On safari in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi
![South Luangwa National Park](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BWM6aLP4D89SNuXpJPvXtT-415-80.jpg)
Safaris are expensive, but you get what you pay for. You can slot a couple of days into a trip to South Africa, but the camps are a little too comfortable and the game viewing a little too contrived to provide more than an appetiser for a longer trip further into Africa.
The best time to go is in the dry season, up until October, when the animals come down to the water to drink but the landscape is parched and less scenic. We started off on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls (pictured below), reached by a flight which connected to the overnight British Airways flights to Johannesburg. We arrived at the park gates when they opened at 6am; visitors are few and the sun rising over the falls was spectacular. After breakfast back at the hotel, there was plenty of time for a helicopter ride, numerous other activities or just lounging round the hotel.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Victoria Falls Hotel, built in 1904, offers faded colonial grandeur – faded enough to be charming but grand enough to have the best location and grounds. As often in Africa, the service is erratic but always smiling and anxious to please.
An early morning transfer across the Zambian border took us to Livingstone for the onward flight by a single-propeller small plane to the Lower Zambezi National Park. This lies across the river from Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, but has the advantage of wildlife viewing by boat as well as a simpler itinerary.
Chongwe River Camp occupies a picturesque setting among acacia trees on the Chongwe river, close to where it joins the Zambezi. Elephants stroll through the camp by day, hippos by night and the exceptional friendliness of the staff together with generous servings of Malawi gin ensure highly sociable mealtimes. Expeditions by boat make the game viewing more varied and comfortable – the tracks for the jeeps to and through the park are in poor condition.
The flight that brought us here carried on to Mfuwe, the access point for South Luangwa National Park. We stayed at Kaingo Camp on a bank above the Luangwa river, which provides great vantage points for seeing wildlife. The guides, as elsewhere, tend to focus on the big cats, but if you are lucky enough to see a pack of lions stalk a herd of buffalo before bringing one down, you will see why.
As by the Zambezi, the birdlife will convert the hardest cynic into an ornithologist while the beautiful ebony groves provide shelter from the heat of the sun. Each chalet has a deck looking out over the river, the staff are hospitable and the Malawi gin plentiful, but the key differentiator here was the excellent food provided by a resident chef from South Africa.
Another flight from Mfuwe took us via Lilongwe to Monkey Bay for a few days’ rest by Lake Malawi, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Bilharzia – snail fever – makes swimming from the shore inadvisable, but the unique ecology makes it a magnet for snorkelling and scuba divers.
Though the Pumulani is beautifully situated with spacious villas, two swimming pools and the usual range of watersports, our stay was marred by poor management.
A visit to the nearby village provided a stark reminder that Malawi is much poorer than Zambia, while a boat trip to nearby Cape Maclear revealed some attractive-looking, cheap and cheerful alternative accommodation.
From Lilongwe, the direct flight to Johannesburg connects with the BA flight home.
Our trip was arranged by Safari Consultants; safari-consultants.com; 01787-888590.
This article was originally published in MoneyWeek
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Charlotte Dujardin and equestrianism's dark side
In the Spotlight Olympic gold medallist and dressage star's suspension over horse whipping brings abuse in horse sports back into the spotlight
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Roman epic Those About to Die has split the critics
Talking Point Sword and sandals miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins puts spectacle above story
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Why is China stockpiling resources?
The Explainer The superpower has been amassing huge reserves of commodities at great cost despite its economic downturn
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Douglas Is Cancelled: Hugh Bonneville plays a shamed news presenter
The Week Recommends Cancel culture drama is mostly 'clever and sharp'
By The Week UK Published
-
A Quiet Place: Day One – the 'pleasant surprise of the summer'
The Week Recommends Silence is golden in this prequel to the popular 2018 apocalyptic thriller
By The Week UK Published
-
The Bikeriders: Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy star in high-octane drama
The Week Recommends Film inspired by 1968 book about notorious biker gang in Chicago
By The Week UK Published
-
Raffles London at The OWO review: a quintessentially British stay
The Week Recommends This heritage building has been given a twist as a luxury hotel in the nation's capital
By Leaf Arbuthnot, The Week UK Published
-
The Young Woman and the Sea: Daisy Ridley stars as 'tenacious' heroine
The Week Recommends The film explores the story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim across the Channel
By The Week UK Published
-
Has Bridgerton lost the plot?
Talking Point Return of the hit Regency series has divided both fans and critics
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Michelangelo – the last decades review: an 'absorbing' exploration of art
The Week Recommends New exhibition focuses on works from the final 30 years of the artist's long career
By The Week UK Published
-
Silversea cruise review: a Central and North American adventure
The Week Recommends An incredible journey featuring cultural exploration, cooking classes, comfort and more
By Yasemen Kaner-White Published