Luxurious Safari: An Adventure in Zambia

TRAVEL

LUXURIOUS SAFARI: AN ADVENTURE IN ZAMBIA

WORDS

by TATIJANA SHOAN

WEB EDIT

by GRACE GARRAHAN

PHOTOGRAPHS

by TATIJANA SHOAN

LOCATION

CHINZOMBO NORMAN CARR SAFARIS, ZAMBIA, AFRICA

The sun was hovering just above the horizon late on a tepid afternoon in June when we disembarked from the single-propeller plane that had picked us up in Lusaka, the capitol of Zambia, and brought us here, to South Luangwa, in eastern Zambia. I had come with my husband Scott to go on safari, our first ever, and a lifelong dream of ours. A guide from Norman Carr Safaris picked us up in an open Jeep and drove on endless dirt roads for about an hour, passing through the village of Mfuwe along the way, where laughing children chased our jeep and women were selling live chicken roadside, until we reached South Luangwa National Park.

After another 30-minutes of driving through expansive plains where we had to maneuver around bushes and trees we finally arrived at our destination, Norman Carr Safaris - Chinzombo. The camp, silhouetted against a lavender-and-pink sunset, was situated across the Luangwa River, which we now had to navigate by boat. The river was full of curious hippo, who would pop their heads up out of the water as they swam towards us to get a better look. Upon docking we were greeted warmly with smiles, hot towels, cocktails, canapés, and a bonfire before being taken to our room to drop off our luggage and freshen up before dinner.

Our room was so beautiful, if I wasn’t so excited about seeing the animals I would have never left it. Referred to as “villas”, this expansive luxury tent made of thick olive khaki hovered just above ground on a wooden platform, and was down the river a few meters from the main camp’s lounge. The entire length of the villa’s “wall” facing the river was open to allow the full experience of the views. Every morning Scott and I would watch the sunrise from bed. The yellow and orange hues of light were like soft brushstrokes of watercolor as they gently saturated the mist from the river and dew on the leaves of the trees.

At sunset we rolled down the mosquito netting to keep the bugs out, and not to miss out on the views, and at night thick khaki was rolled down to keep out the cool night air and any roaming animals. Our villa was so handsomely designed with low amber lighting, canvas and woods, that it made us feel as though we walked into a Ralph Lauren Ad. We also had a private plunge pool and a large free-standing tub built for two that we took full advantage of in the evenings. It was our own private paradise.

The story behind this safari camp is also worth mentioning. The late founder, Norman Carr, had a mission in life to preserve the land and its wildlife, to reduce man’s footprint on the environment as much as possible, and to promote his vision of eco-tourism, an idea that Carr conjured up decades before it became part of the exotic travel lexicon. Our camp at Chinzombo, along with several other camps in Zambia, is the result of Carr’s extraordinary efforts, which began in 1950 with little more than six rondevaals (mud huts).

by Tatijana Shoan

The camp has been thoughtfully designed to immerse guests in a tranquil environment. The main communal area of the camp, the lounge, is an open design concept providing views of the Luangwa River and beyond. The masculine bar area is what I imagine Carr’s study would have looked like: rustic leather bar stools, a globe, telescope, rich woods, and photos of Carr and his early exploits pepper the bookshelves. Many nights Scott and I enjoyed a whisky while imagining we were Ernest Heminway and Martha Gellhorn.

On one particular day our early morning sunrise watching ritual was pleasantly interrupted by a masseuse and an in-room spa treatment. We were pampered with homemade foot scrubs, massages, and an aromatherapy foot soak. But our mission on this trip was safari, so once we dried off we set-out for game watching since the best time for it is in the early morning. A breakfast of hot oatmeal and eggs with fresh fruit, yogurt, and warm bread was made over a large open bonfire and by 5:30 am we were out in an open Jeep with Cedric Koma and Abraham Banda as our guides.

Koma and Banda are heralded across the region for their acute tracking skills. They do not bring guns on safari, instead they rely on their knowledge of the bush and animal behavior. By studying animal tracks and droppings, they can tell the time of day when they passed by, what and where the animal ate, and where they might be headed. By listening to birds and noticing their flight patterns they can pick up the signs that an animal is nearby, what kind, and where they might be. Koma and Banda can detect all kinds of scent in the wind, and can predict behaviors when the air is still.

“On another day we came upon an unbelievable sight: giraffes, impalas and baboons peacefully sharing the same watering hole, in what I can only describe as a Maxfield Parish setting. It was dreamlike."

by Tatijana Shoan

Our guides assured us that we were likely to see leopard, impala, elephant, hippo, giraffe, zebra, baboon, and vervet monkey, and we were not disappointed. Since Zambia is not as heavily trafficked by tourists as Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, and South Africa, few game watchers are encountered, which offered us the precious opportunity to explore and discover the land uninterrupted.

I was excited to see lions, as I am a huge cat lover. Kuma told us that lions roam in large areas, and it was unlikely we would see them during our visit. However, on our second day we came upon a pride of females. They were the epitome of grace and elegance as they scattered across a dry riverbed, in search of a high spot where they could have a catnap. The sight of these great beasts filled me with gratitude and, I must confess, brought me to tears.

On another day we came upon an unbelievable sight: giraffes, impalas and baboons peacefully sharing the same watering hole, in what I can only describe as a Maxfield Parish setting. It was dreamlike.

by Tatijana Shoan

On every safari day, by mid-morning we would stop for tea, a tradition left over from colonial times. Our guides always picked picturesque spots for this ritual, and from the back of the jeep they would pull out water, biscuits, a variety of teas, and coffee. A few hours later we would head back to camp for a buffet lunch, a quick nap, and by late afternoon we headed back out in the Jeep again. By sunset our guides would find yet another gorgeous spot where we would park for a cocktail and watch the sun go down, called, appropriately enough, sundowners. Once again, the back of the Jeep was transformed, this time into a fully stocked bar. Nothing rounds out a perfect day quite like a dry martini and a blood-red sky.

Evenings at the camp were spent dining at the communal table, which we shared with other guests and where stories of the day’s excursions were told. Dinners are prepared by a skilled chef, and all the produce and proteins are sourced from the local village, a true farm to table experience. After dinners, we all moved to the bar and hung-out on the sofa encircling the fire pit to soak up the remains of the day. Once we retired to our room and prepared for bed, (looking under it for snakes) the sounds of hungry hippos filled the air. Not long after, baboons started to frolic on top of our tent. We felt so small in that enormous park where nature reigns supreme—it was the perfect reminder of our place in the world.

“We felt so small in that enormous park where nature reigns supreme—it was the perfect reminder of our place in the world.”

by Tatijana Shoan