Ultimate Guide To Africa June 2015 | Page 28

Travel EXPERIENCE Where to Stay •Kasanka has two permanent lodges. Of these, Wasa is best suited for visits to the Fibwe hide. For more information and booking details. Visit www.kasanka.com. •In South Luangwa, stay at Puku Ridge Camp, run by Sanctuary Retreats. www.sanctuaryretreats.com •In Kafue, Mukambi Plains Camp operates seasonally, and shuts at the end of this month, reopening only in July. Mukambi Lodge, however, is open a the year. www.mukambi.com •Liuwa should have its first luxury lodge by late 2015, along with a direct helicopter service, managed by Norman Carr Safaris. www.normancarrsafaris.com There were more birds and lots more predators at South Luangwa National Park, not too far from Kasanka. We were particularly interested in exploring the park on foot, so joined knowledgeable armed guides for daily walking safaris along the riverbanks, through groves of cathedral ebony trees, and around watery dambos plugged with Nile cabbage. It was a chance to get lost in the unfolding drama of animals responding to rising water levels, which altered the twisting-turning course of the life-bringing Luangwa River. The earth seemed insatiable, gobbling up the rains, transforming the park into a glistening patchwork of tributaries and lagoons, interspersed between the lush Mopani forests. There was animal activity everywhere, the rain bringing a palpable ease, signalling a time of abundance. On calm, steady, unrushed walks, we stopped to watch elephants – mixed herds of ancient matriarchs and curious youngsters – crossing the river in single file, pausing to play and fiddle and drink along the way. Crocodiles basked on river banks and, poking from the water’s surface, twitching ears and pairs of eyes and wet nostrils were often the only sign that submerged hippos were wallowing contentedly below. As the day’s heat simmered after late-afternoon downpours, we’d listen to the shrill whistles of gold-coloured puku and 28