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Southern = Adventure by Cheryl Robertson Less exhausting but still keeping you on Let’s not beat about the bush, your toes is an elephant-back or a Zimbabwe is still in a state of confusion Photo: Chris Worden (from the Safari & Company) walk with . Personally, being a native politically but despite all it is a safe Zimbabwean I feel peculiarly vulnerable destination of unspoilt, outstanding natural when on the back of an beauty. Zambia too has its own set of and side by side with something problems, but is equally magnificent from that would prefer to eat me for dinner, but a nature point of view. it’s a popular activity with tourists. The two countries welcomed Emirates Canoe above the falls on the Airline’s new service to Harare via Lusaka upper Zambezi River produce a different five times a week as from 2nd February kind of fear. “What about the hippos and 2012. From Lusaka, visitors can fly to crocodiles?” I asked my querulously. Livingstone or hire a vehicle and drive Well of they are in the water, that’s to Victoria Falls, or from Harare there’s

where they live, but he said nothing. He the choice of a private air charter or travel & adventure watched the water though, all the time. vehicle hire or a luxury commercial bus. Respect animal’s territory, stay out of their A few other airlines fly direct from Dubai Photo: Chris Worden (from the Zambezi Safari & Travel Company) pathway and they will do the same to you, to Johannesburg and from there are a seems to be a good motto. number of connections to the falls. The most jaw-dropping activity I’ve Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airways The company, which introduced and has “Get complacent and she rises up and I visit southern ever witnessed has to be swimming also fly from Dubai to both countries. I Every time operated this activity for 17 years without slaps you in the face,” my highly trained, in the flowing waters at the top of the have been on all three airlines and all have Africa something totally unexpected a single incident, has since reviewed every well disciplined oarsman sighed about his Victoria Falls. Called the Victoria Falls their pros and cons… happens. Two years ago I found part of their operation, tested everything lifeblood, the Zambezi River. “She’s simply Devil’s Swimming Pool, this activity is and replaced all bungee cords and has unpredictable.” travel & adventure myself in the Zimbabwean bush only available on the Zambian side via established more checks and procedures Shane White of Wild Horizons tour Tongabezi Safari Lodge. At certain times of counting the breaths coming out of than ever before. The incident was one operators says: “The best time of the the trunk of a prostrate bull elephant, the year it’s possible to swim in a pool on among about 150,000 jumps taken since year for adrenaline junkies to visit here the very lip of the mighty falls. Insane. out-for-the-count on the ground as the sport came to this region. would be from October through to end of For me, the best experience of all is to vets fixed a satellite tracking It is therefore as safe as a bungee can November. River levels permitting, this is come face to face with wildlife in the raw. collar onto his neck. be, and to reinforce this, the Zambian normally when the Zambezi is at its lowest Just a bush or two separating us; and a Examples of costs: Minister of , Given Lubinda (50), and offers one of the best one-day white- mega experienced guide nearby. Now this leapt off the bridge later in January, water trips in the world.” Walking Safaris Following that incident was a speed is real, this is what Africa is all about and to restore visitor faith in the bungee In fact, anytime between July and Backpackers Africa = for a 5 day fully backed-up (i.e. with support vehicle, tracker, & cook) tented boat dash from Musango Safari Camp this is what gets all the juices flowing. experience here. mid-February is exciting for rafting, for walking safari it is about US$1150 per person fully inclusive; extras are park fees of US$100 per person where we were staying across Lake Kariba Some 28 years ago I went on a walking for five days. For a five day safari (carrying your own , no vehicle) the cost is A Zimbabwean marketing executive put the Zambezi is at low level. Watch out about $950 per person. Price includes return road transfers from Victoria Falls and park fees. www. to relieve baby elephant that was being safari in Zambia’s South Luangwa National it into perspective saying: “….this is the for the short closed season around April/ walkafrica.com choked to death by a wire snare. The same Park around Chibembe Safari Lodge, and first ever incident …. one must remember May, depending on the extent of the vets had to dart first the mother and then then it was un-trodden, pristine, unspoiled Mfuwe Lodge and The Bushcamp Company that people do these types of activities rainfall. The rafting here has been classified the baby to remove the poacher’s trap. Africa. Thankfully, in this part of the world For an 8-night Emerald (or Green) Season Luangwa Valley special safari of walking and game drives BECAUSE of the element of danger!” by the British Canoe Union “extremely from three bush camps its costs around US$3485 per person sharing, and US$4050 single occupancy. The opportunity to take part in all of walking safaris are just as wild and earthy But if bungee jumping doesn’t float your difficult, long and violent rapids, steep Everything is included in the price as well as return scheduled charter flights between Mfuwe and this came about simply because two vets as they ever were. Lusaka. www.bushcampcompany.com boat, wild water rafting might. From just gradients, big drops and pressure areas”, from a non-profit wildlife trust shared In Zimbabwe, Steve Edwards from beyond the base of the Victoria Falls large according to tour operators the Zambezi One day white water rafting our light aircraft to the Bumi airstrip, Musango Safari Camp offers humour- rubber rafts take off and it’s the bumpiest, Safari and Travel Company. low water around US$130.00 so they welcomed us to tag along. All sprinkled and highly informative walking high water around US$120.00 scariest, wildest, most exciting stretch Equally successful at raising pulse rates in a days work to them, but to a visitor, safaris. He’s pretty much a legend here, of turbulent surf I’ve ever been in, and are high wire activities including the Flying High wire activities (with Wild Horizons) something so special. Zimbabwe is like his knowledge about the Matusadona idiotically fallen into. Taking snaps Fox - you take a jump over the from US$38 to US$126 - www.wildhorizons.co.zw that. Flexibility, spontaneity and can-do National Park area is a huge advantage. while on a bucking bronco is not a bright Zambezi gorge and soar horizontally over attitudes are visitor musts. Anti-poaching activities are high on the Flights idea. it; and the and Gorge Swing. Dubai to Harare on Emirates costs anything from Dhs3,170 to Dhs 5,770 depending on time of year - Nowhere is there currently more Musango agenda, where he operates a Like a washing machine, the thrashing, I spotted this on website: “If anyone is the airline ups the price come the school holidays. adrenaline pumping than at Victoria team in conjunction with the Bumi Hills Dubai to Lusaka on Emirates costs from Dhs3,000 to Dhs 5,100 bubbling water does eventually spit feeling worried about the strength of the Falls, one of the most spectacular natural Anti-Poaching Unit and the National Parks Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines is about Dhs3,600 you out onto a calmer shore. The word cables over the high wire then read here. wonders of the world. The Zambezi River, & Wild Life Management Authority. “terrifying” doesn’t really cover all those The cables supporting the products at the Useful Websites dividing Zimbabwe and Zambia, flows Leon Varley of Backpackers Africa The Zambezi Safari and Travel Company (ATOL protected – can put together a package feelings of anticipation, hope, desperation, High Wire are rated to hold a weight of over a 1,700m wide lip creating the world’s operates backpacking safaris in for all of these below). www.zambezi.com fear, exhilaration, excitement and sheer 22,700kg each. That is the weight of five Musango Safari Camp

largest sheet of falling water. The site of Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park and Wild Horizons www.musangosafaricamp.com amazing fun. bull elephants (4,000kg each)….” Noted. the falls has been refreshingly unexploited the Chizarira National Park. The company Shearwater River Rafting www.wildhorizons.co.zw

The Zambezi Safari and Travel Company www.shearwatervictoriafalls.com by commercialism, let’s hope it stays that provides all the gear, a tracker and a Tongabezi Safari Lodge www.zambezi.com

way. licenced guide, and clients carry their own Backpackers Africa www.tongabezi.com

Both countries offer similar activities in packs, although a chef and other crew do The Bushcamp Company www.walkafrica.com

and around the famous falls, and share the hard chores. www.bushcampcompany.com some too, such as shooting rapids on These backpacking safaris are all about Please contact Cheryl (a Dubai based the roaring Zambezi River and bungee respecting the environment and learning freelance journalist and Zimbabwe jumping down 128m off the Victoria Falls about what guests encounter, so lectures travel specialist): [email protected] Bridge. It was here that news about a are given on animal behaviour and +971-50-4251656 young Australian’s bungee jump became characteristics, bird life, plant ecology, plastered all over the internet as she geology and astronomy. plunged head-first into the river after the I do still like the approach of The rope tied around her feet snapped. (The Bushcamp Company’s Mfuwe Lodge in woman survived with cuts and a broken Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, collar bone.) where guests simply have to walk to the reception to get a taste of wild real Africa. 24 25