Its all about the Journey

'On the road again'....Willy Nelson sends us off and we head out towards Kroonstad via Lindley and Steynsrus on the R76. The early drive is lovely with farm dams full and rivers flowing from the late season downpour but we battle potholes on our failing secondary roads

Hartbeesfontein - sunflower country, beautiful fields of gold. Our route takes us via Klerksdorp, Lichtenburg, Zeerust and into Botswana through Labotse

Our first nights b&b is Phokoje, 17km from Gaboron. A stunning guest house in the bush, trees alive with birdsong, a cool pool calling, its great to arrive early and enjoy the amenities

I do a recce of the farm and find bee hives. Yay, I hope I can buy a jar, mine was left at home

Ann, the owner, is a potter and crafter and many quirky, arty items litter the b&b and grounds

Supper can be ordered when booking the b&b (breakfast is included in the rate). We took advantage and enjoy a sumptuous roast chicken, stuffing, roasted veg and potatoes and a malva pudding, all for R100 pp

Once through Gaborone (wow its grown!) and past a cycle race, we see vultures gliding and circling. Soon we spot the reason ...

There were 3 road kills (presumably) before Francistown. Its amazing to see so many vultures (I pray the carcasses have not been poisoned!)

Woodlands is a well-known stopover and we are happy to be visiting it again

After a swim we take beers (does stoney's count?) to the deck overlooking a dry riverbed and soon like-minded overlanders join us and we chat about our travels, gleaning tips and info

Our cottage from the deck, well spread out among lawns and braai areas

A little walk to stretch the legs down at the dry riverbed

We leave Woodlands before sunrise to pop into Elephant Sands which is 55km north of Nata, for breakfast. Road surface to Nata taking a pounding but is being repaired

The road up to Kasane is great and loads of game can be spotted along the way

A slight glitch to our Kasane accommodation and a change of plans. The Travel Lodge had space for us and we quickly settled in for a 2 night stay

Thirsty work this overlanding

Our room, not self catering unfortunately but they accommodate us with our fridges

A river safari is a must for anyone visiting the area, even if you're only over-nighting. It is so worthwhile!

This little guy was elated at arriving at the river

Brotherly love

2 skinny lions find a massive meal

The Indian restaurant opposite the Spar is still going strong. The mozzies are too

We opt to cross to Zambia via Kazangula. Other options are via Ngoma into Namibia and then Zambia or via Zimbabwe but both roads to Livingstone are apparently in bad state of repair

We arrive early and are the first vehicle on the ferry.

Before the ferry docks on the Zambian shore, people jump onto the ferry and badger the traveller and locals alike to 'help' you through customs. If you decide to 'employ' a helper, settle on a fee first. We did and the result, out within an hour

Somewhere downstream the corner of 4 countries

The completion of this bridge will speed up entry and exit substantially

Unexpectedly early in Livingstone. Breakfast before finding our b&b

Gloria's b&b in Falls View. A lovely garden setting

A silly selfie - above the falls

The smoke is thundering on this visit

Vic Falls never ceases to amaze and astound

We were not going to buy macs but after seeing drenched humans emerge from the mist, we change our minds

No photos are possible after this point

A long days travel up to Lusaka today. Toll plaza's are being built on the T1 to Mazabuka and beyond. A plaza is operating after Choma (travellers pay for the tolls at the border crossing and the operator asks for our paperwork which gets stamped at each plaza). Hopefully by our next visit, the roads will be repaired. Turning onto the T2, we are stopped for going 94 in an apparent 80 zone. John asks for a warning and we are let off. Lusaka is hectically busy and it takes an hour to get through the traffic and find our lodge

Palmwood Lodge. An oasis in the urban sprawl. Stunning gardens, a lovely pool, comfortable and spacious rooms, a good restaurant on site and super location near the Great East Road to Malawi

I have to show off some of the beautiful flowers from the gardens

Chef's special, vegetable lasagna, absolutely delicious (ok, I know that's a T-bone, the back plate is mine!)

Sunrise on the Great East Road, we're 701kms from South Luangwa

The first 100kms are slow, road surface not great but it improves and we head into the mountains of the Lower Zambezi National Park

Zambian national speed limit is 100kmph between towns and villages (not many signs though). Traffic officers sit in the 'confusion zone' and can take advantage

Our first glimpse of the Luangwa river

Only 1 vehicle allowed across the old bridge at a time. A new one is being built somewhere downstream

We leave Chipata expecting a sand road to the park, so pleasantly surprised, tar all the way with a bad patch of a few kms only

Track and Trail camp is just a few minutes drive from the park. They have lovely riverfront rooms with full board, a tented camp as well as the overland camp

A raised pool overlooking the river, shaded by enormous sausage trees, is conducive to cooling down and resting after a hot day in the park

A hide is being upgraded on the grounds

Baboons can be a nuisance.. All food must be locked away

Elephant are regular visitors in camp

Memorable moments in Luangwa

We spend 8 days at Luangwa. Most tourists are here for only a couple or 4 days. Its such a long way to get here by car, make the most of it!

A Zambian taxi and traditional village

Maize harvested and stored in these huge woven 'silos'

In Indian culture a huge fig is known as a 'peepal' tree, somewhere to meet, cool down or rest. Is the Baobab our equivalent?

Trees are cut down, burned for charcoal and sold as a means to make a living

A small industry on the banks of the Luangwa

The Baobab - Africa's tree of life. Its fruit are rich in vitamins and minerals, can help with weight loss, balance blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation to name a few

Over every hill is a stunning vista and I remark how 3 putfoot rally competitors did this route, from South Africa, through Namibia, Caprivi region, through Zambia to Malawi, into Mozambique and back to SA, on SCOOTERS for peet sake!

Young entrepreneurs are filling in potholes with sand and flag motorists down to ask for payment

Bananas can be bought along the route and are the sweetest I've eaten

We overnight at the Palm Lodge in Lusaka again, on route to Kafue National park

Our shortest travel day to Kafue, but we are forced to travel at 80 as there are no 100km signs. At least the road surface is good

Kasabushi camp and Kafue has been featured in a previous blog. After a glorious 7 days in the park, we make our way east to Mongu and the Zambezi. Sadly once out of the park the road disintegrates to a corrugated and potholed mess

Ok! so maybe sometime in the future the M9 will be whole again

Near Mongu, deforestation, maybe clearing for farming?

Another small industry, thatching for sale

The women always hard at work

We look for a lodge in Mongu and I have a small meltdown, tired, at the road conditions, after a short drive though, we find the Leseli

All the lodge's income goes to a Children's carity

After unpacking, we find both fridge and freezer aren't working, too much bad road! Luckily I'm married to McGyver who fixes them promptly (but loses his phone in the process and Mrs McGyver has to find it)

The cottage doors tell the story of our Zambian trip

More beautiful flowers, and for dinner, the best meal, Quail with rice and veg

When we visited this area a few years back, a road and many bridges where being constructed over the Barotse Floodplains linking Kalabo to Mongu. We wanted to see the end result before stocking up at the Choppies and heading south to Kavumbu

This spectacular bridge was designed for the Royal Barge or Nalikwanda to pass beneath it

The Lozis celebrate the Kuomboka ceremony at the end of the rainy season and the king moves from his residence at Lealui (which floods annually) to Limulunga

The Kuomboka is the most popular tradition ceremony in Zambia and the journey is a spectacle to watch

The main channel of the Zambezi

From Mongu, the M10 is a relatively new road and a bridge below the Sioma Ngonye Falls is also complete (previously you would need to cross to Sioma town via a ferry).

A short stop here is well worth your while, to visit the enchanting Ngonye Falls. After a lovely 5 day fishing expedition cum relaxation and rejuvenation, we cross into and out off Namibia via the Caprivi Region

A Namibian village looks different to their Zambian counterparts, more organized I thought, neater, cleaner

Crossing the Chobe and back into Botswana via Ngoma

Ah, its good to be back in Botswana, wildlife all around, you have to be aware and on the lookout as you drive the stretch from Kasane to Nata

Elephant Sands lodge for the night. An extraordinary experience

From Serule, we make our way to the Tuli Block via Selebi Pekwi, roads are great!

Thuli Dam is looking a little low

The Tuli Block spine road is heavily corrugated, indication of a drought. We head towards the Limpopo River and our cabin at Molema Camp

The cabin is comfy and roomy. The bathroom needs some upgrade though

Not a drop of water in the Limpopo

A viewing deck and lounging area

A shy bushbuck makes an appearance and I'm off after it like a longdog

A fully equipped kitchen conveniently situated near the 3 huts

This massive Mashatu tree is reputed to be 1000 years old

Home to squirrels and birds and all sorts of critters

A bearded woodpecker, another tick off my endless list

Impala become browsers in a drought

We cross back into South Africa at Platjan and see why there was no water downstream. It has been dammed up to build a bridge across the 2 countries

A long story short, Our accommodation with Limpokwena was cancelled while we were travelling, a film crew was not finished with a project, so we were routed to the sister reserve, Zingela in the limpopo province

Not quite the bush experience we wanted but it is a lovely setting amongst baobabs, flowers, the pool...

Another disappointment, we are unable to go on game drives in the main reserve as they started carrying out game capture this week

So while John gets stuck into his book, I track down some objects of beauty

Wooden decking links the 3 lodges to the pool area

LBJ, unidentifiable little brown job

Precious crested barbet

Tree aloe blooms, loved by sunbirds

Female black sunbird

John asked for some firewood for our braai, LOL, a bonfire more likely!

I go for a bush walk and startle a crested francolin into the branches

Jack and cat come out to play after sunset

I didn't get to see the chest of this male so cannot conclusively identify it

Our last bush sunset. We are being taken on a night drive tonight and I'm hopping in anticipation. We've mellowed and enjoyed some really quiet time here recharging batteries but its time to get back to the real world. Where will the road take us next? I read the Komati River has tiger fish.....

#nature #Gamereserve