ZIMBABWE SOJOURN May/June 2009. For a long time we have wanted to journey through Zimbabwe’s parks in a way which had not been done in a long time. We managed to put together a small party of adventurers and we decided to venture into territories that very few people have been to in recent years. The other exciting part was this was the jubilee Highlights of Zimbabwe Sojourn. We started the journey in Botswana making sure we had enough supplies to last the better part of our 20 day adventure. We then started our adventure in the Sinamatela area of Hwange National Park staying and Masuma Dam. As we finalised our check in procedures at the Parks office we could see a herd of about 300 buffalo drinking on the Sinamatela River surrounded by the roar of two male lions. They seemed to be on a collision course but unfortunately we could not wait to witness the interaction. Getting to our campsite in slight darkness we could not wait to wake up to the views that this area had to offer. The night was characterised by the rumble of elephants coming to drink at the waterhole below our campsite herd after herd. Kudu, Impala and elephants were constantly present during the day and the afternoon was busy at the waterhole. Shumba Pan and Mandavu are all characterised by beautiful sceneries. After our time in the North West of Hwange we headed of South East staying at Ngweshla Campsite, one of my favourite spots to see the sunrise. I have always wanted to see what the pump attendant at Ngweshla sees when he wakes up every morning. From Ngweshla we headed onto Bulawayo where the ladies went and did some shopping for arts and crafts and looking at the gallery and the boys went rhino tracking in Matopos National Park. Just a 45 minute drive from Bulawayo we were in the park at sunrise and 5 minutes into the park we encountered our first rhinos. An old cow with a +/- 6 month old calf. Like every rhino with a calf does when approached on foot they took to some cover. We then followed them and managed to get a sighting and the thrill of walking up to a rhino. With the constant pressure to bring photographs back home we left in search for more rhinos. Another hour of driving surrounded by the rocky outcrops that characterise Matopos before we crossed some tracks of yet another female with a calf. We decided to follow these tracks and were fortunate enough to locate them in some rather tall grass. We again did not manage to capture the moments but this time we decided to sling the cameras and just enjoy the moment. It was very good to see that the rhino population in Matopos is still intact as we saw a lot of different tracks. Klipspringer, zebra, impala and various birds the list of wildlife seen. A light lunch at Mpopoma Dam before we went back to Bulawayo and finalised preparation for the next part of our sojourn. We were on our way to Mana Pools National Park via Harare. Part of the reason for this stopover was to enjoy the arts that the capital of Zimbabwe has to offer and our European friends wanted to see for themselves what the situation was in the capital. Fuel at 90% of the service stations, all shelves in the supermarkets stocked and a very positive vibe amongst the people was what we witnessed. They admitted they would not fear travelling in Zimbabwe even on their own. We then took the drive through the productive farming areas of Banket, Chinhoyi, and Karoi and finally descended into the Zambezi Valley after Makuti. The change in altitude brought with it a change in atmosphere and the further we drove on the valley floor the more I had memories of Mana Pools. Spending 6 days in Mana Pools was the part that I was struggling to be patient for and could not wait to share this with our friends and family. Evening arrival at our campsite which made the experience of waking up to the magnificent view of the river Zambezi River at Mcheni a real highlight but only for the first few hours of the day, the sight of an old elephant bull going on his hind legs to reach the branches and pods of the Acacia trees was the next. During our stay in Mana Pools we managed to witness this a few times and this was the earliest time of the year I had witnessed this behaviour. It is usually seen in late August through to November. An attempt to follow a hunting pack of wild dogs on foot was the most challenging moment of our stay in Mana Pools. Large herds of eland, impala, kudu, waterbuck, pods of hippo and lion were all characteristic of the floodplain but this was to change when we went to Chitake (60kilometeres inland of Mana Pools). Chitake springs are the only water inland of Mana Pools hence attracting a host of wildlife species coming to quench their thirst. Even though it was a little early in the season for this area we saw evidence of wildlife movement ranging from large herds of buffalo, elephants to the elusive leopard. The Chitake lion pride’s home range is reduced to the springs in the dry months where they take advantage of the sheer numbers of thirsty prey. Back up onto the escarpment again only to descend again towards Kariba town. A stop meant to break our journey, resupply the equipment and being the town where I was bred, introduce the party to my family. Again fuel at the service station and all we needed was available in the shops. We then ventured onto the most adventurous drive of the safari, the drive to Matusadonha and Chizarira via the back roads of Lake Kariba. Beautiful hillside sceneries, drying riverbeds and the feeling of solitude made this drive a particularly memorable one. With our 2 vehicles and very big trailer we journeyed through villages and backcountry wilderness areas. Sooner than later the sun seemed to set earlier than expected as we were nowhere close to destination. This did not stop us. Our aim was to reach the Parks Entry point at Vulanduli which was now less than 40 kilometres away. The average speed dropped as we got closer to target and our hopes were eventually dampened when we reached a point after a very rough patch where there was a gulley in the road from the last rains which evidently had their toll. The Park Warden had warned us about these roads and advised they were in the process of fixing them but we were determined to conquer. At this gulley we had a debate/small election. Two options 1. Turn back and head on to Chizarira (leave Matusadonha for next time) 2. Head on regardless and possibly leave our massive brand new trailer in the park for an unknown period of time after a serious breakdown. We agreed to camp that side and finalise the next morning. Tents up and a small fire before retiring after a long day. Early the next morning we walked down the road (2 kilometres) to evaluate if it got any better and help with our decision to carry on to the shoreline. We then agreed on option 1, to leave Matusadonha for another time and carry on to Chizarira. As we were packing up we had some unexpected visitors. Some parks rangers had been on anti-poaching patrol in the area and followed our tracks. It was very good to see that there was an active Parks Department presence in all the parks still motivated to protect the wildlife through some very challenging times. After sharing a little breakfast we parted and they carried on with their patrol. We decided to take the game drive vehicle without the trailer just for a drive and realised that was it not for the big trailer and the loss of light we would have made it into the park fine, just slowly. Matusadonha shoreline, next time... Another few hours of driving through villages, stopping from time to time to interact with the local communities had us at Chizarira Lodge where we stayed on a self catering basis. Our main goal here was to look at the cultural experience that this area has to offer. The Batonga tribe who have lived in this area have a rich culture and great humble personalities and sharing time with them is always a touching experience. Two days ahead of our schedule (because of the Matusadonha omission) we were in Chizarira on a weekend and unfortunately did not see as many kids at the school as planned. With a few days remaining we decided to round the trip off in the Chobe area where we did mostly water activities and a lot of bird photography. Malachite kingfishers and white fronted bee-eaters were amongst the birds providing the challenge. The camping trip through Zimbabwe finished off with a few days on the Chobe River was an exceptional experience and one that we hope to share with guests looking for a unique safari of a bygone era. For the camping we used exclusive sites in the different parks staying in large dome tents and with the luxury of a back up team. Walking, boating, and sitting in hides and game drives were the different activities involved. Please click here to find out more about Tented Adventures in Zimbabwe.                                     humphreygumpo.com - 2008