So 2 weeks ago we experienced the reason we
came to Africa – safari! We went to South Luangwa National Park for a long
weekend of spotting wildlife and relaxing in the lodge. After another scary
journey on Zambian roads (nothing new there) we arrived at Marula Lodge to find
two elephants casually munching on the trees at the entrance! The lodge was
beautiful and set on the border of the park – only a river separates it as we
found out later watching a herd of elephants crossing the river and coming
towards us!
Our guide, David, took us on 4 game drives
during our time there, one starting at 6am and the other starting mid afternoon
and continuing on into the evening. We didn’t mind getting up at 5am with the
prospect of seeing wildlife we’d only ever seen on TV or in the zoo before. The
drives were incredible and we saw every animal we hoped to see. Highlights
included sitting 3 metres from a pride of lions eating a waterbuck, spotting a
leopard on one of the night drives and encountering a grumpy elephant blocking
our road. Having a drink while watching the sun set over the park was the
perfect interlude to our animal spotting. David knew everything about the
animals and could take us to see anything we wanted but didn’t really get our
sense of humour! His true character emerged when he spotted the rare honey
badger from miles off. Having only seen one twice before in his career, he set
off at high speed to see it closer up. What we weren’t expecting was a car
chase worthy of 007 with David shouting “It’s tiring! It’s tiring!” as the poor
badger ran panting in front of the car.
Some fun facts from safari (ie David!)
·
A group of zebras is called a
‘dazzle’ of zebras
·
A group of giraffes is called a
‘tower’
·
Hippos can’t swim – they walk
along the bottom of the water
·
Giraffes can only sleep for 6
minutes at a time
Who said this was a weekend off! It was an
incredible experience getting so close to the animals although having a pride
of lions walk right past your car and be within touching distance was a bit
nerve wracking. After our last drive we were happy to spend our last few hours
relaxing by the pool, thinking we had seen everything possible. But the arrival
of an elephant beside the pool completed a great trip :)
