Africa’s wildest safari spot
Sarah Marshall goes off the beaten track in Zambia
Few people would happily reside next door to lions. But in Zambia’s Liuwa Plain National Park, where communities still live inside the protected wildlife area, Africa’s biggest cats are welcome to come and go as they please.
The unusual tolerance is down to the legendary Lady Liuwa, a resilient female who survived years of devastating poaching and trophy hunting to become the only lion in the park. Alone, she would seek company by sleeping close to human settlements. Her regular visits to the burial site of Mambeti, daughter to the Lozi king’s spiritual adviser, even led elders to believe the lion was a reincarnation of the young woman.
Although Lady Liuwa died of natural causes in 2017 without ever producing any offspring (‘She was a human, so how could she?’ communities insist), her legacy continues.
Bon Jovi, a handsome six-yearold male with a rockstar mane, is the product of a successful reintroduction programme launched by NGO African Parks in 2009. Watching him stride confidently through golden blades of thatch grass, his strawberry blond locks shimmering in the late afternoon sun, I’m in no doubt he dominates this vast land. Part of Zambia’s little explored Western Province, on the border with Angola, Liuwa Plain sprawls for 3,660 sq km across endless grasslands flooded for part of the year. Every day, the sun rises above uninterrupted horizons. When it sets, it’s easy to believe you’re standing at the edge of the world. Magical and mysterious, it’s a region steeped in folklore and tradition, where stories and legends help communities make sense of daily life.
In the early 19th century, the King of Barotseland, Lubosi Lewanika, decreed his people would be custodians of the park and its wildlife. Settled in specific areas to avoid any competition with animals for resources, 10,000
Lozi people still live in the park. Each family is designated a spot for fishing – further proof Liuwa is a model for sustainable living in the bush. When I visit in early June, the current King has already shifted his palace to higher land, as
the Zambezi River floods into the Barotse floodplains now the rainy season has come to an end.
The Kuomboka, a grand ceremony held every April, when Lozi people paddle their sovereign to his seasonal home, is referenced in the communal area of Time+Tide’s King Lewanika camp – the only fivestar accommodation in the park, open from October to July.
A replica of the King’s black and white vessel hangs from the ceiling of a thatched communal area, set in
a small woodland of Mbula plums. Local touches continue with lampshades fashioned from women’s fishing baskets, while a silimba – a traditional Lozi xylophone-style instrument with gourds dangling from wooden slats – provides musical entertainment during my evenings in camp.
Big distances coupled with sandy terrain make it impossible to do anything here in a hurry. Not that I’m in any rush. With few distinguishing features, it’s easy to become disorientated. The only landmark is an isolated cluster of palms marking the centre of the park, where – according to
Lozi culture – the king planted his walking stick on the same spot. Around me, plains are covered in a carpet of pink and yellow flowers, while beds of wild mint give off a sweet and cleansing scent. Sunken below the surface, dwarf forests reveal only their canopy, and snouted termite mounds resemble stubby stacks of volcanic rock.
In a shallow lagoon, I watch great white pelicans fish in unison, plunging headfirst and ruffling their tailfeathers skyward, like a troupe of rara-skirted dancers at the Folies Bergère.
Without any shade, wildebeest dig hollows in the sand to keep cool. In October, 36,000 will arrive to calve as part of Africa’s second biggest migration. But for now, most of them are in the north of the park.
How to plan your trip
Abercrombiekent.co.uk offers a three-night trip to King Lewanika in Zambia from £6,995pp based on two people sharing. Includes flights, transfers and accommodation on a full board basis, including all safari fees.