Livingstone, Zambia

What an amazing trip!  Last month I was fortunate enough to represent IMPI Safaris in a travel industry educational event hosted by Safpar for four days in November.  It was such a treat and has left me keen to visit Livingstone again, soon.

Zambia is amazing!  The beautiful hospitality, the relentless African sun, the untamed landscape and the opportunities for adventure are too good to miss out on!

The Beautiful Zambezi

A short flight from Johannesburg it took no time to get to Livingstone.  Once we had arrived at the beautiful Zambezi Waterfront Hotel and enjoyed some welcome drinks we set out for a sunset cruise along the Zambezi.  The cruise was beautiful and the perfect start for a getaway in the area! It was a fabulous chance to socialise and take in all the amazing scenery – baboons playing near the water’s edge, crocs basking in the sun on the islands, hippo jostling about just at the water’s surface. Talking to some SafPar staff I found that visiting Livingstone, falling in love and staying indefinitely is not so unusual.  Cruising along the Zambezi, it’s not hard to see why!

The Wild Zambezi

The following day I learned more about the Zambezi and what a lesson it was.  I enjoyed a day of white water rafting on the river.  Wild is the best word for it!  The power of the water is awe-inspiring!  The beauty of the gorge is too profound to capture in words!  It was an incredibly exhilarating and unforgettable adventure and all the key moments are captured by SafPar’s clever staff on DVD so participants can share and relive some of the excitement again with friends and family at home.

Close encounters

The next adventure on the schedule was an up-close encounter with lions and elephants.  We visited adolescent lions involved in the ALERT lion conservation breeding program.  We walked with a pair of lions and while they were awake but restful we managed to stroke them.  What a rare treat to be able to be so close to these majestic creatures!

The elephant encounter began with hearing the stories of each of the elephants in the herd – tales of calves stranded on islands, separated from their original herd by the wild rising waters of the Zambezi and even a tale of a baby from a local wild herd that was adopted by the these elephants while out walking and only discovered when they arrived home!  We patted them, fed them and enjoyed the chance to see their gentle, social nature and uniquely individual personalities up close.

Local culture and landscape

After such a thrilling morning it was good to embark on some more relaxing pursuits.  After a beautiful brunch at Thorntree Lodge (in my view, the ideal spot for a romantic getaway) we enjoyed a trip to the local market, checking out Livingstone Museum and visiting Victoria Falls.

The market was vibrant and colourful and vendors were keen to haggle.

Livingstone Museum is brilliant, absolutely brilliant!  The historical and prehistoric artefacts are amazing.  The old-fashioned set-up of the themed galleries and delivery of information is perfect!  When I return to Livingstone I am setting aside a full day to make sure I have adequate time to take in as much as possible.  Livingstone Museum is an absolute gem!

A trip to Victoria Falls was made all the more rich by having it follow on from the trip to Livingstone Museum where I took in a little about the rock formation and history behind the majestic falls.  Even when the river is at its lowest point (as it is around this time of year) the view and the noise of falls is absolutely breathtaking!  The local name for the Falls is “Mosi-oa-Tunya” meaning “the smoke that thunders” and this name captures it perfectly but you really need to witness this natural wonder firsthand to grasp the full extent of the magic and power of Victoria Falls.  It truly is extraordinary!

Marie Louise Mortimer

After leaving St.Lucia in Kwazulu Natal we crossed the border into Mozambique and heading to Maputo, the capital. For those working on budgets, the visa fees for foreigners entering Mozambique, has now escalated to an all time high of €65 per person.

Our next adrenaline pumping experience was to traverse through sandy dunes where you have to navigate a route that is not really there without getting stuck.

This roller coaster ride into Maputo, however is well worth it, as you are  rewarded with expansive views, and beautiful scenery, that takes the breath away.

We took the ferry from the south entry at the catembe channel into Maputo. The cost was a welcome R10 per person. Our waiting at the ferry felt relatively short as we  were entertained by the merry making and dancing of the locals along their stalls.

After our long drive of the day we refreshed ourselves with a cold beer, and the famous fresh seafood extravaganza of the Costa do Sol. This well known restaurant has the nostalgic air of the Mafiosi who frequented it in the past, looking out on a cosmopolitan view of the beach front.

A day filled with contentment, memories and laughter.