Thrills on the Zambezi: A Safari to Zambia’s Adventure Capital

The Zambezi River is one of Africa’s great waterways. In places, the river flows languidly, slow enough for wildebeest and buffalo to swim across. In other spots, the water gushes with drama as it picks up speed and sends up flumes of spray and white water. Your lodge is situated on the river, allowing you to gaze out towards wading hippos while flanked by roaring rapids. Today you will be greeted at the airport and transferred to the hotel, where your sunset cruise will help you settle into the river’s charm. Hippos emerge from the water, crocodiles bathe on the banks, drinks and canapes are served, and the glowing African sun burns orange as it dips onto the horizon.

In the morning, you can helicopter above Victoria Falls to admire the colors that blur on the landscape below. While your helicopter flight will be all about dreamy aesthetics, the walking trails provide an entirely different angle as you pass the raucous baboon troops and cross narrow bridges to reach cataracts in the Lower Zambezi. Spray rises high out of the canyon and then tumbles down, consuming the bridges at sporadic intervals. It is difficult to stay dry, and the resounding roar of the falls becomes deafening at times as it is a showcase of power that will impress all of your senses with its powerful eloquence. Later, you will reach the bridge on a zip line, and then jump off the bridge tied to a bungee cord. Three, two, one, and you will drop 111 meters toward the Zambezi River. Bouncing back up, there will be a glimpse of the rainbows that dance in the spray of the falls, but before you can take them all in, you will be hurtling toward the water once more. Bungee jumps around the world may be higher, but few are as iconic.

Hippos spend their days in the Zambezi, thousands of them escaping the heat as they move up and down the river. Grunting and huffing, they congregate in large pods and fill the water with their antics. Sometimes they yawn, their jaws opening almost 180 degrees to reveal humongous teeth. This morning you will be kayaking past them, paddling down the Upper Zambezi, and circumnavigating the giants. Get too close, and a warning stare will quickly have you paddling away. Fortunately, they are easy to avoid, as you rush along the fast currents and they bathe where the slow water gathers. Your adventure will continue in Mosi Au Tunya National Park as armed rangers will lead you across the bush, every footstep crunching across the dry and dusty ground. Giraffe lope in the distance and zebra skip past, and lazing in the midday sun are wild rhinos, their bellies rising with every panting breath in the scorching heat. At this time of repose, you can walk close to them, staying downwind and stopping around 15 meters away. Even when lying down their bulk is unforgettable.

Today, you will cross the Chobe River, where your morning boat cruise will reveal hundreds upon hundreds of elephants. Babies battle with warthogs and infants swing their trunks while matriarchs exude an air of tranquility as young males seem tetchy and mischievous. Conservationists have no idea of the total number found in and around Chobe National Park, but conservative estimates put it at around 100,000. Giraffes are also permanent fixtures on the horizon, from babies yet to develop their vibrant colors to lone old males that stand majestically above the trees. After your cruise, you will spend the afternoon on a game drive to weave through the woodland while always being surrounded by elephants. Leopards and lions hide beneath the canopy and a local guide will uncover their camouflage. Zebra and kudu skip by, impala are scattered across a clearing, and hippos are never far away. Intimate and mysterious, the Chobe woodland is also home to rare antelope like nyala and bushbuck. You will drive deep into the park to your mobile safari camp found amongst the trees. You will be immersed in the sounds of the wild as you listen to the hoots and shouts that flicker beneath the canopy.

Continue exploring in the morning as you drive through the park in the active morning hours. Lion prides are on the move and you can spot them moving in and out of the grass. Zebras are down by the river, splashing in the shallows. Hyenas scurry around, shooting you a fixed glare as you drive past. At lunchtime, step onto a Chobe River cruise that will include lunch and pass the river’s thousands of hippos. Later in the afternoon, travel back to Zambia to spend the evening at a different lodge along the river and within easy reach of the town. If you are seeking to explore the vibrancy and hospitality of a typical African town, then the streets of Livingstone are ideal.

Victoria Falls has an insatiable energy. After the mile-wide precipice, the water converges to rush through a narrow canyon that marks the start of the Lower Zambezi. This is where you will enter the water to paddle along in a raft and battle against the grade IV and V rapids. Sometimes it is just one or two people who fall off the sides, while occasionally the full raft flips and everyone gets wet. It’s a full-day tour that’s widely considered as the best white-water rafting in Africa and a genuine adventure.

Today, you will take a flight from Livingstone to Lower Zambezi National Park, for a full day spent on a private game drive through the park. Evocative and enchanting, this national park is home to a fabulous array of antelopes. Kudu, impala, bushbuck, wildebeest, waterbuck, plus half a dozen more you have probably never heard of. This population inevitably attracts the predators, and your game drive will focus on encounters with the big cats. Leopards hide in the miombo woodland and this park is a great place to find the elusive hunter. Cheetah is spotted along the plains, and you will never have to drive far to see spotted hyena. Your luxury camp is along the water and the evenings are as tranquil as they were in Livingstone, just with even more wildlife on show.

Wake to the life found on the river with perhaps the sounds of a herd of wildebeest taking a swim, or a boisterous herd of bachelor buffalo prancing with designs on power. Start exploring the big game landscape as you walk with local guides who have spent generations to understand the subtleties of the land. You are walking away from the big cats as you follow the prints and smells of different antelope. Duiker surrounds you on the open plains, eland stand up tall when you get close, and wild zebra herds watch you pass. Devoid of the noise of the safari vehicle, a walking safari will add a new layer of intimacy to your safari experience. You are just another mammal sharing the landscape, so the animals do not run away. Instead, they will inspect you with curiosity, especially as you stay slow and silent. Walk for a few hours, and then enjoy brunch beneath the cover of a  tree as you wait for the heat of midday to pass.

Life in this wilderness revolves around the Zambezi River as most animals stay within easy reach of the water and congregate along the banks in the late afternoon. Lions and leopards lay ambushes, herds believe in safety in numbers, and hippos guard the best wading spaces. Today’s safari program will be flexible, although it is highly recommended that you take a traditional canoe safari along the river. Paddling silently, you can get exceptionally close to the surprises that lurk in the reeds. The big game will come to you as every bend in the river will reveal another giant coming for a drink. Perhaps finish the day with another walking safari with your armed ranger providing back up as you traverse the landscape of buffalo herds and meandering antelope.

Spend a relaxed morning along the river to watch the buffalo splash about as the elephants use their trunks as snorkels. Make your way to the small airstrip to take a short flight to return to Livingstone and connect with your international departure.