SOUTHERN AFRICA
Boat cruises at sunset are nearessential. With a drink in hand, the sky turning copper and pink above the river, it becomes easy to understand why this region has earned such legendary status among safari lovers. Luxury camps such as Chongwe House, Old Mondoro and Time + Tide Chongwe Camp blend beautifully into the landscape with canvas, thatch and openair designs that keep the bush close.
The Canoe Trail: One journey, two countries The defining experience of the new transfrontier area is fittingly one that cannot truly be separated by borders: the multi-day Zambezi Canoe Trail. Paddlers typically launch near Chirundu and travel downstream over several days, camping on sandy islands between the two parks, with Zimbabwe on one bank and Zambia on the other.
Here. hippo and crocodile keep the senses alert. Fish eagles and pied kingfishers provide the soundtrack. Evenings unfold around fires on beaches that will disappear beneath floodwaters once the rains return. It is one of the finest wilderness journeys in Africa today, and the formalisation of the LZ-MN TFCA has strengthened the conservation partnership helping protect it.
A conservation story worth following The LOZAMAP TFCA is far more than a symbolic line on a map. Since the 2023 agreement, Zimbabwe and Zambia have expanded joint anti-poaching patrols, coordinated tourism planning and worked toward shared land-use strategies for the region. Specialist working groups now focus on wildlife crime, tourism development and community benefit-sharing, a crucial element in ensuring local communities also benefit from conservation success. For travellers, this translates into a more stable and better protected wilderness. For the tourism industry, it marks an important new chapter in one of Africa’ s great conservation landscapes.
How to get there, and when … South African travellers have relatively easy access. From Johannesburg, direct flights operate to both Harare, for onward connections into Mana Pools, and Lusaka, for charters into Lower Zambezi airstrips such as Royal or Jeki.
The dry season, roughly May to October, is considered the prime safari window. By November, temperatures climb sharply and many camps close as seasonal rains begin. Visas and park fees are still handled separately by each country, as the TFCA framework has not yet introduced a unified cross-border permit. Travellers combining both parks should either book through an operator who handles the logistics, or allow extra time for border formalities at Chirundu.
Travellers arriving from yellow fever-risk countries may need proof of vaccination for entry into Zambia, while antimalarial precautions remain essential year-round.
Finally, pack light, bring binoculars, and leave plenty of room in your camera for the river.
70 | WINTER 2026 • rovesa. co. za