Zambia was INEFFABLE!
Nov 26th, 2007, 02:45 PM
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Zambia was INEFFABLE!
This was our first visit to Africa and the safari experience. Here is our itinerary:
Arrive 20 Sept. am from San Francisco on BA
20/21/ Sept - Lusaka @ Protea Hotel Cairo Road (booked ourselves)
22/23/24/25/26 Sept - Lufupa Lodge Kafue NP (booked with Wilderness Safaris)
27/28/29/30 Sept - Old Mondoro Lower Zambezi (booked with Sean, Luangwa River Lodge)
1/2/3/4/5/6 October - Luangwa River Lodge South Luangua (booked with Sean, Luangwa River Lodge)
10/7 & 10/8 - Lusaka @ Protea Hotel Cairo Road (booked ourselves)
Depart 10/9 am BA – spending one night in London
My husband and I are working on getting our pictures on-line. We’ve never done so before and I’m not sure which website would be best for us. Truly, the experience was beyond both our expectations. When planning, we went “all the way” deciding to do it exactly as we desired since we wanted no regrets and did not think we’d be returning. There is so much of the world we want to see. Well, needless to say, while there, we were already thinking of a return visit. I don’t know if I’ll do a “Trip Report”, I’m a wordy person and there was so much that was too incredible for words! I think that our pictures will say things best. As with our previous trips, this forum was an immense help and source of information. I want to be of service and “Pay It Forward”. So, in the meantime, if anyone has any questions regarding the places we stayed at, game viewing/sightings, or logistics, I’ll be more than happy to reply in a “private” email or here for that matter.
My email address is: [email protected]
Arrive 20 Sept. am from San Francisco on BA
20/21/ Sept - Lusaka @ Protea Hotel Cairo Road (booked ourselves)
22/23/24/25/26 Sept - Lufupa Lodge Kafue NP (booked with Wilderness Safaris)
27/28/29/30 Sept - Old Mondoro Lower Zambezi (booked with Sean, Luangwa River Lodge)
1/2/3/4/5/6 October - Luangwa River Lodge South Luangua (booked with Sean, Luangwa River Lodge)
10/7 & 10/8 - Lusaka @ Protea Hotel Cairo Road (booked ourselves)
Depart 10/9 am BA – spending one night in London
My husband and I are working on getting our pictures on-line. We’ve never done so before and I’m not sure which website would be best for us. Truly, the experience was beyond both our expectations. When planning, we went “all the way” deciding to do it exactly as we desired since we wanted no regrets and did not think we’d be returning. There is so much of the world we want to see. Well, needless to say, while there, we were already thinking of a return visit. I don’t know if I’ll do a “Trip Report”, I’m a wordy person and there was so much that was too incredible for words! I think that our pictures will say things best. As with our previous trips, this forum was an immense help and source of information. I want to be of service and “Pay It Forward”. So, in the meantime, if anyone has any questions regarding the places we stayed at, game viewing/sightings, or logistics, I’ll be more than happy to reply in a “private” email or here for that matter.
My email address is: [email protected]
Nov 26th, 2007, 05:50 PM
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Don't be concerned with being wordy. Do the report for you so you'll have a record and post it for us. Nobody is forced to read it and your experiences and insights may help others. I'd like to know more about your experiences in some of the places I've stayed.
Nov 27th, 2007, 03:19 PM
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Lufupa Lodge is on the confluence of the Lufupa and Kafue Rivers, hours drive from the plains. The game-viewing was fantastic. We did boat rides and saw lions sleeping along the banks of the river after a kill and even a leopard resting on the banks that watched us curiously in our boat for quite a long time. We were able to get really, really close to it! Obviously, many of what I ended up calling the “hoofed animals” for short, lots of bush babies, hippos, crocks, birds etc. The day drives were also filled with excellent game viewing. We saw lions, both males, females & cubs every day. We also saw leopards on the evening drives – every day. Our hosts, Robert & Ingrid, kept saying we were very lucky. We saw hyenas a few nights – all the usual night “critters” and a leopard eating an impala it dragged up a tree (which we visited again). The elephant viewing was not as good as the other two parks, although we saw their dropping everywhere. On our last day drive, we saw lions, a leopard, and a cheetah!! Then, on the drive to the airstrip, we saw a crocodile sleeping on the back of a hippo. We didn’t think anything of it when we first spotted it, but our guide was blown away. He said in his 20 years he had never seen anything like that. I must do a report just to refresh my memory. I talked into a tape recorder each day to chronicle the day’s events.
Nov 27th, 2007, 04:55 PM
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Was surprised and saddened to see Zambia has the lowest life expectancy in the world (per the U.N.):
http://www.reuters.com/article/lates.../idUSN26420967
http://www.reuters.com/article/lates.../idUSN26420967
Nov 27th, 2007, 05:20 PM
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Nyama,
Cheetah memory sticks with me pretty well ...... i remember! and thanks for reminding me.... Akin's description of their time there sounds lovely!
Akin: Thanks, for your game report. Glad you had a wonderful time at Kafue.
Rgds
Hari
Cheetah memory sticks with me pretty well ...... i remember! and thanks for reminding me.... Akin's description of their time there sounds lovely!
Akin: Thanks, for your game report. Glad you had a wonderful time at Kafue.
Rgds
Hari
Nov 28th, 2007, 08:40 AM
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Nyama,
Nights drives were a continuation of your afternoon drive after the sundowners. Dinner was generally served after 8:00 - 8:30. We did do one late night drive one night due to the request of a regular visitor of Lufupa Lodge, a Brit that was born and raised in Lusaka. He served as the spotter on that drive. We left after dinner and didn’t get back until way after 11:00. It made for a long day. I’ll get into details in my trip report.
Nights drives were a continuation of your afternoon drive after the sundowners. Dinner was generally served after 8:00 - 8:30. We did do one late night drive one night due to the request of a regular visitor of Lufupa Lodge, a Brit that was born and raised in Lusaka. He served as the spotter on that drive. We left after dinner and didn’t get back until way after 11:00. It made for a long day. I’ll get into details in my trip report.
Nov 28th, 2007, 01:06 PM
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Akin -- another question, regarding the Lufupa accommodation. I've seen WS pictures of the new tented accommodation, 'Lufupa Camp', really nice. Did you stay in the new tents, or in the old chalets. Also, could you please describe where these new tents are located - is it upstream (east) from the boma on the bank of Lufupa River, or downstream (west) towards the campsite?
Nov 28th, 2007, 01:51 PM
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Nyama,
When we booked it, early January 2007, the old Lufupa Lodge website was active, they had the chalets, or they called them “rondavels, and there was a large swimming pool and grass area. We were not aware that it was being sold to Wilderness Safaris at the time. The website was called “Busanga Trails”. I printed out pictures showing the lodge. Prices were what they had been when owned by the Indian family, can’t remember their name. While in the process of finalizing our stay and payments, Chantal, with WS, quoted me a different price, an all-inclusive price. I save emails so she kept to the original quote – it ended up being pretty close anyway. When we arrived, all was different. Yes, new “tents’, where we stayed, are very nice and built upstream to the east (?), to the right side of the old buildings if you are facing the river. The old chalets and camp grounds were still up. There were some campers there, but we only saw the old lodge buildings and camp sites when we went in that direction on the boat excursions. They plan on tearing them down and building more tents in time for the 2008 season. Actually, I was elated with the new lodge layout and tents.
When we booked it, early January 2007, the old Lufupa Lodge website was active, they had the chalets, or they called them “rondavels, and there was a large swimming pool and grass area. We were not aware that it was being sold to Wilderness Safaris at the time. The website was called “Busanga Trails”. I printed out pictures showing the lodge. Prices were what they had been when owned by the Indian family, can’t remember their name. While in the process of finalizing our stay and payments, Chantal, with WS, quoted me a different price, an all-inclusive price. I save emails so she kept to the original quote – it ended up being pretty close anyway. When we arrived, all was different. Yes, new “tents’, where we stayed, are very nice and built upstream to the east (?), to the right side of the old buildings if you are facing the river. The old chalets and camp grounds were still up. There were some campers there, but we only saw the old lodge buildings and camp sites when we went in that direction on the boat excursions. They plan on tearing them down and building more tents in time for the 2008 season. Actually, I was elated with the new lodge layout and tents.
Nov 28th, 2007, 02:43 PM
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Akin -- thank you. As far as I know Lufupa is still owned by the Patels, WS are just managing the camp. You are right, the new accommodation looks much more inviting than the old rondavels. Also the plunge pool spot. Btw, is Barry still captain of the Malaika?
Regarding the tents' location, just to make sure that I got it: if I'm standing at the camp's reception (or radio antenna), looking to the river, with the old chalets to the right, then I have to go to the left for the tents? How far away are these tents?
Regarding the tents' location, just to make sure that I got it: if I'm standing at the camp's reception (or radio antenna), looking to the river, with the old chalets to the right, then I have to go to the left for the tents? How far away are these tents?
Nov 28th, 2007, 03:20 PM
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Oh, I thought they sold it. No wonder there is no Lufupa Camp on the WS website. Yes, that was the name of the family. We had a few people that knew them and they talked about the family at dinner one night. When you make a right off the road of the park towards the river, the old rondavels, & camps, etc., are to the left. The road/driveway takes you directly to the new lodge. The main living room, so to speak, dining, kitchen, “pool”, and other tents are to the right of the main gathering area. There was one tent to the left of ours, which was left of the main area, and beyond that one was the tent that Robert and Ingrid occupied. I couldn’t see it from ours and I had no need to walk in that direction. So, when we would go down to the boat that was docked right in front of the pool area past the open dining room, if we headed to the left from there, you could see some of the old lodge. If you went to the right, there was what seemed to be, other dwelling buildings but not the round ones we originally saw on the website. Robert, our guide, confirmed that what we were seeing were the old grounds. You could see campers and campsites with their BBQ pits along the bank. I’ll ask my husband tonight to make sure. I’m not the best with directions. I don’t know who Barry is; we did not meet him and the Malaika does not ring a bell. So, you would go to the left for the old lodge area if looking to the river. It was walking distance. I’d say 1/8 mile or less. I remember Ingrid telling us the first day that all our belongings would be safe in the tents when we leave for rides and my husband and I being surprised to see how close the campsites where to our tent and glad we took our cash etc. with us.
Nov 28th, 2007, 04:54 PM
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Nyama,
My husband concurred as to right or left, as far as upstream or downstream, we are not 100% sure. He says since the fork of both rivers was to the left of the new lodge, than it would be downstream, but we’re not experts. So let’s forget downstream/upstream and go with right or left. The old buildings were on the bank where both rivers meet, more or less, when facing the rivers. Then, the new lodge is to the RIGHT of that when facing the river (it is just one river at this point). He said that he did not recall any structures visible from the boat past the new lodge in the right direction when we were on the river. Sorry to be so uncertain with up or down but we both are positive with the fact that the old lodge was to the left of the new lodge when facing the river. Hopes this answers your question.
My husband concurred as to right or left, as far as upstream or downstream, we are not 100% sure. He says since the fork of both rivers was to the left of the new lodge, than it would be downstream, but we’re not experts. So let’s forget downstream/upstream and go with right or left. The old buildings were on the bank where both rivers meet, more or less, when facing the rivers. Then, the new lodge is to the RIGHT of that when facing the river (it is just one river at this point). He said that he did not recall any structures visible from the boat past the new lodge in the right direction when we were on the river. Sorry to be so uncertain with up or down but we both are positive with the fact that the old lodge was to the left of the new lodge when facing the river. Hopes this answers your question.
Nov 29th, 2007, 09:43 AM
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Akin -- there is currently no URL for Lufupa. Lufupa Lodge doesn't fit into WS' camp portfolio and hence it isn't featured on the WS website, similar to other places such as Palmwag Lodge or Heuglins Lodge.
The tented accommodation at Lufupa Lodge, Lufupa Camp or Lufupa Discoverer Camp, is part of their Explorations safaris. You find short descriptions of the Explorations camps in the Safaris section of the WS website, however you rarely find any pictures of these camps.
WS offer pictures of Lufupa Camp and other Explorations places to the travel trade and media, but these pictures are not directly available to the public.
I've heard that WS are in the process of launching a new website, so maybe some things will change in the future.
The tented accommodation at Lufupa Lodge, Lufupa Camp or Lufupa Discoverer Camp, is part of their Explorations safaris. You find short descriptions of the Explorations camps in the Safaris section of the WS website, however you rarely find any pictures of these camps.
WS offer pictures of Lufupa Camp and other Explorations places to the travel trade and media, but these pictures are not directly available to the public.
I've heard that WS are in the process of launching a new website, so maybe some things will change in the future.
