The Best of the Bush - African Safari

An African Safari will conjure up many images and preconceptions that one cannot truly appreciated until they have stayed in the bush and seen the amazing animals up close in their natural habitat. Traveling to South Africa and staying at the Umlani Bush Camp is an incredible adventure that is truly an experience of a lifetime.

Arriving at what might be the tiniest airport ever, the Hoedspruit Airport in South Africa, your adventure begins. Not a tremendous amount of security going on here as your luggage is unloaded by a tractor and brought to the front of the airport where a driver waits to take you and possibly a few other campers out to the bush.

The drive to the secluded Umlani Bush Camp in the Timbavati Private Nature Preserve and part of the Kruger National Park is an introduction to the terrain that makes up this area. Upon arrival you are immediately greeted by a warm and welcoming staff that presents a short orientation about your stay and then escorts you to your hut. The simple huts have thatched roofs and are very comfortable and pleasing. Enchanting beds with mosquito netting and oil lamps give the hut a very appealing ambiance. No electricity here, the entire camp is lit by oil lamps and candles which adds to the charming atmosphere. Each hut has its own bathroom facilities including flush toilets and an intriguing open air bush shower that is heated by wood fire.

The camp can accommodate 16 people, but offers families, couples, and individual travelers a serene setting with many of the amenities that you expect while on vacation. There is a pool and double hammocks for relaxing while in camp. All huts are equipped with towels, bathroom amenities, bottled water, and even insect repellent in case you forgot yours. The bush bar and deck is available all day for you to enjoy a drink overlooking the riverbed, have a bite of breakfast and lunch or to just socialize. Before dinner, try a drink at a traditional boma around the fire and enjoy hearing all the stories about the days events and sightings. Then enjoy dinner under a covered open air dining room or under the stars with a variety of gourmet award winning food served by candlelight.

Early morning and late afternoon game drives or morning bush walks are available to make the most of your time. Experienced and knowledgeable rangers and trackers provide opportunities to take in as much as possible; see amazing animals and birds, learn about the animal's natural habitat and surroundings, and discover South Africa's cultural heritage. This time spent in the open Land Rovers is packed with anticipation and excitement as you search the range for the wild animals. Your guides will go beyond normal measures to make sure each guest has the best possible experience and to see the greatest variety of animals possible, taking time to insure everyone get those treasured pictures to take back home.

Everything from arrival to departure is so well done that it makes it hard to leave. Between the delicious cuisine, exciting game drives, relaxing surroundings, friendly staff, and the company of the guests who quickly become acquainted it is hard to decide on the best of Umlani. Perhaps one trip isn't enough!

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The Zambezi River - Zambia's Finest Safari Feature

The Zambezi is Africa's fourth largest river; flowing for about 3000km across central Africa. The river hails from a small brook at the upper Northwest corner of Zambia and it then flows through Angola and borders Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe before finally cutting through Mozambique where it empties its waters into the Indian Ocean through a Delta. 

The Zambezi River ebbs and flows depending on season. If there is prolonged rain, the river swells up and bursts its banks in particular areas displacing thousands of people. On the other hand if there is no rain, the waters recede. The river is divided into three sections; the upper Zambezi, middle Zambezi and lower Zambezi.

Though the river, has a lot to offer with every square kilometer it passes through, it has the best of its features in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Perhaps the most spectacular feature along the Zambezi is the magnificent Victoria Falls. Known locally as "Mosi-oa-Tunya" (the smoke that thunders), the Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The deafening roar of the falls as millions of liters of water cascade down its rocky cliff can be heard from metres away. From the falling water rises a glistening blanket of mist which makes the sight all the more enchanting.

The best time to tour the falls is during the dry winter season which runs from July to August. Around the rainy season, the blanket of mist gets so thick that it makes it impossible to catch a glimpse of the falls. The peak of the dry season is also not best because the falls are at their dullest during this time. If you wish to, you can catch a helicopter ride and get a bird's eye view of the falls. However, most people prefer the experience from the ground where they can feel the spray of the falls on their faces. If you plan to view the falls from the ground, carry a raincoat as you are bound to get soaked, most people get a kick out of this though.

Not far from the falls stands the grand Victoria Falls Bridge. The bridge is a prized piece of fine architecture that joins Zambia and Zimbabwe while also providing an expansive view of the Zambezi and the adjacent rain forests. The most popular activity at the bridge is bungee jumping. The fall is 111 metres long making it the second longest bungee distance in the world. Other notable sights along the Zambezi include the expansive Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams.

The Kariba dam in Zambia, boasts a vast 300km. The Cahora Bassa dam lies in Mozambique and is 20km smaller than the Kariba making it 280km wide. Both dams are deep and quite popular for their sport fishing activities. You can choose whether to fish from the banks or go out into the water in a canoe. The most common fish in these areas are Tiger fish which can grow to as much as 10kg, the yellow-belly bream, and the red-breasted bream among others.

Besides fishing, the dams also provide the local community with enough water for irrigation for those who practice farming along the river. The dams are also a source of hydropower. The Kariba dam supplies power to Zambia and Zimbabwe while the Cahora Bassa dam supplies power to both Mozambique and South Africa.   

There are a number of game parks and reserves dotted all along the Zambezi and offering some of the best Africa safaris. The most popular of these include the Zambezi National Park, the Victoria Falls national park, the Mana pools park, and the Wide horizons elephant camp. Here, visitors can watch a wide array of wild animals along game drives or in fenced and controlled reserves. The activity that the Zambezi is world famous for is its eventful white water rafting expeditions. The rocky riverbeds of the Zambezi and the steep, gorged terrain as well as pressure pools provide an excellent flowing strip for the exciting rapids.

The Zambezi rapids have been classified as grade five, meaning that they are very difficult to negotiate, very fast, violent and unpredictable as they have no clear pattern that a negotiator can get used to therefore making each trip different from the next. The rapids are also popular because they have little bare rock allaying fears of injury therefore allowing kayakers to make the most of the experience.

There is a wide array of hotels and lodges to choose from along the Zambezi. They range from outdoor tent and mattress camping lodges to luxury five star hotels. Whichever you choose, they all promise different adventures that are bound to make your stay memorable. A couple of the most popular hotel and lodges include; the Royal Livingstone hotel, the Tongabezi lodge and the Thorn tree lodge at Victoria Falls. The Mwambashi river lodge, Kasaka river lodge and Mtondo river camp are good choices for those who want to be close to the river and around wild game. And for those who want to spend their days fishing in Lake Kariba, the Chete Island deluxe tented safari lodge and the Chikanka Island hotel would be good choices for you.

There are a number of towns and settlements along the Zambezi River. The major ones include; Katima Mulilo in Namibia, Mongu, Lukulu and Livingstone in Zambia, Victoria Falls and Kariba in Zimbabwe, and finally Songo and Tete in Mozambique. Interestingly, over 70 different languages spoken by the people along the Zambezi. Most of these natives depend on the Zambezi for their livelihood and have a fascinating culture as well as unique practices. The Bundu people of Zambia, for example, believe that there is a live spirit called Nyaminyami in the river. They believe that the spirit offers them protection and therefore regularly perform rituals at the river bank to appease the spirit.

Samuel Maina is online travel writer for Africa Point Limited, an Africa specialist travel agent, offering online reservation services for hotels, airline tickets, rental cars, tours and safaris to 13 African countries. Read some of his works on Africa Tours & Flights Guide.