VagabondNorman Carr Safaris

ZAMBIA
JORDEN
RUNDT
I
BILLEDER
VAGABOND REJSER JORDEN RUNDT MED FOTOGRAF MARCUS WESTBERG. I DENNE UDGAVE
ER VI TAGET PÅ SAFARI TIL FODS I ZAMBIA. PÅ DE NÆSTE SIDER VIL DU KOMME MEGET
TÆT PÅ ZAMBIAS NATUR OG FÅ EN SMAGSPRØVE PÅ, HVAD EN AF VERDENS BEDSTE
FOTOGRAFER KAN MED ET KAMERA. DE KORTE TEKSTER ER HOLDT PÅ ORIGINAL
SPROGET (ENGELSK). UNDER NORMALE OMSTÆNDIGHEDER OVERSÆTTER
VI ALTID TIL DANSK. MEN I DETTE TILFÆLDE HAR VI VALGT AT LADE
TEKSTEN STÅ HELT ORIGINALT. GOD FORNØJELSE
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F
ifty years ago, Norman Carr pioneered the walking safari in Zambia’s Lunagwa Valley, and South Luangwa
remains one of Africa’s foremost national parks to experience the heart-stopping excitement of meeting
wildlife on foot. Carr’s legacy is still very much alive, and we joined those who have followed in his bootstrapped footsteps at Norman Carr Safaris, revisiting some of the famous conservationist’s favourite spots
and camps as well as retracing some of the park’s first walking trails.
South Luangwa is an awe-inspiring park by any standard, with huge concentrations of elephants, lions and hippos along with Thornicroft’s giraffe – a sub-species found nowhere else. While open-top safari vehicles often allow
visitors to get closer to the animals, who are often accustomed to cars, the thrill of coming face-to-face with a large
bull elephant on foot is indescribable. Walking also has the added advantage of noticing small things not easily
seen on a game drive: feathers and tracks, insects and snakes, and the many sounds of the African bush that come
to life in the absence of a rumbling engine.
For five days we wandered the trails around Nsolo and Kakuli Bush Camps, walking across grassy plains, woodland savannah and the slow-moving Luangwa River, where hippos and crocodiles line the sandy banks. Falling
asleep under the stars to the sound of lions roaring in the Luwi dry riverbed was perhaps the highlight, but each
dawn brought with it new adventures. On foot we discovered the breath-taking wonders that so captivated Norman
Carr, walking through the bush with our eyes and ears open, and reconnecting with nature.
IMAGES AND TEXT BY MARCUS AND KATE WESTBERG
We get forded across the Luangwa
River on our way from Kapani
Lodge to Nsolo Bush Camp, from
where we would continue on foot
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What every visitor
wants to see: lion
cubs. Meeting
lions on foot is
a spine-tingling
experience
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We walk in single
file and stay quiet
to reduce the risk of
danger - and increase
our chances of getting
close to wildlife
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Prince Mutale and Kephas Kakumbi
scan the horizon for wildlife
A bull elephant
rises up on its hind
legs to reach a
particularly tasty
meal, something
rarely seen outside
of Zambia and
Zimbabwe
Although it is
highly unlikely to
be used, a ranger’s
gun is essential
when on foot
amongst elephants
and buffalos
Plenty of crocodiles can be seen
lounging on the banks of the
Luangwa River during the day
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The Luangwa River is famous for its high
concentration of hippos. They are notoriously
dangerous, especially when approaching
them on foot, so we decided to observe
them from a bit of a distance
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Giraffes move across
the plains in search of water
Prince and Kephas have found fresh
tracks on one of the dirt roads.
From the tracks they can determine
not only which animals have walked
here, but also how long ago
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Baobab trees are perhaps the
most easily recognizable of
southern Africa’s flora and are
plentiful in South Luangwa
A young male leopard
takes a nap in the shade
after several unsuccessful
hunting attempts
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Sometimes it isn’t even necessary to
leave the camp to see animals; the common
area at Kakuli Bush Camp provides an excellent
wildlife viewing platform
With special thanks to Norman Carr
Safaris (normancarrsafaris.com),
Steppes Travel (steppestravel.com)
and Safarious (safarious.com)
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