From Zimbabwe’s Kariba Dam to Mana Pools by canoe

Once a month for the next few months, you’ll hear from some of the vibrant women who make up the Leopard team, about their favourite holiday experiences in Africa. I hope that you’ll get to know the team a bit better through these personal accounts and also appreciate their passion for Africa and its diversity. Each Leopardess has her own special interests and we draw on each of these in order to help plan absolutely detailed and tailor-made trips to Africa for our clients.
– Diana

Here’s Helen’s account:
Africa is such a magnificent continent and it has so much to offer, that when Diana asked me to write about my favourite African destination, it was quite difficult. After running through all the incredible experiences I’ve had in Africa and beautiful places that I’ve visited, I’ve settled on a destination situated at the roof of Zimbabwe: The Zambezi River and Mana Pools National Park. My father was the head of research at the Kariba Fisheries Institute and he embodied a profound and genuine love for nature, which he instilled into his daughters. His work gave us the opportunity to visit places that were not for the faint hearted.

In November 1981, our farewell gift, before we left Zimbabwe for South Africa, was to join a group of young survival students accompanied by a Selous Scout, on a canoe trip down the Zambezi River from the Kariba Dam wall to Mana Pools. (The Selous Scouts was a unit of the Rhodesian Army that operated during the Rhodesian Bush War from 1973 until 1980 when the country was reconstituted as Zimbabwe.)

Dad had arranged for a tin boat with an outboard motor to assist the canoeists. We started our trip by following a footpath that led down the steep gorge from Kariba to the Zambezi River that had been carved out by elephants over many years. Although it was morning, it was already hot. I was not concerned about the heat, I was filled with nervous anticipation as we were completely immersed in the wild.

The nights were spent in the open on the sandy bank of the Zambezi River. I lay in my sleeping bag on the first night, looking up and I was awestruck at the vastness of the African sky. The stars shimmering in the deep black were dancing to the song of the bush, to the rustle of the wind in the trees, to the water lapping on the shore, to the crickets chirping, to a distant hoot of an owl and even to the buzz of mosquitoes.

As we made our way down the great Zambezi River the following day, we began counting the crocodiles and hippos. The banks were alive with animals. On arrival in Mana Pools, we disembarked and set up camp on the riverbank. I remember thinking, “Wow!”! This is what the Garden of Eden must have looked like. The bush was teaming with animals, from a little dung beetle rolling his dung ball to the majestic, wrinkly, grey, giants, the elephants. The vegetation was pristine, and the only pathways were those made by the animals. Not many humans had passed through there due to the bush war.

Our group of students was encouraged to forage for food on the land as this was part of the group’s survival training. We set off to scour the land for our dinner. We walked over the ridge formed by the riverbank and froze in our tracks. There were two round ears above the grass line. We spotted another pair and another. The Selous scout checked the direction of the wind and quickly got his gun ready. Crouching lower he gestured with his hands for us to be very quiet and retreat to the riverbank. We had stumbled upon a pride of lions. They are such magnificent, powerful beasts and command respect. We needed to get out of their territory as we didn’t want to be their dinner!

That night we all slept lightly. I thought I would be clever and place my sleeping bag near the campfire. I withdrew very fast as I heard and saw a few scorpions scuttling towards me. The heat of the fire had disturbed them and with their stings curled above their heads, they were hot footing it to my sleeping bag. My choice was lions or scorpions. I decided on neither and chose Dad!

While wild camping and travelling down the mighty Zambezi by canoe is not everyone’s idea of fun, I highly recommend visiting the floodplains of Mana pools. It is a tranquil sanctuary that offers an exquisite blend of adventure and relaxation. It’s a place where you can fully immerse yourself in nature and leave the troubles of the world behind.

Today you have the option of staying in comfort, in one of the lodges, while still being able to immerse yourself in the wonderful wild of Mana Pools. Another benefit is that you won’t have to hunt for your food or fend off hungry predators. The lodges offer a luxurious experience where you can enjoy the sites and experiences of the wild in safety. – Helen du Toit (Leopard’s Finance and Operations Manager)

Happy travels,
The Leopard Team

P.S. If you’d like to experience the wonder of Mana Pools, reply to this email. We’d love to help you plan your next African getaway.