Zambia Forum trip 2012: Feedback & photos

[Paul Dold]

Excellent report and pics.

Many thanks for posting!!

[Gwily]

Looks like a great report, thanks for taking the time to do it.
I will save it for my long trip home from West Africa via Paris, starting tomorrow night and ending on Tuesday morning.
Hopefully I will get some great tips for future trips

[MikeAG]

Hi Pete. I hope you and Erica are doing OK?

Thanks for writing such a detailed report. It was such a shame that mechanicals messed with your time with us, but we all thoroughly enjoyed the few days we shared.

Best wishes

Mike

[Stan Weakley]

Thanks for posting this report Peter. I had been wondering what you had got up to after parting ways. You certainly had your patience tested.

As I have mentioned to you previously, I can only marvel on the calm way you accepted your setbacks, especially the leaf springs on the way to Konkamoya. Others might have thrown their toys out of the cot and spoilt everyones trip.

Keep well, Stan.

[Terryc]

Hi Peter,

Well done, what a great trip report!

Terry & Margaret.

[plouw]

How safe is a self drive through Southern Zambia? Kafue, South Luangwa, etc.

Just two people, one vehicle. We despise driving in convoy and regularly drive all over Nam alone. We have done Marienfluss, Zambezi region, Botswana and Vic Falls that way without any hassles.

Is Zambia relatively safe in terms of crime? Hi-jackings, etc?

[Tony Weaver]

How safe is a self drive through Southern Zambia? Kafue, South Luangwa, etc.

Just two people, one vehicle. We despise driving in convoy and regularly drive all over Nam alone. We have done Marienfluss, Zambezi region, Botswana and Vic Falls that way without any hassles.

Is Zambia relatively safe in terms of crime? Hi-jackings, etc?

Very safe. There is obviously petty crime in the towns, and Lusaka has all the usual big city crime issues. But I have never felt even vaguely worried about safety in Zambia as a whole. There are always exceptions, but the same applies in every country in the world.

[lekhubu943]

I can confirm what Tony said. We explored Kafue on our own. Always felt safe, even in Livingstone. The Zambians are very friendly folk.

[plouw]

Thanks for the positive feedback. Sounds good. Any recommendations of must see places that can be reached in a ten day trip?

[Peter1949]

I can echo that.
Just be careful in the bigger places suchas Lusaka. erica lost her cell phone there through a grab in a traffic jam - quite normal for Lusaka!!
Problem was all our contact details were on there!!!
The police wanted cash to buy fuel to follow up on the crime!!!
Oh well, that is Africa too.
I am sure that you will have a wonderful trip - it is a beautiful country and I just hope that we may be given the time and the means to visit there again one day.
We loved Luangwa in the eastern side especially and also moving just across the border into Zimbabwe - Mana Pools. These are special places.
Enjoy! If you hit trouble you will find fellow travelers who will assist and keep in touch on this amazing Forum - you will not be sorry.
Oh, AND a FULL trip report is expected please.

Hamba ngokuphepha futhi ngokunakekela

[plouw]

Thank you Peter.
If we decide to go, we will be driving from Windhoek. Perhaps it is best do only do Kafue National park, enter in the South and drive up North through the park? We only have 10 days.

[lekhubu943]

plouw, I think your idea of only Kafue with 10 days available is spot on.

That is what we did and I must tell you 10 days was almost not enough. We did not get to McBrides and Mushangashi. We allowed 2 days travel to and from Zambia. And we don't like driving and moving camp every day. If you don't mind doing that, you can do the entire Kafue in 10 days.


Basically our route from Pretoria was: Pta -- Nata-- Livingstone -- Nanzhilla -- Kaingu ( 3 nights) -- Mayukuyuku (3 nigths) -- down the Spinal road to Hippo bay -- Nanzhilla (3 nights) -- Livingstone (2 nights) -- Kasane -- Martinsdrift -- Home.

There are a new campsite in the Northern part of Kafue towards Busanga plains which did not exist when we did our trip. There is also Kasabushi now which is on the western side of Kafue in the park almost directly opposite Kaingu which is east of the Kafue in a GMA.

It is a lovely country, laid back, parks are not crowded and real old Africa feel. Roads can be rough and travel times are sometimes a bit longer than for instance Botswana.

[sylvia000]

Hello lekhubu943, Wich campsite do you mean near Busanga?

[lekhubu943]

I think it is called Lufapa IIRC.

[sylvia000]

Thank you, I will google it, see what I can find out about it

[lekhubu943]

Sorry, I think I was confused. It is Kafwala rapids and another one called Mapunga bush camp.

http://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/showthread.php/260735-Mapunga-Bush-Camp-Kafue-National-Park

Sorry for the mis-information.