In all my travels I have never been anywhere that has touched me as much as Africa. So after my journey to South Africa and Zambia last fall I just knew I had to go back to see more of Southern Africa. In early April I had the amazing opportunity of spending almost 2 weeks in Zimbabwe and Botswana. I was given the chance to stay in some wonderful hotels and tented camps and to experience the incredible African spirit of graciousness and hospitality.
We began our adventure at the luxurious Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg. Our flight landed late in the day so we had to overnight before our flight out the following morning. The Saxon hotel is located about 45 minutes from the airport. It is a beautiful, boutique hotel surrounded by an oasis of magnificent local flora and fauna in the midst of a bustling city. It was became the home to Nelson Mandela after he was released from prison. The 24 large suites are luxuriously appointed. We were treated to a tour of The Saxon’s state of the art spa, where one can be pampered after a long flight.
The next morning we set off to Victoria Falls. After a short 90 minute flight we arrived at the Victoria Falls Airport and were transported to the historic Victoria Falls Hotel. I remember seeing this incredible white hotel last fall across the Zambezi River Gorge and wanting the opportunity to someday stay there. The Victoria Falls Hotel has hosted Royal families, heads of state, celebrities, authors journalists and poets for over 100 years. The grounds are serene and majestic. There is a magnificent view of the gorge from the grounds and one can observe the falls by taking a short walk down to the observation area. Upon our arrival we took a private sunset cruise on the Zambezi and saw many hippos, crocodiles, dozens of species of birds and an incredible sunset. The next day we visited a lion orphanage where young abandoned lions are taken to be taught how to survive on their own in the wilds. We were able to interact with the lions and even rubbed their bellies like my house cat! We then were able to touch, feed and ride elephants around the private game park.
The next day we were off to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. We arrived by light aircraft and even had to wait to land because of a large black rhino who had decided to sunbathe on the dirt runway. We were transported to Makalolo Plains tended camps. When I first heard the word “tented camps” my mind went immediately to family camping trips with everyone crammed into the old Springbar. This was far from my image of camping. Each beautifully appointed tented room is private, luxuriously decorated and has all the comforts of home. There is a private toilet, shower, safe and cozy king size bed and a spacious deck for game viewing outside the tent with an outdoor shower. The food served at Makalolo was a culinary lover’s delight. We were spoiled with local favorites as well as European fare. The game viewing was fantastic at Hwange National Park. The first night we had sundowners (drinks and hors de ovres) next to a heard of Cape buffalo. While we quietly enjoyed an incredible sunset a lone hyena came over and checked us all out. What an incredible experience to see one of these amazing animals up close. You are reminded of the fact that you are in a tent when you hear the wildlife outside all night long. The first night a few male lions were roaring for their territory boundaries in the middle of the night. It is an incredible if not a bit exciting sound. The following days we were rewarded with sightings of lions, herds of elephants, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, foxes, rhino and many varieties of unusual and colorful birds. We were able to visit a village to see how the people of Zimbabwe lived every day life. Hearing the children’s voices singing was a memory I will not soon forget.
The highlight of my experience was our visit to Botswana. Having been a huge fan of Number One Ladies Detective Agency series I was anxious to see this beautiful country for myself. As we flew over Kasane and saw the red dirt roads, jackleberry trees and tin roof houses I could picture Mma Romatswe sitting on her porch enjoying her red bush tea. Upon landing after another light plan ride we packed our belonging into the Land Rover and were immediately rewarded by a herd of elephants. So many elephants that we had to stop the vehicle for almost 30 minutes to let them pass. Our guides surprised us with a sunset dinner next to the Linyanti River where we enjoyed a gourmet meal fit for a king. We arrived at Kings Pool Camp where we were warmly greeted by an amazing staff. Our rooms at Kings Pool were spacious with huge showers, sitting areas, luxurious king beds and an inviting deck area with a day bed and plunge pool. Again, a far cry from a camping experience. Our meals were taking on a deck overlooking a watering hole. Safari experience in the Linyanti/Savuti Channel was unforgettable. One of my goals on this trip was to see wild dog which are very scarce in Southern Africa. Up until the final day we only saw them hunting from a distance but the last day we were able to come up to a pack sleeping in the shade. About 12 wild dogs allowed us to get close enough to enjoy watching the pups play in the sun. The most amazing experience was a young male elephant that came right up to our Land Rover and sniffed the vehicle then the legs of several riders. After it was finished investigating he stamped his feed and flapped his ears the proceeded to chase after our vehicle when we started to drive off. The second we stopped he would also stop and back off into the brush as if his courage was lost. We had a great laugh over this and took some amazing pictures. We said goodbye to Botswana to head for home, but we took with us some incredible pictures, so dear friendships and some wonderful memories.I can’t wait to visit more of these amazing countries soon!
