AWAKENINGS
Sunrise in the Lower Zambezi Valley and the low light pours across the floodplains, igniting the tops of the winterthorn glades where elephants are feeding on fallen seedpods. No matter where you stay – luxury lodge, no-frills bushcamp or star bed sleep-out – wild Africa is all around you. The night air echoes to the rumble of lions. You fall asleep to the honking of hippos and awake to the yelping cries of fish eagles. Through it all runs the mighty Zambezi, Africa’s fourth longest river, its mile-wide waters forming a natural barrier between Zimbabwe and Zambia who together share its natural wonders. On the Zimbabwean side is Mana Pools National Park, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site half the size of Surrey. On the opposite bank lies Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, a pristine wilderness lying at the foot of the Zambezi escarpment. Together they are a perfect hunting ground for lions, leopards and wild dogs; but above all this timeless valley is a land of giants, of towering winterthorns and the elephant herds that find sanctuary beneath their dappled shade.
WORDS: BRIAN JACKMAN
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