In the second part of his Zambian adventure, Larry journeys to Livingstone, named after the eponymous explorer and a destination for thrill-seekers, to experience one of the world’s seven natural wonders, in rather unconventional ways…
They’re a fan of acronyms in Zambia. As the country experiences one of its worst droughts in history, apart from the obvious toll on the environment there is the logistical impact; the country is run on hydroelectric power, and with low levels of water, they have resorted to ‘load sharing’. To the passing tourist you’d barely notice it, as hotels and camps have generators, but whenever there’s a blackout you often hear the phrase T.I.A., or ‘This is Africa’. (Film buffs may recognise this as one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s quips, through his strained South African accent, in Blood Diamond.)
But there’s a better, more appropriate, monicker that came to punctuate this adventure to the butterfly-shaped nation, A.W.A, ‘Africa Wins Again’. It’s not so much about its achievements, whether economic, sporting or otherwise, but more a philosophy whenever something fortuitous happens. Certainly, every wildlife marvel, every new experience, every surprise I encountered that dispelled my preconceptions, or exceeded my expectations, that mnemonic, AWA, echoed in my head. And I found it echoing often once I landed in Livingstone.
It’s a short hop from Lusaka to Livingstone, an hour by plane, and having experienced Zambia’s largest national park, a 30-minute transfer through the town to Tongabezi Lodge includes a section through one of the country’s smallest. What’s perhaps most extraordinary about Livingstone is that the wildlife is so much a part of the fixtures and fittings as to appear normal; a herd of elephants ambling along the road, holding up traffic, are as we might regard foxes crossing a street in London.
Livingstone’s might be one of the smallest parks, but it features one of the jewels of safari, white rhinos. And where guides always say spotting animals is a lottery, here the chances of seeing a rhino are guaranteed. Protected by rangers who watch them 24/7, even if that means walking miles with them when they seek out food, it’s a short walking safari ourselves before we encounter them; the wonderfully appropriate ‘crash’ of rhinos, from their collective noun, albeit far more sedate today, languishing in the sun. I may be forty feet away, but one does feel oddly exposed, particularly when attempting to steal closer for a photo, and a head lift from the dominant male has me retreating sheepishly. That might be the extent of the action today, but they’re a delight to have witnessed.
In complete contrast to Ila Safari Camp, Tongabezi’s experience is worlds apart. Built on the high banks down to the Zambezi, it’s set in lush vegetation, complete with features incorporated into the rocky banks. Through the gardens, lodges are designed in a sort of rustic chic, with roughly hewn wood finishes and coarse linen drapes, but with some exquisite touches, from the in-room services – bath butler, anyone? – to an adjacent open air nook and the now customary al fresco rain shower. But it’s the veranda that sells it, wrapping the front of the villa, constructed around existing trees and taking full advantage of that river view.
This mighty river can be experienced in many ways, the hotel offers dhow cruises onto the water, getting among the flow and eddies, even having sundowners on the sandbank opposite, but the destination is really only about one thing; Victoria Falls. And perhaps the only way to see them is by helicopter.
The ride begins through the Batoka gorge, where the falls are created. Our pilot, Kyle, mixes it up with a ‘dive’; climbing, turning on a sixpence and then plunging into the gorge before levelling off, and we skim through it, over what feels like mere feet above the river. Our destination is Bobo Camp, an oasis on the riverbank, making for an idyllic spot for a picnic, akin to experiencing a beach day in a quite remarkable location.
Although ‘picnic’ is something of an understatement with a three-course meal provided by the Royal Livingstone Hotel, it feels curiously juxtaposed against the setting. One minute we’re playing beach volleyball and paddling in the river, the next we’re sat down with a G&T and enjoying fine dining by the water. I imagine my Victorian counterparts enjoying something oddly similar.
As we finish, our ride back arrives, and the highlight of the flight is, if course, the falls. Flying back through the gorge, Kyle takes us up and up. Buffeted by the wind and essentially surrounded by glass on all sides, it’s unnerving but the sight of one of the world’s seven natural wonders assuages all fears. It’s breathtaking. You get the perspective of the landscape, where the gorge runs, the delta-like river as it meets it and, of course, the view of the falls themselves.
The falls, the gorge and the river has turned Livingstone into something of a destination for thrill-seekers. The helicopter ride notwithstanding, there’s rafting, jetboating and a canyon swing, but perhaps the definitive experience are the Angel and Devil’s pools – pockets of eddying water quite literally at the edge of the falls – and you can go in them. Getting this close is only something you can do on the Zambian side; Zimbabwe may have the view directly on the falls, but Zambia has the falls themselves, not least you can stand at the point that Livingstone stood when he first encountered them in 1855.
Their Zambian name, Mosi-oa-Tunya (‘The Smoke that Thunders’), becomes evident as you approach. In dry season, you have the opportunity to walk across the exposed rocks on the river’s course and stand on the edge. As you near the precipice, a cloud of vapour billows, and a low rumble, the cascading water reverberating about the gorge, gets closer.
To get to the pools, a short swim is required – fortunately, using guide ropes and under the watch of your lifeguards – and one feels the motion of the water. It’s unnerving, but perhaps not quite as unnerving as what the lifeguard said to me when we got into the Devil’s Pool. Gesturing to the edge, lapping water tipping into oblivion, “Lean over,” he tells me. Excuse me? “I’ve got you…”. If I thought a helicopter ride was heart-racing, there’s not much beyond leaning over the edge of Victoria Falls, putting your life in the grip of the guide clutching your ankles, as you attempt to grin for the camera, arms akimbo. Instagrammers, eat your heart out.
But much of Zambia’s appeal is through the amiability of its people. A wry sense of humour, impeccable manners, and a willingness to assist in anything; asks are always met with the sense that nothing is too much trouble. I was starting to get a sense of life here, and its alluring appeal. And this was manifest over dinner on my last night.
The river, as you can imagine, is prime real estate for any top-flight hotel or restaurant. So, on my final night, we skipped upriver at dusk to Mukwa River Lodge, a sumptuous colonial-style property about a mile upstream. It’s the sort of place you enter from the jetty and a lamp-lit path through the garden, stepping across a veranda into a grand, low-lit, dark wood lounge for gin-based aperitifs served to a piano accompaniment; where the library features prints of Victorian explorers and maps of unchartered regions; and the suites are gorgeous individual villas connected by stilted wooden walkways.
It was here I had dinner with Linda, the GM. And the first surprise was her accent. “I’m from Southampton,” she said, when I tried to place it. Linda is writing her memoirs, of a youth spent running bus tours the length of Africa, and over delights of bread cooked in baobab seed and tilapia ceviche with soy sauce ice cream, she regaled me with anecdotes of those adventures. Most telling, however, was that for all the countries on the continent that she might have chosen to settle, she chose Zambia.
Now that really is a case of A.W.A.
For more information about Tongabezi by Green Safaris, including details of activities and experiences, please visit www.greensafaris.com.
The Bobo Camp experience, including the helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, is provided by Livingstone Adventures, in partnership with The Royal Livingstone Hotel. For more information, please visit www.livingstonesadventure.com.
For more information about Zambia, and to start planning your trip, please visit www.zambia.travel.
