Good shopping centers, great camps on the well-developed tar road to the northwest, arriving in a wild nature and a society that seems to be a few hundred years back. Friendly and happy people, out and about on foot or by bike - however with loads piled high. The fields are plowed and worked by hand and with donkey or ox carts. In the Croc Valley Lodge and in the South Luangwa NP we experience great days rich in game directly on the river and on wide game drives through diverse ecosystems. We like Zambia very much and it is a great adventure.

The long route on good roads to the west is exciting and varied. Lusaka is a crowd in the midst of modern skyscrapers and small huts.

We penetrate the national park along the river and are harassed en masse by biting tsetse flies. We learn to deal with these, but not with the heavy rain that reaches us. A little earlier than planned we leave the great Kasabushi Camp, where we spend a leisurely Christmas party. A river trip shows us the water landscape with many water birds, finally we discover a porcupine for the very first time, even if only briefly and on the way out of the park we meet wild dogs.

Kafue has a lot to offer and would be worth even longer exploring trips if the time budget is sufficient ...

We flee back to Lusaka from the rain and from there to the north to and across the border to Lake Kariba. Here we meet a Swiss resident and learn a lot. We like Kariba very much, the village and the history of the reservoir are exciting, the campsite right by the lake is great and we are welcoming the new year here.

On its first morning we embark on the ferry, which offers us hospitality for almost twenty-four hours. The peaceful crossing of the huge lake becomes a special kind of nature experience, as a storm throws us back and forth, making many passengers seasick. We catch lightning and sleep in peace of mind. What an eventful start to the year! On rough roads and with shopping breaks, we continue to Hwange NP.

The huge Hwange NP with its dry steppes, the adventurous camps and the numerous water holes has captured us, so this time we allow a lot of time.

It's definitely worth it, because there is a lot to explore, the park is probably a bit shabby, but rich in game and we don't see much of other visitors. We particularly like and impress the overnight stays at the picnic spots by the lake, which can be booked exclusively. They are worth it, because the experience of nature at the dams or lakes gets under your skin. Wild, great Africa experience without fences, but partly guarded and spoiled. Roaming elephants, hippos or lions enrich our nights, but most visitors come and go unnoticed because we sleep soundly.

The town of Vicotria Falls is a lively tourist town thanks to its falls and has everything you need. We stock up on the necessary, drive a few kilometers further and find ourselves in an untouched, almost deserted natural paradise. In the unfenced picnic areas you can move around and set up as you wish, go for a stroll along the riverbank and have full freedom of movement. We didn't see big cats, but otherwise nature spoiled us. For hours we observed and photographed the coming and going of animals and birds and enjoyed the wonderful morning and evening moods on the Zambezi. Not spectacular - or just because it seems to be the heart of Africa ...