There was no rush to leave Lilongwe. I would be staying at Mamarula B&B, not far from the border town of Chipata. Again a favoured meeting point for overlanders, and a journey of about 150 kilometers. The unknown factor when crossing borders is the time it is going to take with all the administration on both sides, but no problem in this case. Checkout from Malawi took about 15 minutes, and I was through the Zambian customs procedure in about 30 minutes.

I stopped in Chipata to refuel, and spotted a Panarotti Pizza restaurant. Simply couldn’t resist it, and ordered a Hawaiian pizza, a fruit juice, aaaaaand an ice cream. Almost 2 months starvation from Western food, reared it’s ugly head. It all tasted heavenly! 

Mamarula is situated a short 15 minute drive outside Chipata. I checked in with Beat, the wife of Ben and owners of Mamarula. An industrious couple, originally from Zimbabwe - now turned Zambians. Apart from the B&B they also raise free range chicken, bottle and distribute their own brand of still mineral water, called H2O Mamarula, and produce and sell ice cubes. They are also reputed to serve the best steaks in Zambia, in their restaurant - an opportunity I had to miss due to a late afternoon Panarottis pizza! The rooms at Mamarula are really lovely, with a lot of different types of wood used for the interior, and I could easily have stayed another night.

Beat, who is also clued up on safari trips and other tours in the area, told me not to miss a visit to South Luangwa Nature Reserve, about 130 kilometers from Mamarula, and stay at Croc Valley Lodge. I would be able to camp there at a very reasonable cost, she told me.

The next morning, after a fantastic breakfast, I headed northwest towards Luangwa, and about two hours later I could drive into the grounds of Croc Valley Lodge. What a beautiful place, situated right on the Luangwa river, amongst trees and nice green lawns. Add a sparkling blue swimming pool and a big cozy bar and restaurant area, and there wasn’t much to think about. They could offer me a campsite for $ 14,00 or one of their eco-tents - not quite sure where the eco part fits in - for $ 20,00. I booked the eco-option for two nights.

My accommodation consisted of a large safari tent (see pic) with two single beds, linen and towels. There were about 9 tents in a circle around a central barbecue area. Really a brilliant solution - you have a comfortable bed to sleep in, close to nature, with just a thin canvas and mosquito net between you and the outside world. And surprisingly “private” despite the many tents so close together. Each tent has a thatched roof erected above it, to protect it from the weather and baboons jumping around on the roof, I guess! When I got out of my tent on the first morning at Croc Valley, a Dutch couple close to my tent asked if I had heard any noise in the night. No, I said, not apart from hearing the night watchman once or twice. Well, he continued, at about 22.30 we heard some noise and looked out, to see a large hippo on the side of your tent. It stayed a little while and then left. I was obviously really sad to have missed this opportunity of a very close encounter with a hippo. Animals are creatures of habit, and I wondered if it might repeat the performance the next evening. I had decided to stay awake on the off chance that it would turn up. Around 22.30 I heard a rustling in the leaves outside my tent, and could sense something moving up to my mosquito net window, where it stopped, turned it’s head slightly towards me, and then backtracked away from the tent. I heard noise from the rear of the tent for a little while, when a guard doing his rounds turned up with his flashlight and the hippo scrambled away. - in the morning it was my turn to ask the Dutch couple if they had heard anything. Nope, they both said.

Days at a place like Croc Valley pass far too quickly. Lazing at the pool, high speed internet, banana pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast and a pot of properly made coffee with a plunger, for lunch a toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwich from the restaurant, made to perfection. An hour or two in the hammock right next to the river, watching birds of pray in the sky, 8-10 elefants pulling at branches and leaves for food, 25-30 hippos wallowing in the river, surfacing from time to time, making their presence known with grunts and splashing. Monkeys playing in the trees around the hammock. The odd impala tentatively looking on from a safe distance. Dinner I will leave to your imagination, but it will most certainly include a Mosi - Zambia’s very own brand of beer. You get the picture - a trans Africa trip can be exhausting. Now compare this to a sandy beach on Zanzibar, doing your best to keep all the hustlers away. I know where I would rather be!

Croc Valley also offered morning and evening drives into the reserve. There are reported to be many leopard sightings in South Luangwa Reserve - so many that the park has made a statement saying : if you don’t see a leopard in our park, you have to be blind on both eyes! I spoke to the Dutch couple who took an evening safari into the park, and they had seen more than one leopard.

My next stretch of road wasn’t going to be one of the most exciting of my trip. I would have to travel from South Luangwa back to Chipata, and south along the T4 to Lusaka and further down to Livingstone. A trip of almost 1.300 kilometers. I had in mind to do it over 3 days in sections of 400-500 kilometers. Being on a long trip like this, I rarely know what day of the week it is. This beautiful, sunny morning, I quickly realized it could only be a Sunday. About 95% of the Zambian population is Christian, and you see churches everywhere. People walking along the road, or a complete family on one bicycle, bibles in hand on their way to church. The women and girls in colorful dresses, many of the men and boys in jacket and tie. Nobody looks more attractive in colorful clothing, than the African race. I really felt privileged driving my motorcycle along these peaceful roads this morning - Sundays are special.

Not too far from Chipata there is a 250 kilometer stretch of road made with EU funds, as proudly announced on a number of signboards along the road. I would call it the closest you will get to an African “autobahn”. Immaculate blacktop, made to European standards with proper drainage, road markings, and signage. The BMW made short work of this stretch, and I realized that 550 km for the day was within reach, meaning that I would have a fighting chance of reaching Livingstone already the following day. The problem with this section is to find a place to sleep. Around five in the afternoon I “asked” my Garmin for a suggestion, and it came up with a suggestion that said : new lodge under completion. It was about 5 km down a side road, and I decided to give it a shot. Getting to the arrival point there was absolutely nothing. I continued a bit further down the road and looked on the opposite side. Suddenly I spotted a couple of tractors and diggers through the bush and some unfinished buildings. No reception. A TV was turned on somewhere with English soccer being shown. I decided to turn around and left the place, but back on the road I thought - it’s late, and there are no other options within miles. Let me be a bit more insistent this time! I went into the room where the TV was going. It turned out to be a bar, with a number of people watching premier league soccer and having a drink. A lady behind the bar confirmed that they had rooms available, and showed me a very nice room at a reasonable price, which I took. I asked her whether the place had a name, since there were no signs whatsoever. Yes, she said, Ostrich Lodge. The building with my room looked like being 10 years old as did the other 8-9 buildings, and the campground in the place. There was a fenced in area with several zebras and ostriches, as well as free roaming impala and peacocks. I watched some soccer with the guys in the bar. Went to bed early, and had a peaceful night’s sleep, ready for the remaining 700 km haul to Livingstone. The peacocks made sure I got an early start, with their pathetic morning call!