jeep. We had asked for a change of jeep as we wanted to leave and then return back to the lodge by ferry rather than drive round by road. But the new Jeep was not so convenient for me as it did not have three seats across, but just the two separated by a large box area so I could not get David to help me focus on the animals. But we did see several elephants and baby elephants, some very healthy Baku deer which are unique to this area, wartho foul a rare bird and some wonderful trees and everybody else spent a long time looking at lions. Then we stopped for a sundowner with the other two jeeps, beside the river where the locals were fishing and there were several boats silhouetted beautifully with the reddish sky in the background. After this we returned to the camp with a spotlight looking for animals eyes but all that was really found was an elephant poo.
A cocktail back at the lodge was followed by dinner which we had ordered at lunchtime. The quail starter was very pleasing but the lamb that followed was almost cold and the potatoes, supposedly mashed had a thick crust on them. And then the mango baba was anything other than a baba just an ice cream but the wine was very good and afterwards we sat by the fire pit, David revived the fire, and we enjoyed seeing the Milky Way in the starlight skies. Then we were escorted back to our cabin (compulsory because of the possibility of meeting animals) and soon retired for the night, ready for an early start again in the morning.
July 28, Monday. South Luangwa National Park.
A noisy night with the hippos. We were woken up at 5:30 am for a 6 am breakfast and then went off by 6:30 am across the river to the Safari Jeep with Philip. We had a three hour game drive During which we saw lions, elephants, Basically, and indeed everything other than leopard and giraffe. We stopped by the river for a coffee and muffin.
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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And the animals, from all 4 game drives
The leopard, which our driver tracked very well, makes a very good photo series. The Leopard's camouflage is almost perfect
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To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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We were back at Chinzombo Lodge soon off the 10 and then had 2+ hours in the room. There was less sun than the previous day and I never got into the pool as it was also quite a lot of wind. We enjoyed our time reading and watching a few Impala and hippos by the river from our balcony. And lunch at 12:30, again a good buffet.. This followed by another two hours in the room before tea at 3:30. I managed without a siesta on the assumption that I was better off sleeping more on the train than in these magnificent, bucolic surroundings. During the afternoon Safari we eventually saw a large leopard cub which crossed right in front of the jeep and also a solo giraffe masked by two tree trunks. And after the drink stop by the river with a dramatic sunset but no flare up afterwards, we saw a leopard in the headlights.
We sat by the fire all by ourselves with our gimlet cocktails before a barbecue dinner at 7:30 pm. We were then told we would leave the hotel at 8:30 am for the airport, for our 11.35 flight, but we manage to get the others to agree with us that we wanted a game drive as promised . So in the end nine of us went out on a 6.30 game drive and then onto the airport whilst the remaining 3 could have breakfast much later and leave direct to the airport.
After this we again sat by the fire finishing our wine and were the last to go to bed, but even so it was not quite 9 pm so some quick packing and organisation ready for our early start in the morning.
July 29, Tuesday. South Luangwa National Park back to Ndola.
Another early morning rise for a 6 o’clock breakfast and then a game drive which we had fought for the night before as opposed to being taken directly to the airport.
Nine of us went off in two jeeps from the other side of the river And for the first half hour or so we saw so practically nothing, but then we were rewarded by seeing about a dozen lions or sleeping in the sun, and later two magnificent wild dogs tearing apart a carcass, a few elephants and giraffe, and lots of guinea foul, warthogs, baboons and monkeys. We left the park about nine and we’re at the airport by 9.45, a cold ride even with blankets wrapped around us. So nine of us arrived at the airport and there was nobody from there from Rovos, but after 45 minutes or so later and Shyanne did arrive and did not seem at all worried that we have been stranded there. We sat on the on a step on the entrance to the airport to try and warm up in the Sun. Eventually other clients from Rovos did arrive and we were called in by Marta to say the flight was ready and just had to go through security checks which were pretty meaningless.
About 40 of us boarded the larger aircraft which was going to takeoff first. 45 minute flight passed in no time and we sat in the front row as nobody else had chosen to sit there. Then coaches to take us back to the train where we arrived around 1.30. We started unpacking but then were told lunch was ready so we left the cabin with various things thrown around ready to hang up, ready to put in a drawer, ready to go in the laundry bag. After lunch we returned to the cabin to find that all the dirty laundry blouses and shirts have been put on hangers, pants and socks need folded elsewhere and generally chaos. I was very tired and needed siesta so cleared to space to lie down. Woke up again at 5:15 to find that we had arrived in the Congo, and our cabin was right opposite the customs building. So had a good view of Lawrence and Marta negotiating the visas. The train stopped for about two hours and eventually, just as we decided to get changed for dinner, it started again and we had to walk down the carriages with the usual jolting.
We stopped in the lounge and order a drink and I spoke to Vivian asking her not to move things, not to tidy up at lunchtime at all . I had to remove blanket from my bed which I had asked her to remove on leaving the train for the game park. An average dinner and then back to the cabin to find my sleep mask had been removed and tote bags left hanging around. Tomorrow it’s a new day to tackle Vivian again.
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