JULY 24 Saturday ~ JULY 29 Thursday
TAFIKA SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK ZAMBIA
Today you will arrive into Harare 8:35AM. After clearing Customs and Immigration you will be met by your pilot from Proflight who will assist you to your waiting private charter flight to the South Luangwa National Park. You will first land at Mfuwe Airport (just outside the National Park) where you will clear entrance formalities into Zambia, and then continue on the same aircraft the short distance to Lukuzi strip located inside South Luangwa National Park. This magnificent park ranks among the finest in Africa and hosts a wide variety of mammals and 400 species of birds within its 3500 square miles. Its boundary is the meandering Luangwa River whose network of scenic lagoons and superb riverine trees creates exceptional beauty that has made the Park famous. The unspoiled nature of Luangwa and its spectacular wildlife are idyllic for visitors - those seeking nature at its best. On arrival at Lukuzi a vehicle will be waiting for you to bring you the short distance back to Tafika Camp. Here days are spent game viewing by foot or open vehicle and just relaxing in Tafika's lovely setting overlooking the Luangwa River where game is often in view at the water's edge. At Tafika the opportunity exists to take night drives in search of nocturnal creatures, especially the elusive leopard, which is often found. The Luangwa Valley has been called the Last Kingdom of the Elephants and indeed here one of the most memorable sights is that of elephants gathered at dusk or dawn, tentatively testing the air before venturing across the river, sometimes in groups of over 100 strong. Owners John and Carol Coppinger have 2 daughters 10 and 12 living here. You will spend five nights at Tafika on an all-inclusive basis in their lovely new family chalet.
The hippos of the Luangwa River were abundant; morning, noon and especially night. Their noises the first night were somewhat unsettling, most notably when you heard them thrashing in the grasses behind the hut, but we all became very used to and fond of the Luangwa hippos.
Canoeing across the Luangwa, on the way to a morning safari walk with one of guides Isaac. We made sure that there were no hippos on this little stretch of the river, but all hands were inside of the canoe, we couldn't be 100% sure of those crocodiles.
A little landscape scenery of the South Luangwa Park. It was winter time in the southern hemisphere, the dry season of sub-Sahara Africa, and the light colored impalas were hard to pick up with the camera against the dry grasses.
My Safari gang. Myah and Elyse above, the perfect safari
companions (as long as the were not sitting in the same seat on the Land
Cruiser, and as long as
they each had timed turns with the video camera).
And the entire gang to the left, along with another of our guides Steven. Our last moments in Tafika, as we are about to embark on the small charter flight to Victoria Falls.
TAFIKA
PAGE 2 THE MICROLIGHT FLIGHT
