An agile wallaby is one of the cutest marsupials you’re likely to see. These little bounders with wide-open eyes and a curious gaze are gathering around my verandah as I try to sleep. The frogs are croaking and the dingoes are baying.

Wildman Wilderness Lodge, 170 km from Darwin, provides a collection of luxury African-style tents and cabins on the edge of the Mary River wetlands

This is Wildman Wilderness Lodge, a collection of luxury African-style tents and cabins with a central lodge and infinity swimming pool that has opened recently on the edge of the Mary River wetlands between Darwin and Kakadu National Park.

In the wetlands, irritable buffalo and pigs are wallowing in the mud. These feral beasts are in the cross-hairs of a shoot-to-kill eradication program aimed at protecting this 8000-square-kilometre flood plain. They trample among lily pads in ankle-deep water that has the largest concentration of crocodiles in Australia and teems with jabiru, magpie geese and loud, screeching black cockatoos.

One of the crocs here is a five-metre salty named Big Arse, who might be aged 40 years to 60 years and lives in Wildman’s home billabong. Just in case you don’t see him during a resort boat cruise, he is captured in a photo hanging in the main lodge.

I have my tent zipped up tight, not to keep out these wild things but as protection from the mosquitoes, which leave bites like sherbet bombs of itchiness, ready to explode when touched.

Wildman’s tents have polished blackbutt floors, king-size beds loaded with soft pillows and ceiling fans over the beds to stir the hot air. The tents have chic corrugated-tin bathrooms and flushing toilets and each has a writing desk, a mini bar and verandah chairs. Each tent costs about $100,000 to assemble and is finely finished and draped in the best African canvas. They are also equipped with a “survival kit” that includes a wind-up torch, hairdryer, sunscreen and insect repellent, but this is where my troubles start.

I’m too slow to apply the Wildman-issued Aeroguard during an afternoon bush amble with indigenous guide Neddy Tambling and the mosquito bites are now driving me crazy as I lie under the ceiling fan, listening to the creatures and eyeballing the agile wallabies under the outback stars.

During the walk, Tambling takes us to the soggy edges of the wetlands where termite fields, pandanus and paperbark give way to near impenetrable pools, channels, billabongs and rivers. Tambling has us tasting rosella flowers and smelling eucalyptus plants used as bush medicine. He shows us trees used for making spears and tells of hunting file snakes and turtles. He keeps an eye out for crocodiles and, half-jokingly, advises: “Run for a tree if you see a buffalo.” On a routine day, Tambling sees more buffalo than people. “I went to the footy in Melbourne last year to watch my nephew [Richard Tambling] play and I’d never seen so many people together in one place,” he says.

Walking to the edges isn’t the only way to explore the wetlands. We also hop in a helicopter and take a scenic flight, scooting low across the water as buffalo and pigs scurry off. Our pilot, Phil O’Driscoll, tells of catching a crocodile recently to relocate it somewhere safer (safer for people, I guess). “We were dragging it up the river bank with a rope but it was so muddy, we were all slipping down towards it,” he says. “We finally tied the rope to a bullbar on the four-wheel-drive and pulled it out that way.”

Crocodile stories are all around. O’Driscoll drops us in the wetlands at a waiting airboat driven by Robert Townsend. There’s mud between our toes as we scramble aboard for a joy ride, powered by a Chevy V8 that drives a big aeroplane-like propeller at the rear. As we skim across the water’s surface at high speed, small freshwater crocodiles thrash out of the way. The big saltwater crocodiles keep their cool and submerge, leaving only a trace of bubbles. We come across some horses on high ground and Townsend tells of mustering a stranded herd of eight last season with the airboat when a crocodile attacked. “They were swimming in a tight pack and the croc jumped on the back of four of them and started to bite into them but it was too small to take them down. I spent the next few days stitching up horses.”

The helicopter and airboats are in the repertoire of activities at Wildman, owned by Indigenous Business Australia and managed by tourism entrepreneur Grant Hunt, whose Anthology group also has Wilpena Pound Resort, Cradle Mountain Huts and Bay of Fires Lodge.

At a more gentle pace than the chopper and airboat, Wildman’s executive chef, Aaron Lee, provides cooking demonstrations over the outdoor fire-pit, where he cooks butter scallops and baby ocean trout with lemon myrtle, rosemary and lime.

“I’ve wrapped the fish in foil today but if we were out camping [real camping, without luxury tents, I presume], then I’d use paperbark,” he says. The open fire is a focus at the lodge and is surrounded by wraparound, sofa-style seating perfect for sunset with drinks.

To the right of us are the tents and to the left are cabins called “habitats”. They have been relocated from the defunct luxury Wrotham Park Station, 2800 kilometres away in Queensland, and provide airconditioned comfort.

As we watch the sun dip and the frogs and cicadas start their cacophony, the mosquito activity increases and I know it’s time to move inside.

Location (12° 31′ 40″ S, 131° 34′ 0″ E)

View Wildman Wilderness Lodge in a larger map

‘Where the Water Meets the Sky’, and true to its name, Bangweulu’s endless floodplains of grey-blue waters disappearing into the horizon, blending completely with the color of the sky, make it impossible to tell just where the horizon is.

Likened to Botswana’s great Okavango Delta, the Bangweulu Wetlands are situated in the Northern Province of Zambia. The Bangweulu ecosystem stretches northwards to include Lake Bangweulu and other adjoining smaller lakes, swamps, floodplains, islands and adjoining woodlands above flood levels. Together, the inflowing Chambeshi and outflowing Luapula Rivers form the remote headwaters of the Congo. The region is closely associated with Dr. David Livingstone, who died here at Chief Chitambo’s village.

Bangweulu Wetlands

With a long axis of 75 km and a width of up to 40 km, Lake Bangweulu’s permanent open water surface is about 3,000 km², which expands when its swamps and floodplains are in flood at the end of the rainy season in May. The combined area of the lake and wetlands reaches 15,000 km². The lake has an average depth of only 4 m.

Samfya is the largest town on the Lake, developed in the mid 1900’s as a fishing village. It is very shabby, unordered and scattered, but you can get basic supplies as well as fresh fish. There is a post office, clinic and adequate fuel supplies.

The Great Bangweulu Basin, incorporating the vast Bangweulu Lake and a massive wetland area lies in a shallow depression in the centre of an ancient cratonic platform, the North Zambian Plateau. The basin is fed by 17 principal rivers from a catchment area of 190 000 km² , but is drained by only one river, the Luapula.

The area floods in the wet season between November in March, receiving an average annual rainfall of about 1,200 mm, but 90% of the water entering the system is lost to evapo-transpiration. The resultant effect is that the water level in the centre of the basin varies between one and two meters, causing the floodline to advance and retreat by as much as 45 km at the periphery. It is this seasonal rising and falling of the flood waters that dictates life in the swamps.

The adjacent Kasanka National Park to the immediate South is one of the most picturesque parks in Zambia and contains a rich diversity of animal, bird and plant life. Several rare species are abundant in the park, including sitatunga, wattled crane, Ross’s Lourie and Blue Monkeys. Kasanka is also host to a unique and spectacular congregation of several Million Straw-Colored Fruitbats every November and December. Despite being one of Zambia’s smallest parks at 390 km² (39,000 ha), Kasanka has a wide variety of habitats, each hosting their own associated wildlife. There are 2 permanent lodges in Kasanka, Wasa and Luwombwa.

In August 1872, David Livingstone was on his way from Tabora, where Stanley had left him in March. Near Bangweulu he got bogged down in the swamps but finally reached Chitambo’s village. On May 1, 1873, his servants found him in his tent kneeling in prayer at the bedside. He was dead. His men buried his heart but embalmed the body. Susi & Chuma then carried it to the mission of the Holy Ghost fathers at Bagamoyo. It reached England, where it was identified by the lion wound in the left shoulder. On April 18, 1874, Livingstone was buried in great honor in London’s Westminster Abbey.

The Kwanga Ceremony of the Njumbo tribe takes place in Samfya in October. If you are there at the time it’s worth finding out about for a fascinating insight into local customs and traditional dancing. Any of the locals should be able to tell you the exact date as it changes from year to year, or ask at the Tourist Board in Lusaka.

Flora and Fauna

The lake is exploited more as a fish source than for its tourist potential. This is unfortunate, as it’s beauty is breathtaking. There are rumours of developing a tourist resort and having a luxury cruise boat for hire. But for the moment this is a an interesting stopover for the intrepid vehicle traveller or backpacker.

Fisherman in a Mokoro

The main catches in the Lake are Cychlids (bream, tigerfish, yellow belly) and catfish. About 57 000 metric tons of fish are harvested from the Lake each year. Although fish stocks are not in danger, catches are declining and the favoured species are becoming thinner.

The higher ground surrounding the Bangweulu is dominated by miombo woodland intersected by numerous dambos. The floodplain itself is dominated by grasslands varying in composition according to the depth and duration of annual flooding. For the most part, the swamps consist of areas of open water surrounded by permanent dense stands of Papyrus grass and Phragmites reeds which are only accessible by airboat or shallow canoe via an intricate network of narrow channels.

In contrast, the temporarily inundated floodplains, grasslands and woodlands provide for a greater range of vegetation types and as a consequence a greater diversity in bird and animal species who inhabit these areas at various times of the year.

Black Lechwe

Numerous termite mounds are scattered over a wide area. They are such a feature of this environment that Livingstone once described the Bangweulu floodplain as “a world of water and anthills.” These raised mounds act as small islands safe for any flooding and allow the survival of various tree seedlings. Over time these trees have become well established with the result that a woodland has developed and contains good examples of water berry, Syzygium cordatum, sausage tree Kigelia africana and several figs, to name but a few.

The Bangweulu Wetlands is the last area where the black lechwe (Kobus leche smithemani) occur, with an estimated population at the present time of 100,000 animals. There is also a very high density sitatunga population, and at least 10,000 tsessebe. Remnant populations of elephant, buffalo, hippopotamus and zebra also remain. Bangweulu is an important bird area especially well known as a stronghold of the enigmatic Shoebill, and a large population of Wattled Cranes. Much of the area is lake, swamp, seasonally flooded grasslands and attractive termite-mound woodlands. The Chambeshi and Luapula Rivers, which are the main southern tributaries of the Congo River, if not the source of the Congo itself, rise in the area.

When to go

During the rains (November to March) insects are more prolific but the birdlife is phenomenal. All trips in and around the swamps are by boat. The Chimbwe floodplain will be inundated and to attempt to drive to Shoebill Island Camp will be impossible. There is a raised causeway leading from the last village before the floodplain, Muwele, to Chikuni. A small banana boat is used to reach the Camp from Chikuni, a trip of 4 kms through tall grasses and reeds.

Depending on the extent of the rain during the summer, the floodplain dries out sufficiently to allow the passage of 4×4 vehicles by mid to late April. It is then possible to observe the black lechwe at close quarters and also to reach another raised causeway that leads to Shoebill camp.

By June/July, much of the floodplain is dry and the lechwe have moved closer towards the permanent swamp and Shoebill Camp. It also becomes possible to take walks from the camp and experience the strange sensation of walking on the floating mats of vegetation which grow on the surface of the once open water. While the number of birds around at this time of year is still extensive, the number of species drops with the departure of the summer migrants.

August is very much the middle of winter in the swamps, and although the daytime temperatures are pleasant it can be extremely cold at nights with temperature dropping to freezing.

location

Location (from 10° 52′ 12″ S, 29° 56′ 60″ E to 12° 40′ 12″ S, 30° 43′ 12″ E)

Chiundaponde to Waka Waka

The drive to the southern edge of the swamps where Shoebill and Nsobe camps are, takes about 12 hours from Lusaka, the last stretch of 140 km taking six hours! Take the Great North Road from Lusaka, turn right just after Kapiri Mposhi towards Mpika. Take the Samfya/Mansa road turning left after Serenje. Turn right 10 km after the Kasanka turnoff, towards the Livingstone memorial and remain on this track, keeping right at the memorial fork, for 70 km, towards the village of Chiundaponde.

Another route is to go directly to the Lavushi Manda turnoff on the Great North road, just below Mpika, which leads straight to Chiundaponde. From the village, make your way to Chikuni Island and then straight ahead to Shoebill Camp or left to Nsobe Camp. You can ask for directions at the WWF camp at Chikuni, as it is very easy to get lost after you leave the village.

If driving, make sure you have adequate fuel and spares as this is an extremely remote part of the country and help is a long way off. It is advisable to let someone know when you are leaving and when you expect to arrive or return. There are radio facilities at Shoebill camp and a National Parks & Wildlife Services office at Chiundaponde.

The Postal Services Corporation runs a transport boat from the mainland to the three main islands in Lake Bangweulu: Mbabala, Cishi and Chilubi.

Bangweulu Wetlands in a larger map

Carmor Plains Wildlife Reserve, operated by Australia Wide Safaris, comprises 100 000 acres of pristine outback. Only 210 km east of Darwin, a little over 2 hours driving or 30 minutes flight, the reserve is adjacent to Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Site.

South Alligator River

Scenic flood plains are entirely submerged during the summer rain falls. The higher land is reasonably flat with a high upper canopy of indigenous trees, low shrubs and grasses, but also thick rainforests and springs in some areas. Home to native animals and introduced game, the reserve is a perfect habitat for all wildlife. Crocodiles, water buffalo, wild boar, wild horses, kangaroos, wallabies, goannas and countless varieties of wetland and forest birds are always within viewing distance. Carmor Plains is the only private coastal game reserve with Water Buffalo, Wild Boar, Water fowl and Crocodiles.

Whether it be serious trudging through the bush hunting buffalo, an airboat safari looking for crocodiles or maybe just dinner and wine out on the gazebo deck enjoying the sunset, Carmor Plains offers a unique variety of experiences.

Carmor Plains Air Boat Tours

Air Boat Tours are conducted on the vast 60 000 acres of wetlands. These tours are the most amazing way to see the flora and fauna unique to this part of Australia. The massive wetlands are similar to the Okavango Delta in Botswana or the Everglades of Florida, allowing the opportunity to view an immense range of wetland birds. Some of these are Magpie geese, Pygmy geese and several different species of duck, often in flocks exceeding a thousand individuals. Other wetland birds include various species of Egret, Ibis and Heron and the little Jacana walking on water. Large cranes known as Brolgas and Australia’s only stork, the Jabiru, plus all the predator birds such as Whistling Kites, Sea Eagles and Falcons are constantly circling overhead.

Airboats, the only way to access the grass-covered waterways – often too shallow for conventional boats – travel at over 80km per hour to get to the right spot FAST. Cruise along the edge of plains in a only a few of inches of water, or anchor right amongst the paperbark forests, take in the views and watch the crocs and water fowl in their original environment. This is one of the best ways to observe Magpie Geese rear their young, from the nesting in March until the goslings fly in August. Also, experience Whistling Ducks blacken the sky with flocks of up to 5000 birds. This is only seen in some specific areas of the Northern Territory and Carmor Plains is one of them.

free-roaming feral horses in Australia

And of course, the ever present crocodiles, herds of water buffalo or wild boar, and sometimes a brumby can be spotted.

The best time for Airboat tours is between February and September, but may vary depending on water levels. The climate is most pleasant from May until September, with very slim chances of wet weather. Winter temperatures vary from nightly 14 centigrades to 32 centigrades in the heat of the day. Summers are a little hotter, and much wetter.

Location (12° 31′ 40″ S, 131° 34′ 0″ E)

Transport to the game reserve can be by road or private air charter. We will pick you up at the airport upon your arrival or from your Hotel. Travelling time by road from Darwin to Carmor Plains is 2 and 1/2 hours. If you prefer we can charter a light aircraft for you from Darwin, direct to the hunting camp, flying time 25 minutes!

Carmor Plains Wildlife Reserve in a larger map

]]> http://www.airboatafrika.com/carmor-plains/feed/ 0 http://www.airboatafrika.com/gambia-river/ http://www.airboatafrika.com/gambia-river/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:43:07 +0000 Chris http://www.airboatafrika.com/?p=2080 [Curious? Find out more...]]]> Gambia

The river is “The Gambia”. Literally, the country exists as a small strip of land area to either side of the river. People say: “The Gambia River is the Gambia and the Gambia is the River”. It is a major tourist attraction and the dominant feature running through the heart of the country.

Fishing Fleet in Banjul

This West African waterway is approximately 700 miles (1,130 km) long, rising in the Fouta Djallon plateau in Northern Guinea, flowing generally northwest through SE Senegal then west, dissecting The Gambia, to the Atlantic Ocean at Banjul. The river is navigable in most of its length. Ocean-going vessels can reach Georgetown (Janjangbureh), about 175 miles (280 km) upstream. The river provides access to interior sections of Senegal and Guinea. About 70 per cent of its catchment of 77,000 km² lies less than 100 m above sea level; 30 % below 40 m. The tide (and navigation) intrudes to 460 km upstream of Banjul and thus defines the estuary and the greater part of the boundary between The Gambia an Senegal.

About 42,000 km² of the catchment area is situated above the hydrologic station at Gouloumbo (km 492). Of the 35,000 km² area downstream of this point, 10,500 km are in the Gambian territory.

In 1978, Senegal and The Gambia formed the Gambia River Development Organization (which was joined by Guinea in 1980) for the purpose of developing the river’s natural resources. The objective of the project is to increase agro-forestry and pastoral output, rationalise tapping of the natural resources and improve the infrastructures and social services of the project area.

The river ecology is divided into two different zones, estuarine and freshwater, which in turn largely determine the peripheral vegetation pattern. Salt water sneaks in some 150 km (95 mi) upstream, as far as Kantaur in the dry season (November to June). In the lower estuary, mangroves dominate the riverside, with extensive reed belts in the in-between zone, while where the water is fresh, the banks are lined with gallery forest.

Up river, the water wildlife is more interesting where you can see crocodiles, dolphins and hippos. The main feature along the river is the incredible variety of birds and most of the bird trips are boat trips along the creeks of The Gambia at dawn or dusk.

There are boat trips and fishing voyages, but too little is now made of the river in tourist terms though there are tour companies operating river tours and fishing safaris at the mouth of the river and upstream. There are camps at Tendaba and Georgetown specialising in watching and spotting the amazing variety of species that abound in this tiny country.

If you travel to Banjul, think of taking the ferry to Barra just for the trip and its sights and sounds. Fort Bullen at Barra Point was built by the British 200 years ago to cover the approaches to Banjul and the river, succeeding James Island Fortress (destroyed by the French) as the main point of defence in the colony. It can be reached by direct ferry from the capital. Oyster Creek is the centre of an area of creeks and waterways which can be visited from Banjul. This area is part of the Tanbi Wetlands.

The river is also closely linked with the slave trade, the remains of slave trading posts can be seen along its length and the Roots books brought prominence to Albreda near Juffure Village from where Kunte Kinte was enslaved. Albreda was the main French trading post before they withdrew from The Gambia. Nearby is the village of Juffure, the home of the ancestors of black American writer Alex Haley, author of ‘Roots’. Visitors who want to see more of the countryside may cross by ferry from Banjul to Barra and travel by road to Juffureh and Albreda (the journey lasts about 50 minutes), and then by canoe to James Island in the calm waters of the River Gambia.

The popular tourist destination of Tendaba is 160 km (100 miles) from Banjul by river or road. Further upriver, the fascinating circles of standing stones around Wassau have now been identified as burial grounds more than 1200 years old. Georgetown was the ‘second city’ of colonial days, and is still the administrative and trading centre of the region. Basse Santa Su is the major trading centre for the upper reaches of the Gambia River. Handsome trading houses built at the turn of the century can be seen there. By the riverside at Perai Tenda can be found a multitude of abandoned shops formerly operated by European, Gambian and Lebanese merchants in the days when up-river commerce offered substantial profits for private traders.

The Tarangire National Park was established in 1970 and excels in beauty and scenery. The park’s main feature is the Tarangire River winding like an enormous snake through the landscape, the source of life for the many animals that gather on the river banks in the dry season. Another mayor characteristic is the giant baobab trees that dot the hilly terrain.

Tarangire National Park

The park, with its 2 850 km², is the sixth largest park in Tanzania and often visited as part of ‘northern circuit safaris’. The southern part of Tarangire National Park is relatively unknown and contains an enormous swampy area called Silale, inaccessible during the wet season.

Tarangire is one of the best places to see elephants in Tanzania. Often red in color (the soil contains a lot of iron), the elephants come in big numbers to the riverbed in the dry season to quench their thirst. Since the riverbank in the north is quite high, elephant viewing can be absolutely stunning. There are a number of other animals that are worth mentioning. Tarangire is home to tree-climbing African pythons (they normally live on the ground) and, just like Lake Manyara National Park and Mikumi National Park, tree-climbing lions. The gerenuk and fringed-eared-oryx give the park extra flavor, as they can’t be seen anywhere else in Tanzania.

service providers

Service Providers

Oliver’s Camp - fly camp on a walking safari

Located in the middle of the Tarangire wilderness, Oliver’s Camp overlooks a much wider eco-system: The Ngorongoro highlands, the Great Rift Valley, the Lake Manyara region and of course Tarangire National Park itself. Walking safaris and fly-camping are the specialties here, and the only 8 beautifully furnished guest tents provide for an intimate experience.

Sanctuary Swala is located in an exceptionally private section of Tarangire National Park, offering visitors a luxurious and very exclusive safari experience. Sanctuary Swala, which has twelve tents, has recently been completely rebuilt to the highest eco-friendly standards. From the entrance of the park it is another 67 km to  Sanctuary Swala. The road winds through the park and offers some spectacular game viewing en route to the camp. Kuro airstrip is approximately 30 minutes drive from Swala. There is a once a day scheduled light aircraft flight into Kuro from Arusha.

Sanctuary Swala Tented Camp

Built on top of a high bluff with a breathtaking panorama, the simple Tarangire Safari Lodge offers one of the best views in Africa: the Tarangire River, a favorite watering place, attracts impressive numbers and variety of game. The lodge is only 10km from the north gate, and is served by a well maintained dirt road.

Hidden among the kopjes lies Tarangire Sopa Lodge, surrounded by ancient baobab trees. It is the home of the greatest concentration of elephants in Africa and other game, including the elusive leopard. Over 400 bird species can be spotted here as well. With water constantly available in the area, the greenery is lush providing a wonderful contrast to the burnt ground. Close to the north gate, the lodge is about 2 hours drive from Arusha.

With its spacious suites perched high up in the age old Baobab and Marula trees, astride the path of the Elephant Migration, Tarangire Treetops sits alone in a private game reserve bordering Tarangire National Park and the Maasai Steppe. Amid rolling hills with views to Lake Manyara and the Rift Valley wall, only a one-hour drive from the nearest gate, there are 20 luxury tents, built atop tree-attached platforms, overlooking the Tarangire Sand River.

Kikoti Tented Camp is a good value tented camp outside the park itself. Located near to Tarangire Treetops, this lodge shares the same areas as Treetops, and hosts a good population of elephant. A good option for an economical Tarangire visit. With only 10 tents you are guaranteed to enjoy a level of intimacy with the environment denied to all but the most selective traveller. This simple, but beautiful camp harks back to the days when Ralph Lauren was not seen on the bed linen! The balance of the camp is just right with relatively simple but tidy rooms and a stunning communal area with thatched dining area and camp fire. On the whole, this camp, while suffering slightly from being outside the park, is a very good choice for those looking to save a bit of money but still have a really authentic experience.

In the west of Tarangire National Park, the very basic Mawe Ninga Tented Camp has an impressive position on a high kopje, overlooking the soda lake of Lake Burungi, with Lake Manyara in the far distance. The best vista is across the small central bridge to the dramatic campfire, sited on the edge of a large rounded boulder. Mawe Ninga’s 12 canvas tents are raised on high wooden decks. Some are cantilevered from boulders to lend vertiginous, but spectacular, views from small verandas. The tents are internally divided to create a bedroom and bathroom/dressing area, and facilities are very simple. There are no resident guides at this camp, so you must visit with your own safari guide.

Gorongosa National Park is at the southern end of the Great African Rift Valley in the heart of central Mozambique. The 3,770 square kilometer park includes the valley floor and parts of surrounding plateaus. Rivers originating on nearby 1863-meter Mount Gorongosa water the plain.

Gorongosa National Park - Mount Gorongosa view

Ecology

Gorongosa National Park protects a vast ecosystem defined, shaped, and given life by all the rivers that flow into Lake Urema. The Nhandungue crosses the Barue Plateau on its way down to the valley. The Nhandue and Mucombeze come from the north. Mount Gorongosa contributes the Vunduzi. Several smaller rivers pour down off the Cheringoma Plateau. Together they comprise the Urema Catchment, an area of about 7,850 square kilometers.

Most of the rivers are seasonal, reaching the valley floor only during the rainy season, between November and April. The rest of the year they are intermittent rivers that appear and disappear into the earth. Only the Vunduzi and the Nhandungue feed Lake Urema the entire year. The Nhandungue receives help from the Muera, a smaller stream that feeds it even at the height of the dry season. Like the Vunduzi, the Muera comes from Mount Gorongosa. Thus water born on the mountain is the key to life in the valley below.

On calm, clear days, the lake’s surface reflects Mount Gorongosa’s huge green bulk, as if in gratitude, and rightly so: it’s a commanding presence the indigenous people hold sacred. An isolated, 600-square-kilometer massif, 1,863 high, it’s large enough to create its own weather system. Two meters of precipitation fall annually on the mountain. Lush forests and grasslands on its upper reaches soak up much of that water and dispense it down slope all year long.

Biodiversity

The Park is nestled in a 4,000-square-kilometer section of the Great African Rift system, Africa’s most dramatic geological feature. The Rift extends from Ethiopia to central Mozambique. Massive tectonic shifts began forming the Rift about 30 million years ago. Other warpings, uplifts, and sinkings of the earth’s crust over millennia shaped the plateaus on both sides and the mountain to the west. All that commotion, together with sun, wind, and rain at the surface, created a rich collection of soils–even distinct types and many other varieties. Mozambique’s tropical savanna climate, with an annual cycle of wet and dry seasons, has added yet another factor to the complex equation: constant change in soil moisture that varies with elevation. The valley is located 21 kilometers west of Mount Gorongosa at 14 meters above sea level.

The result is an astounding number of plant species in complex associations that in turn support many different reptiles, frogs, and fish; more than 400 bird species; about two dozen wild ungulates, including elephants, buffalos, zebras, wildebeest, elands, sables, hartebeest, oribis, nyalas, and kudus; six primates (including 2 bushbaby species); and more than a dozen large predators, including lions, leopards, wild dogs, and crocodiles.

Urema Rift Valley

Lake Urema is located in the middle of the valley, about three-quarters of the way down from the Park’s northern boundary. The Muaredzi River, flowing from the Cheringoma plateau, deposits sediments near the outlet of the lake slowing its drainage. This “plug” causes the Urema to greatly expand in the rainy season.  Water that makes its way past this alluvial fan flows down the Urema River to the Pungue and into the Indian Ocean. In the flooded rainy season, water backs up into the valley and out onto the plains, covering as much as 200 square kilometers in many years. During some dry seasons, the lake’s waters shrink to as little as 10 square kilometers. This constant expansion and retraction of the floodplains, amidst a patchwork of savanna, woodland, and thickets, creates a complex mosaic of smaller ecosystems that support a greater abundance and diversity of wildlife than anywhere else in the Park.

Restoration Project

The humans who live within the greater Gorongosa ecosystem are the area’s greatest threat.  However, they can choose to be the ecosystem’s best friend and protector.  The people of Gorongosa are a component of the ecosystem, they depend upon the region’s natural resources, the Park’s fate is in their hands.

In 2004 the Mozambique government and The Carr Foundation launched a long-term campaign to engage local communities in protecting Mount Gorongosa and the entire Park ecosystem by giving the local people an economic stake in the health and future of the Park. Twenty percent of revenue from ecotourism at Gorongosa — safari game drives, bird watching, and guided hikes up the mountain–is given to community councils who spend the money to benefit social projects in their villages.  The parties do not consider this revenue sharing a gift,  communities earn it by assisting Park management in shared conservation objectives.

Originating just north of Makhado, the perennial Luvuvhu River follows a 200 km course along the southern edge of the Zoutpansberg and eventually joins the Limpopo River in the far north-east of the Kruger National Park, on the border between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Luvuvhu River - Pafuri road bridge

Upon leaving the Zoutpansberg, the Luvuvhu runs  south past the eastern edges of Makhado, to head east into the Albasini Dam. From there, it traverses Vhenda agricultural settlements to reach Thohoyandou. Nandoni Dam (Nandoni means “the iron smelting ovens”) is situated just a few kilometers from Thohoyandou in the district of Vhembe in Limpopo province.

Near the western Kruger National Park border, in the steep Lanner Gorge, the Mutale River joins the Luvuvhu River.

The area between the Luvuvhu and Limpopo rivers has been proposed as a Ramsar site. This area will fall within the proposed Gaza-KNP-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park. The high biodiversity in this area can be attributed to the geographic location as well as the diversity of landscape features. Three biomes converge in the Pafuri area, and nine geological features with contrasting rock types are found, including quartzite, sandstone, mudstone, shale and basic lavas.

Extensive areas of floodplain alluvium occur at the confluence of the Luvuvhu and Limpopo rivers. Several landscape features are found in this wetland, which include riverine forest, riparian floodplain forest, floodplain grassland and river channels and pans.

The riverine forest is confined to the riverbanks. It consists of large, broad canopied trees more than 20 m in height. The river is extremely popular with crocodiles, both inside and outside of the National Park. Incidents with local fishermen are common.

In the early 1900’s Crook’s Corner used to be a smuggler’s paradise for hunters, smugglers and poachers, hence its nickname. The outlaws used to camp here and “jump” from one country to another to avoid being arrested for smuggling ivory and gold.

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Luvuvhu River - The Outpost

The Outpost lies in a vast wilderness area in the northernmost part of Kruger National Park. Italian born architect Enrico Daffonchio designed this multiple-award winning lodge. Using simple, clean lines and combining elements of steel, concrete and open space, the unashamedly contemporary design of The Outpost emphasizes its beautiful surrounds but blends and preserves the wilderness that is its home.

Pafuri Camp lies in the wildest and most remote part of the Kruger National Park and offers varied vegetation, great game viewing, the best birding in all of the Kruger, and is filled with folklore of the early explorers and ancient civilisations. It is well known for its fever tree forests, beautiful gorges and Crook’s Corner, where the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers and three countries, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique, meet.

The Pafuri Walking Trail invites you to walk through one of the most remote and diverse places in the Kruger: the riverine areas of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers and secret perennial springs interspersed with rugged baobab-dotted kopjes that jut from mopane woodland. Endless vistas across palm-studded floodplains, acacia woodland and ethereal riverine forest combine excellently with wildlife and bird encounters.

The Great Ruaha River is a river in south-central Tanzania that flows through the Usangu wetlands and the Ruaha National Park east into the Rufiji River.

Great Ruaha River - Elephants

Great Ruaha is about 475 km (300 mi.) long, 38 species of fish have been identified in the Great Ruaha River. The river’s headwaters are in the Kipengere Mountains. From there the Great Ruaha River descends to the Usangu Plains, an important region for irrigated agriculture and livestock in Tanzania. The river eventually reaches the Mtera Dam and then flows south to the Kidatu Dam.

Second only to Katavi in its aura of untrammeled wilderness, but far more accessible, Ruaha National Park protects a vast tract of the rugged, semi-arid bush country that characterizes central Tanzania. Its lifeblood is the Great Ruaha River, which courses along the eastern boundary in a flooded torrent during the height of the rains, but dwindling thereafter to a scattering of precious pools surrounded by a blinding sweep of sand and rock.

A fine network of game-viewing roads follows the Great Ruaha and its seasonal tributaries, where, during the dry season, impala, waterbuck and other antelopes risk their life for a sip of life-sustaining water. And the risk is considerable: not only from the prides of 20-plus lion that lord over the savannah, but also from the cheetahs that stalk the open grassland and the leopards that lurk in tangled riverine thickets. This impressive array of large predators is boosted by both striped and spotted hyena, as well as several conspicuous packs of the highly endangered African wild dog.

Ruaha’s unusually high diversity of antelope is a function of its location, which is transitional to the acacia savannah of East Africa and the miombo woodland belt of Southern Africa. Grant’s gazelle and lesser kudu occur here at the very south of their range, alongside the miombo-associated sable and roan antelope, and one of East Africa’s largest populations of greater kudu, the park emblem, distinguished by the males’ magnificent corkscrew horns.

A similar duality is noted in the checklist of 450 birds: the likes of crested barbet, an attractive yellow-and-black bird whose persistent trilling is a characteristic sound of the southern bush, occur in Ruaha alongside central Tanzanian endemics such as the yellow-collared lovebird and ashy starling.

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Great Ruaha River - Bridge at the Gate

Superbly isolated, right in the heart of the Ruaha National Park, lies Jongomero Camp on the banks of the seasonal Jongomero river. Blending in beautifully with its surroundings the camp is tucked away among some shady riverine vegetation not far from permanent water therefore attracting a large amount of animals into the camp area. Being the only camp situated in this area of the park ensures unmatched privacy and a true wilderness experience.

Ruaha River Lodge is a rustic lodge situated in the edge of the Ruaha River. It is owned by the Fox family – who run it in an unpretentious and relaxed way, despite it being the oldest lodge in this national park. It offers comfortable accommodation and is perfect for those on a tighter budget. In comparison to other camps in Ruaha, Ruaha River Lodge is relatively large. It has 28 rooms altogether – though when full the guests are split between two different dining and lounge areas. This helps to make the camp feel more personal.

In the heart of Ruaha National Park amidst an acacia woodland there is Mdonya Old River Camp. Mdonya makes no apologies for being a fairly simple camp, and seeking safari basics: that is its aim! The tents at Mdonya Old River Camp are large, walk-in Meru-style tents, and there are 11 of them. Each is very comfortable, with an en-suite bathroom, including a hot shower – yet with none of the frills of a luxury camp. There is no electricity, no fan, and no air-con – but the large veranda has deck chairs and is a great place to sit and listen to the wildlife.

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge is built on a hill with breathtaking panoramic views.

Kwihala Camp is a new mobile operation which set itself up in Ruaha National Park in 2006. Moving to a new site half way through the season – this stylish camp aims to feel like a true bush camp whilst maintaining a high level of luxury. There is no cement or stone, or indeed anything permanent about this camp – so when they move sites there will be no evidence that they were ever there.

Once described by author John Hemingway as a “boy’s fantasy of independence,” Mwagusi Safari Lodge explores the traditional themes of the safari experience in its features. Its prime location on the Mwagusi Sand River provides an exciting experience for the true explorer at heart. Nestled into a bank of the Mwagusi Sand River, this small exclusive tented camp overlooks a watering hole in the riverbed. The sight of over 2,000 buffalo flooding the riverbed below the tents and dining banda is not uncommon.

The Chobe River rises in the central Angolan plateau on the slopes of Mount Tembo. There, it is called the Kwando (a Hambukushu name), and travels enormous distances through Kalahari sands before reaching Botswana; here it becomes the Linyanti (a Subiya name) until it reaches Ngoma where it becomes the Chobe. It then runs along the northern border of Chobe National Park.

Chobe River - Giraffe drinking

Like the Okavango and Zambezi, the Chobe’s course is affected by fault lines, which are extensions of East Africa’s Great Rift Valley. These three mighty rivers carry more water than all other rivers in Southern Africa.

There is a close association between the Okavango, the Chobe and the Zambezi. The Okavango River is connected to the Chobe and Zambezi via the Selinda Spillway, where high floods from the Okavango escape from the southern end of the Panhandle and flow into the Chobe. A current theory holds that millions of years ago the Okavango, Chobe and Upper Zambezi flowed as one huge river across the middle Kalahari, joined the Limpopo River and emptied into the Indian Ocean. Earth movements stopped this flow and caused a damming back of the river and the formation of the Linyanti Swamps.

The Chobe River first flows directly south, but at Diyei, the former capital of the Bayei people, it is caught by a rift, drops out onto a swamp and then turns north through Lake Liambezi, finally turning east and passing Kasane before joining the Zambezi at Kazungula. They flow briefly together before spilling over the deep cataract at Victoria Falls.

The Chobe twists and turns through swamps of wide reed and papyrus beds, forming hidden lagoons, which sometimes fill with water lilies. Its south bank alternates from open flood plains dotted with pans to thick woodlands. Across the river from Botswana lies the Caprivi Strip – and there the scene of grazing cattle contrasts sharply with the scenes of wild animals in the Chobe National Park.

Namibia

Namibia

Susuwe Island Lodge is an opportunity to closely experience a wild and untouched island of Africa. Situated in North-Eastern Namibia, the island is in the remote Kwando River – a permanent water source which nourishes delicate ecosystems and sustains varied game and birdlife.

Chobe River - birds

Impalila Island Lodge is a 16-bedded luxury lodge with much to offer. The island is situated at the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers at the place where 4 countries meet – from the air an amazing mosaic of waterways, floodplains and bushveld – on the ground exceptional birdlife, game viewing and assorted vegetation – and in the waters outstanding fishing opportunities. Impalila is also the most secluded and remote of the Chobe destinations but close enough to offer guests the very best of the Chobe River.

Ntwala Island Lodge is the most pristine and secluded Chobe destination. Intricate floating walkways link an untouched cluster of islands within the Mambova rapids where two mighty African rivers – the Zambezi and Chobe – converge.

In the northern extremity of the Chobe National Park, along the Chobe River, is an expanse of vast floodplains and savannah called the Puku Flats. The area is renowned for its large herds of buffalo and elephant, which come to the rivers edge to drink and graze. Chobe Savanna Lodge, located on its own private concession on the Nambian side of the Chobe River, peers west out across the vast Puku flats.

On the banks of Chobe River, 25 km south of Kongola village on the Trans-Caprivi highway (400 km east of Rundu & 100 km west of Katima Mulilo) one can find Camp Kwando. There are 12 thatched tents built on pole platforms on the  island, and you can do your fishing from the wooden decks. Three treehouses are on higher ground, and about 10 camping spots under the shady trees between the island and the main buildings.

Lianshulu Lodge, one of the first private lodges built inside a Namibian National Park, is beautifully placed beneath a canopy of shady jackalberry and mangosteen trees, on the banks of the scenically stunning Kwando River. Here, in the heart of the Mudumu National Park, dry mixed woodlands stand in complete contrast to the beautiful Kwando wetland ecosystem.

Situated on the banks of the Kwando River, overlooking a tranquil hippo pool 24 km south of Kongola in the East Caprivi, Namushasha Lodge offers 27 luxury en-suite bungalows. Boat cruises and fishing trips on the Kwando river or game drives in the West Caprivi Game Park are popular activities. A 4 km hiking trail promises to surprise with over 300 recorded bird species and indigenous flora. A low-level flight over the camp will activate pick-ups from the gravel airstrip.

Botswana

Botswana

Situated on the Chobe River in the North Eastern corner of Botswana’s Chobe National Park, and twenty kilometers upstream from the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers, is a place where elephants concentrate in large herds. And Chobe Game Lodge is part of this place.

Situated on the banks of the dry Savute Channel in the heart of the world famous Chobe National Park, Savute Elephant Camp offers a magnificent birds’ eye view of elephant in their natural habitat. Savute is renowned for high concentrations of elephant and lion with high predator activity in the area, including the endangered wild dog.

Chobe River - Impalas

It is on the banks of Botswana’s fabled Stolen River, that you will find Savute Safari Lodge in a setting of remarkable beauty. The now dry Savute channel is part of the dynamic Savute eco system renowned for its large concentration of elephant and lion and their troubled relationship.

Deep in the heart of the Botswana wilderness lies Chobe Chilwero Lodge, one of the most enchanting places on earth. With gorgeous, breathtaking vistas as a backdrop, you’ll come face-to-face with the abundant creatures of the bush, and some of the most spectacular sunsets Mother Nature bestows.

Uniquely located in the North-Eastern corner of Botswana where the four African nations of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia converge, Chobe Marina Lodge is surrounded by the natural beauty of Africa. The Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Kasane Forest Reserve, the Caprivi Strip and the mighty Zambezi river, each offer their own attractions and with Victoria Falls but 70 kilometres away, Chobe Marina Lodge is an ideal base to explore this region.

Chobe Safari Lodge is situated on the banks of Chobe River in Kasane, and sharing a border with Chobe National Park.

If you’re passing through and just want to spend a night or two in Kasane itself, Liya Guest Lodge is a convenient budget place very near the airport. They will meet flights, arrange transport and, like most lodges in the area, arrange game drives.

On the banks of the mighty Chobe River lies the luxurious Mowana Safari Lodge. In this tranquil bush setting…

The Garden Lodge, in Kasane, offers only 8 rooms on the banks of the Chobe River. The small size of this establishment makes for an intimate, relaxed atmosphere in lush, tropical surroundings.

Water Lily Lodge is situated in Kasane, north-eastern Botswana, gateway to the famous Chobe National Park and just a short distance from Victoria Falls. It is a small and private lodge catering for a maximum of 20 guests.

Kubu Lodge is situated on the banks of the Chobe River, 2 km upstream from the confluence with the Zambezi, in the village of Kazungula. The property covers 30 hectares of mostly undeveloped forest reserve and is a sanctuary for the Chobe Bushbuck.

The Chobe region is home to the largest population of wild elephant in the world, estimated to number about 120,000 individuals. Their sometimes daily passage takes them from Zimbabwe through the Chobe and on into Namibia before returning. Elephant Valley Lodge lies along one of these routes and is situated in the Kasane Forest, adjacent to the Chobe National Park.

Privately owned Muchenje Safari Lodge is on an embankment overlooking the banks of the Chobe River and offers unparalleled views over the floodplain.

Saile Tented Camp is a small 8 bedded tented camp designed on the Hemingway style Meru East African tents. The camp is situated on the swaying river banks of the Linyanti Marsh in the Chobe area.

Lake Mweru (also spelled Mwelu) is a freshwater lake on the longest arm of Africa’s second-longest river, the Congo. Located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, it makes up 110 km of the total length of the Congo, lying between its Luapula River (upstream) and Luvua River (downstream) segments.

Lake Mweru, although off the beaten track, is worth a visit. The lake has spawned a dynamic population, rich in culture, fervent in trade and colorful in nature. The area is almost a microcosm of what Tropical Africa could be if left to its own devices. Tourist facilities, however are limited to a few ‘guesthouses’ of varying standards.

Water temperatures range from 21° C to 29° C, while air temperatures range from 27.5° C to 35° C. The lake is chemically very fertile and contributes substantially to the fishing industry in Zambia.

Lake Mweru is seldom visited but breathtakingly beautiful and an ideal base for exploring the lesser-known areas of Zambia. Take the ferry to one of the lake’s islands, Kilwa and Isokwe. Or just explore the coastline and visit the local villages.

Tourist facilities are limited to a few guest houses of varying standards and visitors should bring all the equipment they need because little is provided for travellers. Having said that, this area is developing quickly so it’s a good idea to check what is happening before you head out here.

This area of Zambia represents a real challenge if you want to explore it. Check with the authorities before you set out. If you accept the challenge it can provide a very special experience.

Lake Mweru - Boat on the Luapula River