Zambia - African traffic lights and smoke that thunders

Located in the southern valley of the Luangwa River, the approximately 9,050 km2 national park is home to a wildlife population that could not be more diverse.

The lagoons, forests and plains are home to leopards and lions, hippos, herds of elephants and buffalo, often numbering several hundred animals. Among countless other animal species, the Thorni-croft giraffe and the Craw-shay zebra, which are found only here, round out the animal offerings.

Closely associated with Zambia and the South Luangwa National Park is the Bushcamp Company. In their accommodations you can experience Africa in an unbelievable intensity, which is hardly possible elsewhere.

The very knowledgeable and dedicated guides, who are among the best in their profession, certainly contribute to this.

And they can also cook really well. Most of the time it is a delicious barbecue that is surprisingly served to you after a walking safari.

A "guide" in a chef's uniform and behind the grill only hints at the skills these jack-of-all-trades must still possess. The legendary African explorer David Livingstone would have had his pure joy.

And in the evening? There you sit comfortably together in the small Bushcamps and tell yourselves stories. Many that really only happen to you here in Africa.

The Zambezi River, two kilometers wide in places, runs right through the park and the cool water attracts numerous animals.

Unlike the Luangwa River, the Zambezi is situated between two dams, which make the water level hardly vary. Besides the water, you will find gigantic baobab and acacia trees in this area, embodying the perfect backdrop for an African safari.

A canoe trip on this huge river and its tributaries can be interrupted by a family of elephants trying to cross the river and asking you more or less politely to keep your distance. An African red light.

How reassuring that the guide knows when the traffic light changes from orange to red. You get out of the canoe in time for sunset and are back on solid ground.

With a drink in hand, you then sum up the eventful day, watch the magnificent play of colors of the sunset and finally return to the camp with Spotlight in time for dinner - eager to hear the stories of the other guests.

Here, the mighty Zambezi River plunges 100 meters into a narrow rocky gorge along a seventeen-hundred-meter-wide ledge of basalt rock.

David Livingstone named the falls after the then Queen Victoria of England, while the locals had long since found a much more appropriate name: Mosi oa tunya - the smoke that thunders.

Oh, and one more thing. Did you know that water can be finer than dust?

At least, that's how it will seem to you when you view the falls from the most spectacularly located points. Because you will get wet!!!

But don't worry, good spirits will offer you plastic overhangs. For the fashion conscious, however, we recommend bringing your own rain gear.