Image : Royal Zambezi Lodge
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : A massage at the open-air Royal Zambezi Bush Spa is an indulgence you ’ ll dream abo travellers seeking a prime safari experience . As well as lions , you ’ ve got a great chance of seeing leopards , wild dogs a when they congregate at the river during the dry season ; Bath time at Chongwe House , the aw
for romantic nights sleeping under African stars . Heading out for an evening game drive and the most surprising , beautiful sundowners ( no more or I ’ ll ruin the surprise for future guests ), we came across a herd of more than 20 giraffe , while on the following morning ’ s drive , our last in South Luangwa , we were farewelled by hundreds of buffalo .
LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK
Our first home in this part of Zambia was Royal Zambezi Lodge . After checking into our gorgeous room with private pool we hopped straight onto a boat for our inaugural journey down the mighty Zambezi – stopping for private drinks on a sand island , just the two of us and our brilliant guide , boat driver , barman , romantic lighting and lots of gin and tonic . Other highlights of our stay included a surprise lunch on a boat , a fun ( and fruitless ) fishing expedition , and epic game drives where lions , leopards and wild dogs
were just some of the wildlife we encountered . A glorious massage in the open-air Royal Zambezi Bush Spa may go down as my favourite hour in all of 2024 . A short drive took us to our next home : Time + Tide Chongwe , a tented camp with the most gorgeous location , right where the Zambezi and Chongwe Rivers meet . Lunch that day was enjoyed while floating down the Zambezi on a boat , while in the evening we dined beneath a canopy of winterthorn trees next to a sandy campfire and the river . The next morning , on the most fantastic game drive , we witnessed the birth of a water buck : a type of antelope that , when fully grown , features huge horns and an iconic white circle marking on its butt that looks just like a target . This rare privilege made us the envy of all the other guides , who had never seen such a sight in all their years of tracking these magnificent creatures . Next up was the spectacular Chiawa Camp , where we passed the first afternoon on our private verandah in blissful
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