Rivers of Africa
Sharon van Wyk of The Mail & Guardian winds up the Five Rivers Safari in style with visits to Zambia and Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. Part 3 of a 3 part series of articles – January 2004.


When I left the first instalment of the Five Rivers Safari it was at the end of November on the hot, dusty plains of Kwando Lebala in the far north of Botswana. My return, to pick up my tour of the nine camps participating in the safari, put me in the familiar surroundings of Livingstone in Zambia but with a huge difference – rain, and lots of it had transformed this often oppressively hot and dry region into a lush and verdant wonderland.

Welcome to the green season, and the long awaited, life-bringing deluges this far-flung part of the world had needed for so long.

Songwe Village was to be my first port of call on this second half of my Five Rivers Safari, which I resumed with Nationwide Flight CE 202 from Johannesburg International to Livingstone.

I must say, Nationwide is developing into a fine airline and one South Africans can be truly proud of. I am impressed most of all with their levels of service and friendliness which put the often sour faces of their major competitors to shame. At the end of the day a trip by plane, whether short haul or international, should be a pleasurable experience, not something to endure. Nationwide seem to realise this and make the 90-odd minutes to Livingstone pass with pleasant ease.

It was sunny when I landed in Livingstone and a week or so of rains earlier in January meant that the nearby Victoria Falls were almost at peak flow, filling the air with their thrilling mist which gives them their local name – Mosi o Tunya – the smoke that thunders.

I was met by Songwe manager Dorothy Shinga and guide-cum-driver Munkombwe and began the journey to Songwe Point, which is approximately 14km out of town. However, it’s a long haul at 45-minutes due to the rough, and I do mean rough, road. Once off the main tar road it’s a spot of major bundu bashing over rock and through mud to get to the village. But it’s more than worth the trek.

As we pulled into Songwe the sun was steadily being overtaken by steely grey clouds, with the huge thunderheads forming on the horizon a sign of things to come.

Like Lebala, Kwara and Lagoon camps, Songwe is part of the Kwando Safaris family. But it’s very different to its stable-mates.

Songwe offers participants in the Five Rivers safari a chance to get down and cultural. It’s akin to getting up close and personal with rural Africa.

Accommodation in the village is in traditional huts, simply but comfortably furnished and with the added luxury of en-suite toilets and showers. The bathrooms have no windows but low walls at the sink and shower afford the aforementioned stunning views of the gorge and the stretch of the Zambezi between rapids 10 and 13, well-known to white-water rafters.

It could so easily have been kitsch, but Songwe is anything but. In typical Kwando style the marriage of tradition, comfort and convenience is seamless and works perfectly. Sinks in the bathroom are large enamel bowls with a single, cold tap. In the early morning a large iron kettle is placed outside the door of the hut for freshening up purposes. The showers are basic but have hot and cold water and all the intricacies are there, but in a low-key, traditional way. The mirror is framed in recycled fanta cans, the enamel wear is everywhere, from the mugs for your toothbrush to the rubbish bin.

The beds are made from rustic poles and the linen is a mix of pure colonial cotton sheets and locally woven textile throws with the compulsory mosquito net – an absolute must in this malaria-ridden region.

The huts are arranged in a traditional village formation around a central area where chickens and goats roam freely. On each side are two additional huts which house double showers and huge luxurious Victorian-style baths. One set of these bathroom facilities faces sunrise over the gorge, and the other – you guessed it – sunset. The baths are positioned slightly raised to afford marvelous views as you relax and soak with a glass of something everso slightly refined from the makeshift bar in the central living area.

This is housed in its own, open hut to one side of the kitchen hut at the end of the village, close to the edge of the gorge. Here you relax on plump cushions on a built-in bench around the perimeter of the hut, which has a small fire pit at its centre. Meals are taken here, eaten off your lap or, on occasion, at a makeshift but perfectly functional table.

The idea, and it works marvelously, is to get you to relax and experience what it’s like to be part of a proper, working village.

During a stay at Songwe guests get the chance to experience a proper, traditional village dinner, eaten seated on a cushion on the floor using your fingers as cutlery. Dorothy, who runs Songwe with her husband Emanuel, explained that some guests are squeamish when it comes to eating in such an al fresco manner and that forks and knives are optional. Not for me. I dived in with both hands making short shift of the delicious shuma (pap), beef and chicken stews and assorted veggies such as spinage and pumpkin.

It’s a great experience and a refreshing change to table d’hote and a jacket and tie affair.

After dinner entertainment comes in the form of some impromptu drumming and marimba playing, singing and dancing. Guests are invited to join in with their own favourite songs, but somehow my rendition of Hotel California seemed out of place in this devine and oh-so relaxed setting.

Activities at Songwe are equally relaxed, with guests learning about the cultural heritage of the local Mukuni tribe, which has lived in this area since the 13th century, having migrated from northern Cameroon.

The village of Songwe itself is part of the greater Mukuni village and is home to about 1500 people. Guests can visit the village where there are several curio stalls offering a range of arts and crafts made by the local villagers.

You are also taken across to Mukuni itself, by ox-wagon when the weather permits, but in this sticky season the road is much more suited to the village Landrovers. Mukuni is home to a further 7000 people, all overseen by senior chief or Munokalya Patrick Siloka Mukuni. Chief Siloka has been the main man since 1985 and rules over his people with a Bedyango or Chieftainess who is equal to him in stature but from a different lineage.

During my visit to Mukuni I was taken to Lumpasa palace to meet the incumbent Bedyango, Anne Siloka, who although she shares his name is actually not related to the Chief. Chief Siloka’s lineage goes back generations. His ancestors met David Livingstone under a huge acacia tree outside Lumpasa palace.

Songwe Village is heavily involved in community development with the villagers, using tourism to inject much-needed resources into the communities via the Mukuni Environmental, Cultural and Economic Development Trust with the assistance of guests who participate in cultural activities and tours and buy curios from the stalls.
After the tour of Mukuni it was off to the Livingstone Museum to learn more about the area. Livingstone is very proud of its namesake, the inimitable Dr David, and he naturally features heavily in the exhibits, with his hat, coat, gun, box of medical instruments and medical qualifications all displayed lovingly along with in depth information about his life and contribution to the community around the falls.

Also on display are exhibits illustrating the geographical, geological, anthropological and biological histories of the region and the recent political history of Zambia. It’s a small museum, and desperately in need of funding, but it’s a start and an indication of the pride the local community has in its roots.

Then it was off on a sundowner cruise on the river with Safari par Excellence, which, at $60 per person is not bad value for money, including as it does tasty snacks and all drinks during the three-hour cruise.

The morning of my departure from Songwe was when the weather decided to mess with my itinerary, preventing my transfer by air charter. Early morning thunderstorms had given birth to flash floods, one of which emerged from the solid rock wall of the cliff-face opposite my hut with a roar of earthquake proportions heralding its approach.

The inclement weather played havoc across the region causing airports to close and flights to be cancelled and is a good illustration of how traveling in this part of the world is never cast in stone. Flexibility is an absolute must. As is patience. But in a smooth and impressively professional manner alternative arrangements were made for a road transfer to Kasane, some 70km away, where I would pick up my flight to Lianshulu Lodge in the East Caprivi area of Namibia.

It’s a strange part of the world, where international borders abound. One minute you’re in Zambia, a short boat trip across the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers and you’re in Botswana, and before you can say Jack Robinson it’s Namibia. And there, on the horizon is Angola. And in the other direction is Zimbabwe. So began a curious series of immigration posts and 20-minute transits which have made my passport rather full and interesting. Four countries in one day is not unusual here.
The flight from Kasane to Lianshulu with Profile Safaris was smooth and thankfully interesting enough to make the 50-minute journey pass quickly. Pilot Gerd Niehaus pointed out the Chobe and Zambezi flood plains and the temporary fields and grazing which in a few short weeks time would be under water.

Lianshulu Lodge is located in the Eastern Caprivi on the Namibian side of the Kwando River. It’s situated in a small, 800-hectare private concession in the Mudumu National Park, which covers around 800 square kms. Due to the general inaccessibility of the river, Lianshulu has exclusive use of the meandering waterways and lagoons, whilst other vehicles are rarely encountered on nature drives in the park, conveying a powerful sense of remoteness.

Indeed, the only other camp in the park, Bush Lodge, is part of Lianshulu.
The lodges are owner-run by Ralph Meyer-Rust and his partner, Sharon Theron. Ralph co-owns the lodge with partners Jonathan Gibson, who is also CEO of local tour operation Desert and Delta Safaris and Peter Koep, of legendary status in the Namibian legal profession. Bush Lodge Managers, Beverley and Flavien Daguise, also lend a hand, making sure that guests’ needs are well catered for.

Lianshulu is a Lozi name meaning “the place of spring hares”.

The lodge consists of 11 very private and intimate rooms nestled on the edge of a lagoon which is part of the Kwando river system. All have views of the water and the ubiquitous hippo population which provides all-day entertainment accompanied by a cacophony of grunts.

The rooms are luxuriously appointed and are in the process of being transformed into veritable palaces with lots of cool tiles, enormous bathrooms and living space for Africa.

Sumptuous meals are taken in the main complex with its huge deck overlooking the Lianshulu lagoon and, yes, more of those marvelous hippos. In the dry season elephant compete for the water, giving game buffs some exhilarating encounters with the wild. There’s also a marvelously shady pool area which was a major drawcard for me in the often humid conditions.

Activities include the nature walks, river safaris and game drives which make up an integral part of each day, and are interspersed with marvelously impromptu bush brunches served al fresco on islands in the river. Daily itineraries are tailor-made to suit guests with Ralph at pains to make the point that life at Lianshulu is geared towards slowing down and absorbing the natural beauty of the area.

At this time of year, with everything so wet and water not in short supply, the game is more dispersed but the hues and colours of green Africa more than make up for the lack of action. And the birding is out of this world. I was quickly adding new ticks to my check-list with lesser jacana, lesser moorhen and African finfoot among the endemic species I spotted.

In addition to hosting and entertaining guests with some riveting fireside stories, Ralph is also something of an expert on the area, having worked in it as a guide and expedition leader for more than 20 years. He’s a fount of knowledge on the area’s biodiversity, political history and geographical composition. My guide, Peter Damson, a Zimbabwean from Kariba, was also extremely well-informed and knowledgeable.

So what about that history aspect? Most of us South Africans know the Caprivi as the place “ons manne” went to fight the Swapo gevaar. But the Caprivi is so much more than the 14-day war. It’s origins are long and complicated. Originally conceived by Germany in the late 1800s it was used as a political football between Britain and Germany. Control over it was gained through intense political bartering which also affected the history of neighbouring areas such as Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and Northern Rhodesia which is now Zambia. It occupies a strategic but very isolated position juxtaposed between Angola in the north, Zambia to the north-east and east, Botswana in the south and Zimbabwe in the south-east.

Lianshulu is heavily involved in community development in the area, most notably with the original creation of the Kwando thatching industry and the initial inception of Lizauli village where for a small fee of R25 guests can experience the culture and traditions of the local tribespeople, including a consultation with a dancing medicine man.
The area around Lianshulu is rich in natural history as well. The Mudumu is home to a broad range of species, from the Big Four (there are, sadly, no rhino in this part of the world) in season to impressive herds of impala and zebra.

I took the option of a nature walk with Peter, checking out the smaller and sometimes infinitely more interesting details of fauna and flora that only walking brings you into contact with.

I also had the opportunity to experience the intricacies of a cross-border transfer along the river, with guests coming in from Kwando Lagoon camp’s airstrip, an hour by boat upriver, going through the formalities of leaving Botswana and entering Namibia under a makeshift riverside immigration post run by the Botswana Defence Force. It all runs smoothly, in spite of being hundreds of kilometres away from the intricacies of “civilization” and goes a long way to making the Five Rivers Safari one of the best ways to visit several different countries on one trip.

On my second afternoon at Lianshulu I was beginning to get the feeling that the weather was following me. The heavens literally opened just as I was about to depart on a sunset river safari and put paid to any birdwatching ideas I may have had. It gave me the opportunity to spend more time in the excellent company of Ralph and Sharon and was a great illustration of how well Lianshulu copes with keeping guests happy when the weather says “izzit?”.

From Lianshulu it was a quick road trip down the trans-Caprivi highway and back into the dense bush to Susuwe Island Lodge.

Along with Impalila Island Lodge – my final destination on this marathon journey – Susuwe is part of Islands in Africa Safaris, a Bryanston-based company whose major shareholders are Mike and Sue Rothbletz. Islands in Africa, as its name suggests, specialises in small, exclusive lodges on river islands.

Located on Birre Island on a peaceful stretch of the Kwando known as Carmine corner, the lodge is surrounded by the Bwabwata National Park. It’s pristine wilderness which some may remember as the base of SADF activites in the Caprivi at Fort “Doppies”. Indeed, the remains of the camp can still be seen as you leave the park.

The contrast between its neighbours is stark. Encompassing vast flood plains and Kalahari woodlands, gone is the thick loam of Lianshulu, replaced by the distinctive white sand of the Kalahari basin whose dunes form the base for some of the elevated lookout points which made the area so important for the military.

Running the show at Susuwe is Bruce Lawson. Bruce is literally a legend of the Southern African bush, having walked from the Cape to Cairo and led overland birding safaris for many years. Birds are his speciality, which is no surprise when you learn that his dad is the Lawson of Lawson’s Birding Safaris. Time spent with Bruce on the activities at Susuwe is invaluable as you tap into his incredible wealth of knowledge and experience. During my stay I spotted the rare Arnot’s chat and some beautifully colourful violet-eared waxbills. Indeed, this is the area for rare avians, with pygmy geese also putting in several appearances.

Together with head guide-in-waiting Sean Braine, a Namibian whose home is Etosha, Bruce makes sure that a stay at Susuwe is an education in all that makes the place special.

It’s a small lodge, with six beautiful suites positioned to enjoy views over the Kwando to the flood plains. Built in a blend of wood, thatch and reed, each suite is spacious offering some of the best of life’s little luxuries such as hairdryers and private plunge pools overlooking the river. There’s something special about relaxing in a plunge pool, bloody mary in hand, and gazing into the wilds of Africa. Especially when blue waxbills and brown firefinches are pecking at a feeder full of millet not a metre away from you and swamp boubous are catching dragonflies in front of your very nose!

Meals are eaten communally at the main complex with its beautiful open lounge areas leading onto the riverine forest and river beyond. Elevated viewing platforms offer a chance to get up into the canopy of overhanging trees and afford some lovely views of the river and woodland beyond.

Speaking of meals, be warned – none of the camps on the Five Rivers Safari are geared towards those watching their weight! All of the food is outstanding with some fabulous dishes being washed down with no small amount of fine wine. If anything, there’s just too much of it. But there’s always time for siesta, if you can drag yourself away from the bush.

Elephants are no strangers to the area as Susuwe annually witnesses huge migrations of breeding herds, with often as many as 1000 animals observed at Horseshoe, an oxbow on the river a short drive from the lodge.

Susuwe is involved with the local Mayuni conservancy group in a joint venture partnership. This progressive approach to interaction between lodge guests and local tribal trusts has been of huge benefit to the community and to sustaining conservation in the area.

And so to the last outpost on this marathon trip – Impalila Island Lodge.

Another 50-minute flight with Profile Safaris took me almost back to Kasane, landing at Impalila’s airstrip from where transfer is made via a short drive and longer, and very impressive boat trip through the Kasai Channel which links the Chobe and Zambezi rivers.

Impalila Island Lodge is located in an unusual position on the borders of four neighbouring countries. At the very tip of the eastern Caprivi it is situated on Namibian soil, but across the Zambezi is Zambia, and next to it Zimbabwe and Botswana which borders the Chobe.

Built on the tip of Impalila island at a place called Kamavozu – the place of baobabs – the lodge overlooks a section of the Zambezi known as the Mambova Rapids.

Fitingly, a huge baobab dominates the entrance to the lodge. It’s one of three in the area, with the other at the rear of the main complex and a massive, 2000-year-old specimen a short nature walk away.

Owner manager Simon Parker runs Impalila with the help of his partner, Renee (accent over first e please) te Roller. Simon has been at Impalila since its inception, 9 years ago. He’s something of an expert on the area and has become a local hero to the island tribespeople, often helping them in times of need. As he points out, no lodge of this kind can function without the cooperation of the local residents and there is a huge responsibility attached to a venture of this kind. He regularly ferries the island police officers, who, curiously, do not have their own boat, and has on more than one occasion used his boats as ambulances for seriously injured local villagers, some the victims of crocodile attacks.

It’s a beautiful place and quite unique in its position so close to so many major international boundaries. And it’s very private, with the nearest major human structure Island in Africa’s new venture, Ntwala Island Lodge, still to be completed on a neighbouring island.

Eight en-suite chalets are positioned along the rapids, enveloped in dense rainforest with private decks positioned to best enjoy the swirling waters which pass almost beneath them. The sound of rushing water is everywhere and lulls you to sleep each night under the safety of your mosquito net in huge, king-sized beds.

The suites are cozy and comfortable, built in wood, thatch and reed with plump wingback chairs and ottomans the perfect place to sit and listen to the river and the sounds of this water-bound wonderland.

The majority of activities at Impalila revolve around water. Game viewing is done by boat back through the Kasai Channel to the Chobe National Park. It’s a wonderful journey into Africa and offers some great views of Chobe’s famed elephants and even big cats who target the wide river banks and the antelope they attract.

Guide Albert Muyoba has very sharp eyes and spotted some excellent things for me to photograph, including two of the biggest water monitors I have ever seen and a young bull elephant enjoying the best bath ever.

Then there’s fishing, and guide Haydn Willens who is ever-willing to share his passion for the piscine. A fly-fishing enthusiast, Durban-born Haydn, who is also a top competitive bream fisherman, taught this particular blonde the ins and outs of landing tiger fish – which the Zambezi is famed for.

He must be a good teacher because I soon posed for pics with my very first tiger, a mere tiddler at 1,5 kgs but nonetheless a fighter which took no small amount of wrestling to reel in. All fish are caught and released again, so there was no remorse at my newfound skill.

Like all of its colleagues on the Five Rivers Safari, Impalila is tip top when it comes to service. Especially when it comes to matters culinary with student chef Charl Kleu, who hails from Centurion near Pretoria, literally cooking up a storm. I wanted to bring him home with me but he wouldn’t fit in my bag. Sad, but then its an incentive to go back and visit Impalila again!

My journey home from Impalila was again indicative of the curious position of the island. By boat to the other side of the island where Namibia has a small border post. Checking out of Namibia it’s off by boat to Kasane and a riverside immigration office where you check in to Botswana. From there it’s a 20-minute journey by road to Kazungula where you check out of Botswana, nip across the river by boat or ferry and check into Zambia for the 40-minute road trip to Livingstone airport, where you finally check out of Zambia and onto the Nationwide flight home. Phew! It’s an interesting, if not exhausting series of ins and outs. Blink and you’ll miss an entire country.

My overall impression on finally coming to the end of my journey is that I have found some of the most wonderful places in Africa, and all of them literally on my doorstep. Our immediate neighbours are not so far away and more than worthy of a visit. Everyone I encountered on the way was friendly, and passionately patriotic. And they all want to see more of us. The Five Rivers Safari will certainly see to that.

This article has been edited for inclusion in the Moremi Safaris and Tours website.

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