September 4 was our last day in Botswana with a memorable camping at the end. September 5 we enter Zambia.
The day started early at Planet Baobab campsite, which hosts a lot of impressive baobabs all over the site, this really is my favorite tree!
We were the only campers in the bar/restaurant with mostly local guests and a family that slept in the house.
The drive to Kasangula is especially long and straight asphalt, where you can do a lot of kilometers, but pretty boring. The signs promise “wild life” and the parking lots, which are real, are well appointed, with bins and rubbish on the ground ..
But if you watch closely…
We saw no animals except for a lone elephant chilling in the shade of a tree.
At the end of the afternoon we decided to camp in Senyati Safari Camp. We arrived there at 15:00 and spent our last Botswana pula at the campsite. When we just put up the tent, I see a herd of elephants coming along the southern boundary of the site, they walk to the waterhole.
From the terrace of the restaurant and the shelter near the waterhole, we can observe the animals well and make these pictures.
We eat at the tent and go to sleeping early, i.e. when the “big light” almost goes down, Sonja spots some more animals including hyenas at the waterhole and yet another herd of elephants.
Zazoo is also there…
Meanwhile, I try to fix my standard lens (which unfortunately does not work;-)).
The border crossing to Zambia is an experience. First we have to cross by ferry to Zambia, after we checked out at the Botswana customs.
On the ferry we are already met by a fixer who can take care of the clearing of the car and other paperwork. We must go from counter to office and desk to arrange all kinds of papers. The stamping passports (visa we already have), pay carbon tax on the car insurance and some other obscure things. Including the ferry ($ 30) and the fixer the cost is $ 200, if you say it fast it is not that bad …
The road from the ferry again is true African asphalt, potholes and unpaved portions. Fortunately, that is only a few kilometers, then we are on the main road to Livingstone. What I have to get used to is that the upper layer of the road is laid up to the yellow outside lines. Outside those, also asphalt, but that is a few centimeters lower, so be careful when driving outside these lines.
Towards Livingstone we already notice many forest / bush have been burned, I a connection to the charcoal that is sold by the side of the road. Maybe I’ll get back to this subject, but throughout Zambia many forest / bush fire appear, said to be a kind of natural thinning.
Livingstone is a small town with one traffic light, there is also a shopping center where we buy a phone card, even lunch with samosas and get our groceries at the Shoprite.
The site we have selected is Maramba River Lodge, a beautiful lodge in a tributary of the Zambezi where we are the only campers (for kwatcha 190 per night, approx. € 18) and can enjoy the luxurious facilities. Upon arrival, we immediately see a herd of elephants in the river, really beautiful. After we set up the tent we go back and enjoy a beer on the terrace by the water, the elephants appear on the river bank eating branches and palm fruits. Later we see them from our campsite again across the river.
When we are in bed at night, we are awakened by a hippo grazing near our tent, it is a large animal, we can nicely observe him from our roof tent.