gan63

Trip Report on our Inland Africa Trip, by gan63©
Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, and Sabi Sabi Game Reserve in South Africa.

I feel a trip purpose note in order before getting into the details of the report: We made the trip primarily to experience the natural side of the parts of South-central Africa we were visiting. Regional safety and friendliness of native peoples also guided our destination decisions. We also tried to plan the trip at the level of travel we are accustomed to, if possible, and we realized that the Zambia portion would probably not be able to supply upper end accommodations. We tried to rely on operator lodging descriptions and existing trip reports. Our comments and descriptions reflect things as we found them. I am sure no two couples would describe things exactly the same, so please try to keep this in mind while reading this report. We planned our trip in 3 parts. Part 1 being African bush natural environment, part 2 being a rejuvenating short stay at one of the world’s natural wonders, and part 3 being a decidedly upscale experience at an acclaimed luxury lodge in a different part /environment of Africa.

Part One Luangwa River Lodge; Mfuwe, Zambia- Early November, 2006

The Luangwa River Lodge (LRL) is sited along the bank of the Luangwa River in south-central Zambia. The closest village/airport being the area of Mfuwe, Zambia. LRL has been in business approximately 2+ years. We visited as the dry season was just changing over to the “wet” or rain season, a great time to see the park begin it’s transformation. LRL was still accessed by road. Access during the “wet” season is via boat from the main park roads being as the lodge is on the south side of the river and no wet season roads to the lodge exist on their side of the river. The north side of the river, the National Park side, has year round access via rough raised bed roads. LRL is in a beautiful setting, a truly magical area. We almost always felt our personal safety was accorded proper diligence, with only a few shortcomings in this regard.

Across the river from the lodge is the South Luangwa National Park, one of three parks along the river in this area (south, central, and north). Air access is from the city of Lusaka, Zambia. Direct flights from London via British Airways to Lusaka, then via Zambian Airlines to Mfuwe, made for a fairly easy travel scenario. From Mfuwe via LandRover to LRL is approximately a 30 minute drive.

The wildlife viewing in the park was beyond our expectations, while the lodging unfortunately was somewhat below our expectations.

The LRL is advertised by the owners as “having all the comforts of 5 star lodging”. While this may be true if the country of Zambia has its own definition of 5 star lodging or perhaps the owners do, we found the LRL to be a 3 star lodge at best. There were several reasons for the afore mentioned opinion, some being, but not limited to:

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1- An obvious lack of capitalization for an upscale lodge had to be the first and foremost. The LandRovers’ condition and the electrical generating backup issues for example. New and more advertising that was being undertaken may help occupancy, but a lack of requesting honest feed back at the end of our stay (consistent with most upscale lodgings) did not bode well for the LRL. Perhaps capital injection on a large scale and the addition of career hospitality people will help turn this lodge into what I’m sure the owners have desired from the start. Or perhaps the site location issues and lack of capitalization will bring the closing of LRL. Only time will tell. The lodge was due to close for a few months for “minor repairs” we were told. Yet we also learned a larger party had been accepted for the holidays (“the revenues would cover staff and operating costs for a month” mrg. quote). We hope future guests can get as much out of the natural side as we did, making the visit worthwhile.

2- Maintenance, or lack there of was fairly obvious. A leaking roof in our chalet, if not for the top panel of the bed mosquito netting a dripping on the head was to be expected. This problem should have been obvious to the staff due to water staining of the top panel of bed mosquito netting and sure enough when it rained the roof leaked. Thankfully it did not rain enough yet to make this an issue we would have refused to deal with. A backup electrical power generating system which was not automatic nor turned on immediately or sometimes at all during the frequent power outages. Some of the materials and construction was sub standard and seemed to lack the foresight and planning of professional regional planners, designers, and constructors. Poorly fitting and hard to operate and needing repair bi folding doors. Lack of any grab bars in shower and recessed tub areas compounded by lack of non slip floor surfaces. Lack of sufficient lighting in some areas of the chalet (dressing/bath areas). These were some of the issues. Lack of chalet safes was also noted. Objectively, I am sure our construction company ownership background played some role in our opinions.

3- In our opinion upscale and even at times mid level hospitality experience was decidedly lacking. Candles were few, matches less, and lanterns were never offer during the power outages. During one evening outage while I was on a drive and my wife was alone in the chalet, the staff never bothered to check on her or offer an escort to the main lodge to await my return, which she would have preferred. This after being warned not to traverse the grounds unescorted while dark. Their means of communicating to the main lodge were whistles, not very comforting considering the distance and the frequent winds or blowing rain during some outages.






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It was assumed we would prefer to take our meals with the resident owner/manager. While in fact we would have preferred to choose whether or not to dine this way. Being frequent travelers and a somewhat private, seclusion loving couple, this was most disheartening at times. Meal options were non existent with only one offering at each meal, cooked the same for everyone. Most red meats were served as the chef saw fit, rather than taking the care in inquiring first if a guest preferred their meat cooked medium rare or well done(as one of us would prefer) for example. Morning meals were generally all carbohydrates and never an egg was seen.

The mid morning meals (post morning game drive) were more of a late lunch or early dinner variety. We can only assume the talented young chef did the best he could with what was provided him.

A Chicken Kiev was an exceptional dinner offering, we enjoyed very much. Potable tap water was in our opinion suitable for bathing and the like, but bottled water was always preferred by us for drinking, and if asked for there was no shortage of the latter. Sundowners, break time snacks/drinks on the evening drives, were offered. I usually went with a nice SA Merlot or Cab, my wife a gin and tonic or a single malt scotch; along with chips or popcorn (snacks or canapés not consistent with the 5 star advertising).

One uncomfortable lunch had a rather rude and somewhat offensive friend of the owner/manager thrust upon us, while another lunch had some very pleasant conversation with a couple(who ran the local massage business) included. We must say the massage business, which came to the lodge (Personal Touch, a separate off site company) was one of the hospitality side highlights of our stay. Such were the inconsistencies of the LRL. I must say that we did not make the journey to Africa to socialize with “expats” and doubt many people do, and if they did would book B&B type lodging, with it’s attending cost differences.

The selection of spirits/libations was very adequate, and I highly recommend the Amarula, made from the nuts of the Marula tree. This spirit is very similar to a Baileys Irish Crème and combined with the excellent Zambian coffee, or straight over ice, was enjoyed very much.

The chalet interior decorating was nicely done, along with the main lodge building. Furnishings were well appointed, although the quality/comfort of the bed decidedly not up to the star rating claims. Again perhaps this was the best available, but we felt perhaps the capitalization issue again entered the picture.

Hospitality side employees were very polite and accommodating to the best of their in-experienced abilities. We were never asked and did not offer constructive critique or complaints as we do not feel quality control is the guests’ responsibility and we felt that it would be useless and undermine what we did enjoy for the rest of our stay.
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All in all visitors traveling to LRL who are accustomed to higher end travel should remember the following:
Zambia is a developing country and the Luangwa park(s) area is in a very difficult area concerning access, building materials, and utilities. We did observe other lodges, on the park side of the river. Although we did not stay at any of them, some of them did appear to be far better capitalized. One bright side of our visit was that the lodge had no other guests during the majority of our stay, so we had a Landover to ourselves. In contrast, some of the other LandRovers from other lodges were so loaded with guests that we wondered how someone seated in the middle of the 3 row seating arrangements could possibly take proper photos/videos. A private LandRover would be a must in our opinion if doing serious photo or video work, as we lucked into here; and was included on part 3 of our trip- in South Africa at the Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge.

Our opinion would be that for experienced travelers Zambia is surely a place calling for a lot of research and prior reporting study beforehand, and for all visitors, higher end travelers or budget minded travelers, lodge selection would be a very important issue. Perhaps true upper level lodging does exist here, or will be forthcoming as the area continues to evolve.

The wildlife viewing, game drives, and interaction with our obviously experienced ranger/guide was by far the highlight of our stay. Mr. Victor Mpatisha, Zambian, with past experience with the Zambian government’s wildlife services; was a very experienced, knowledgeable, respectful and all around fun to be with person. Victor’s knowledge of all things, big and small, was excellent. Because our stay was a bit longer than the norm, he was able to point out many remarkable plants and animals beyond the traditional. He also made a point of asking us and talking about what our individual interests were. He would plan each day’s trips accordingly. We both learned a lot from Victor and he was also very genuinely interested in us and the environment/wildlife of our home country. There developed a very comfortable give and take atmosphere between us that we will always cherish. Being an avid outdoorsman myself I will always consider Victor to be a true friend and a credit to the Zambian outdoor experience.

The morning and evening game viewing drives are each approximately 3 hours long.
I also had a wonderful 3 hour walking excursion, Victor and myself being accompanied by Patrick(armed) from the Zambian wildlife agency. It was interesting how many of the agency people Victor knew from his days of working with the agency, many of them trained by Victor.

The Park and wildlife never failed to amaze us. Animal numbers and diversity were phenomenal. If you go only looking to see the “big 5” you will be missing 90% of what this area has to offer. The bird life/diversity was truly amazing, as were the insect, floral and fauna offerings. Some of my favorites ranged from the elephant shrew to the blood bug to the African bees thru all the different animals big and small. One can hardly do justice describing what it’s like to be in the middle of elephant or buffalo herds, sitting in your LandRover, video camera running almost continuously.
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My wife being somewhat of a “birder” was daily overwhelmed with diversity and sheer numbers. Being from the USA the floral and fauna were both mystifying and fascinating.


Some of the highlights regarding this part of our trip:

1- River crossings of well more than 100 African buffalos and over 150 elephants, of all sizes and ages.
2- Observing mating rituals and hunting practices of the magnificent lions.
3- The “bush breakfast group”- Sausage trees, Potato shrubs, Fried egg tree.
4- The magnificent Baobab tree, the leopard orchid plants growing in trees, the strangler fig trees, and the plentiful African ebony trees.
5- Meeting the newly appointed Zambian minister of tourism, flying with us to Mfuwe.
6- The Norman Carr memorial plaque and stone in a beautifully secluded river side area.
7- Victor’s stories of native lore and beliefs.
8- The carpets of dropped lilac flowers on some of the trails.
9-Interaction with the Zambian government “ranger” Patrick, who accompanied Victor and I on one of our “walks”.
10- The timing of our trip- right at the changing of the dry to the wet season, and the birthing time for impalas, baboons, and other animals.
11- The unbelieveable numbers/diversity of the bird life.
12- The “gang” of Hippos at a beautiful “sundowner” site on the river bank, and the awesome crocks accompanying them.
13- The experience of a morning game viewing/drive during a period of fairly heavy rains. The animal actions changing somewhat, the clay soil side trails making for some challenging driving (to put it mildly) made the morning quite a story in itself. (note- a decent set of tires on our LandRover would have made for a less harrowing experience, once again the experience of my native ranger/guide Victor more than made up for the conditions. Tires were supposedly on hand though not installed, I guess they were waiting for the dry season ).

In total I felt privileged to experience so many game viewing drives, my wife somewhat less, but she enjoyed her massage times equally. Depending on each traveler’s level of desired immersion into the natural environment, careful planning and execution can certainly achieve traveler’s goals. Whether it be a couple of days or a couple of weeks, a carefully planned trip to this part of Africa can make for memories of a life time.







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Lists: (I am sure we are neglecting to mention some of the animals and plants we saw, as the magnitude of same was at times producing “sensatory overload”; believe me when I say, “ You would have to see it to fully comprehend what we are trying to describe in this concise report”.) Some of the sightings listed here were from other parts of our 3 part Africa trip, as we have only compiled one listing for all three locations visited.

Elephants, Hippos, White (or square lipped) Rhinos, Lions, Crocodiles, Zebras, Giraffes (the indigenous Thornycrofts variety of the Luangwa area and common giraffes in SA), Warthogs, Mongoose (multiple varieties), Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Cape Buffalos, Kudus, Water Bucks, Pukas, Bush Bucks, Impalas, Steenboks, Hares, Tree Squirrels, Elephant Shrews, Spotted Hyenas, African Civets, Spotted Genets, Tortoises, Geckos, Scorpions, Frogs of many varieties, Dung Beetles, Termites, Guinea Fowls, Duikers, Klipspringers, Francolins (many varieties), Fish Eagles, Martial Eagles, Yellow Billed Storks, Saddle Billed Storks, Hornbills(crowned and red bills), Crowned Cranes, Egrets, SpurWinged Geese, Egyptian Geese, Hamerkops, Pearl Spotted Owls, Ibis, Vultures (hooded and white headed), Wattled Cranes, Plovers, Sandpipers, Doves, Giant Kingfishers, Blue Woodland Kingfishers, Carmine Bee Eaters, Spoonbills, Blue swallows, Warblers, Weavers, Redbacked Shrikes, Longtailed Starlings, Finches, Crested Barbets, African Cuckoos, Fiscal Shrikes, Millipedes, Centipedes, Cicadas, African Honey and Killer Bees, Redbilled Oxpeckers, Cape Glossy Starlings, Bronze Winged Coursers, Green Pigeons, Dark Capped Bulbuls, Village Weavers, Jacobin Cuckoos, Spoonbills, Blue Waxbills, African Python, Harrod Snake, Spitting Cobra, Puffadder, Black Mamba, Monitors, and others I’m sure we are neglecting to mention.


Baobob trees, African Ebony trees, Strangler Fig trees, Sausage trees, Potato Shrubs, Fried Egg trees, Leadwood trees, Mahogany trees, Citrus trees (orange, lemon, lime, mango, guava), Marula trees, Palm trees (seldom), Buffalo Thorn trees, Acacia trees, Torchwood trees, Bloodwood trees, Knob Thorn trees, Bushwillow trees, Bushveld Candelabra Euphorbia plant, Leopard Orchids in bloom, and many other trees, shrubs, and plants; and a multitude of Flowers and Grasses.











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Misc. travel notes:
1- British Airways flights were excellent, on time for the most part, and ultra comfortable for the long haul segments of our trip. The 2 for 1 first class tickets were a plus and absolutely worth the price. Nice lounges for layover time, escorted check in and boarding, and impeccable service.
2- Johannesburg, in our opinion, is definitely a place for overnighting and not much else.
We stayed at a beautiful hill top hotel, the WestCliff in a junior suite; another true 5 star property. Although in retrospect the Johannesburg airport Intercontinental hotel would have served the same purpose and saved us the trips through the city.
3- Non stop flights from our home city to New York via Midwest Airlines on their signature service flights were comfortable and on time for the most part.
4- Airport transfers between JFK and LaGuardia airports were well handled by New York Limousine Services Company.
5- British Airways, LRL, Royal Livingstone Hotel, and Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge were our own choices. The WestCliff Hotel was recommended by LRL.
6- Some of our Zambia transfer arrangements were booked by LRL, they were professional and courteous.
7- South African air transfers via Federal Air were arranged by Sabi Sabi, and were most enjoyable.


In closing, yes travel like this and to these kinds of locations is expensive; but consider what is to be gained personally and spiritually. Next time you’re looking to trade up on a luxury car you’ll have for a few years or a home larger than you really need, consider the African continent for a truly life altering experience.

Again our heartfelt thanks to all the individuals who helped make this truly a “Trip of a Lifetime”

All 7 pages of material in this report, part of a larger report and travel article, are copyrighted and the property of the author, registered “trip advisor member” gan63©


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atravelynn

Interesting take on Zambia. Thanks for sharing your experiences and observations. Glad the wildlife viewing was out of this world for your trip of a lifetime. The extensive list of birds made your wife happy, I am sure, and being there as the rains started probably boosted the species seen.

The lack of "true upper level lodging" in Zambia may take into account the clientele. Unlike some of the luxury lodges of Sabi Sands, which you also included in your itinerary, Zambia tends to attract those more interested in wildlife and remoteness than fancy lodging. What one may view as dire shortcomings may not be crucial to others who opt for a safari in Zambia.

gan63

Very true, which is why I prefaced everything with "our opinion". We were trying for both, as sometimes one's significant other may not be as rough and tumble as one's self.

cybor

Yes, interesting trip report. It's always good to get different perspectives from those with first hand experience.
I am curious about how this trip was booked. Did you use a TA who was familiar with your tastes and the camps themselves? Surely, a good TA would have explained to you that various countries do rate camps/hotels etc. according to location. Your TA may have also told you to expect power outages etc. as Zambia is in the middle of nowhere in Africa.
Overall it sounds like you had a good experience.
Thanks for sharing.

gan63

As the report says we chose all the locations ourselves, with the exception of the Westcliff hotel. The expected level of the LRL came from their web site. In our other travels we are very familiar with sporadic electrical services, we just expected a little better back up system based on the LRL's advertising. Perhaps the web site should say " Zambia 5 star level" for us first time to Africa travelers.

cooncat3

Thanks for a very open report, gan63.

I wasn't sure where to post this since LRL came up in your South Africa post as well. Everyone on the forum knows that people such as Dennis (matnikstym), Steeliejim and me really love LRL so no need to belabor that point!

I did just want to point out that the owners were in quite a state of flux when you were there - their second baby was born in mid-Nov. in Lusaka, so it's possible that they weren't there for your stay or that things were just little "off." I'm sure these things happen in even the most slick of operations.

LRL is a small, owner run lodge - very much UNLIKE the uber-luxurious Sabi Sabi and those type of places. It can be difficult to make a go of things, and sometimes stuff happens. It is unlikely that any lodge in Zambia would try to compare itself with one of those places. That really isn't what Zambia is all about.

I am glad you enjoyed Victor as much we did. He is such a jewel. It sounds like your wildlife encounters were quite fabulous - and that IS what Zambia is all about!

Cheerio~
Sharon

cary999

Well-
"That really isn't what Zambia is all about. "
If what is is about is not being concerned about a guest's safety and concerns during a power outage, then you can have it.
regards - tom

gan63

Sharon, yes Sean was there for our entire stay. And yes there is no comparision between the 2 lodges, nor did we expect them to be alike, that's one of the reasons we went to Zambia and the LRL. Honestly though most of our issues had nothing to do with the timing of their baby's birth, and one of the reasons we never brought them up with Sean was that very reason. I agree the wildlife is the thing, and Victor did make the trip.

cooncat3

I hope my response to the original poster was taken with the respect that I intended.

Tom - your response is just idiotic.

cybor

Perhaps we can blame it on the full moon......
or not

matnikstym

gan63~I'm sorry your stay at LRL wasn't up to snuff, but I appreciate your honesty telling about it. It is my favorite chalet style camp, have been there twice and will return again. One of the places I stayed on my last trip was "Over the Top" luxury, but it didn't feel like Africa nor was there much game in the area, we dined alone, everything worked, yet I couldn't wait to get out of there. I personally would prefer incredible game/bird sightings to having a wet-bar, massage, turn down service, intimate dinner or safe in the room. At LRL, yes, the rooms are dark and the doors don't work as well as they should and I'd have been upset if I was stuck in a dark room without power and no one coming to check, and if I only got chips and popcorn at sundowners.(we always had the best finger food while there, don't know why they changed that) On the other hand, you had incredible sightings and Victor was an excellent guide as you said. If you went to Zambia and LRL to see game, then they performed. As you said in your report, you planned your trip in 3 parts. Part 1 being African bush natural environment. I think LRL accomplishes this in their "beautiful setting, a truly magical area" (your words) Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I'm glad you told yours. Thanks for the reports.

santharamhari

Game-viewing/guiding would be the main factors to judge a camp/area and i'm glad these were very good during your stay.

The other camp related info.....i have never been to LRL, but, just want to say that it is VERY VERY difficult to not have the odd "off day" in a remote wilderness location. That is a point of fact ANYWHERE in the bush.....

About eating privately....if you requested for it, usually camps would organize for it if requested in time to get the logistics right.

Hari

steeliejim

Very interesting perspective on LRL by gan63. We were there the first week of Nov., and while that was still the dry season, supposedly, we had a horrific thunder storm with gale winds blow through. But no power outages in the 6 nights we were there, and we loved our stay.

Now, it indeed was our first trip to Africa, but we had stayed at 3 other camps before we arrived at LRL, so we had a reasonable basis for comparison. We've stayed at some very expensive so-called 5-star places in other parts of the world, and, taking all factors into account--yes, the lack of crowded vehicles, the setting of the lodge with its direct and private access to the park (guests at most other camps have to go through the main gate every day), the game, and Victor, we were quite happy.

But then, we looked at our experience as a whole, so perhaps our happiness with the game viewing and bond with Victor may have colored our assessment, in a positive way, of other aspects of our stay.

In contrast, we found Sausage Tree, which advertises itself as a luxury camp, to be truly substandard in just about every important aspect except for its setting, especially in the most important--to us,anyway--the quality of the game drives and the lack of respect shown to the animals. I don't care how plentiful the game is, but if your guide is hazing the animals to such an extent that lions are forced into a run by the vehicle and elephants are sent off shrieking, that is unacceptable. And, there were several other problems and misrepresentations--totally absent at LRL.

To have the vehicle, and Victor, all to ourselves, esp. in contrast to other vehicles we encountered crammed with tourists, now that was, as it's said, "priceless." I do heartily agree re. Victor: knowledgeable, respectful of the game, as thrilled with sightings of even the elephant shrew as we were, a wonderful story teller--and a true gentleman. It was an honor to be able to spend so much time with him, and we will always treasure his friendship. And we have heard that LRL's other guide, James, is also very, very good. The quality of the guides and the certainty that you will have one that's top-notch is not to be taken for granted, and I would put that close to the top of the list of prerequisites.

Some nights Sean and Mary Ann ate with us, which we very much liked, and others we ate alone. I am sure had we asked we could have eaten alone any time we wished, but I guess it's our nature to want to find out as much as we can about the background of the owners, the history of the lodge, even the local goings-on. But then, that's us.

And, there were watchmen close by our chalet each night. And, they were very attentive.

Just our perspective.
Jim

skimmer

I agree with Hari on his second paragraph.

And Tom, your reaction is typically you ...

cybor

gan63,
Booking camps and choosing camps can generally (from my understanding), be 2 seperate issues in Africa. I gather from your answer to my above question, that you personally booked your camps - true?
Thanks

gan63

Sorry for the confusion,
LRL was chosen by us and I booked it directly with Barry via email and telephone.

Sabi Sabi was the same, I choose it and booked it with their main office in JB, via emails and telephone calls.

The Royal Livingstone Hotel was chosen by us and booked by Barry(LRL).

cary999

Thank you skimmer
regards - tom

bat

Thanks for the report. It sounds very lucky to have had Victor all to yourselves.

napamatt

Sundowners without popcorn - a tragedy.
Who needs fancy finger food?

Give me a G&T and a couple of pounds of Biltong and I'm happy.