Liuwa Plains Self Drive Trips Nov & Dec 2014

[KaingU Lodge]

I make no attempt to match Safarichick's amazing report, or indeed some of the masterpieces on here. Just a few thoughts on a couple of trips to Liuwa late last year followed with pictures.

A 4x4 'grail destination' as well as a venue for serious wildlife watchers on mobile safaris and fly in packages. Liuwa has a certain mystique there is no doubt. Remote and difficult to get to and inaccessible for a good part of the year. It is not a quick jaunt to the Kruger that is for sure. Jointly managed by Africa Parks and Zambia Wildlife Authority it has featured in many high profile documentaries and the re-introduction of various species has all led to the profile of Liuwa rising. The parks most famous resident though is 'Lady Liuwa' or 'The Last Lioness'.

There are not many ways to see this rather special park. You can self drive in and camp (which for us is the best way to see it as it is a day's drive from our lodge and we love overland 4x4 travel – so much so that we lived in a rooftent for 9 months a few years back . You can do a mobile safari with someone like Bundu (who Sangeeta and SafariChick used in a recent trip report if I am not mistaken). Robin Pope Safaris did fly ins up until the later part of this year, they are back on the agenda for next year I believe, and meanwhile Time & Tide (Norman Carr) are supposed to be building a lodge there. Now a fair number of our guests over the last few seasons have done the RPS fly-in and had amazing experiences. But for me part of the experience is getting there – driving over the Zambezi floodplain and all that. To arrive by plane to me would take away part of the feel of remoteness. Self-drive and Liuwa go together well. While a bit of 4x4 knowhow is needed it is mainly just deflating tyres and a bit of skill in sand. Nothing that anyone cannot learn in about half an hour.

It is a corner of Africa that shouldn't be too sanitised I feel. Local knowledge is always key, and for sure being guided will increase your chances of Hyena dens, seeing the lions... or even dogs. I would love to see dogs hunting there, but I am equally happy with getting a decent shot of a Secretary Bird in flight or spending half an hour at a water pool trying to ID a wader that we haven't seen before or get out a tripod and play with taking pictures of the landscapes. Last year we did see Lady Liuwa, to be honest it was only thanks to running into Egil from ZCP and him getting on the radio and getting a GPS point from Robin, even then it took 45mins hunting around. Great to see her finally. But to be honest if the trip was only about showing our friends predators then we would have stayed in the Kafue and missioned up to Busanga.

We tend to try and do a trip there every year in November which is often considered the optimum time to go there as the Wildebeest as gathering in their numbers. But we don't go there just for the Wildebeest, nor for the lions. What we go for is the whole spectacular start-of-the-rains ambience and views. The greenery and the clouds, the birds and the waterholes. To be honest we would go there simply for the land and skyscapes as well as the birdlife.

Anyway, this year we were lucky enough to go there twice. We had friends come to Kaingu in the middle of November and then in early December my parents were coming. Both parties were very, very keen to see Liuwa, particularly my parents as a previous attempt had been thwarted by vehicle problems. Anyway I decided to try and push for at least the first trip being done in one of our open game viewing vehicles. I reckoned (very optimistically) that the disadvantages of the occasional soaking would be outweighed by the freedom and views from an open vehicle once in Liuwa. So we removed the middle row of seats to load up the fridge and all the camping gear. We were also viewing the trip as a possible recce for doing a Kaingu-Liuwa mobile safari type package next year – after all in November we are usually fairly quiet and so can spare a vehicle, guide, chef etc.

For those that don't know, bookings must be usually made. Charity (Africa Parks) does a great job and at this time of year I would not advise going there unless you really do have a booking. So, to the November trip:

Off we set. Left Kaingu car park (west bank of the river, Kafue National Park) at about 08:00. Now the road from TBZ just west of the Kafue NP onto just west of Kaoma is a bit of a shocker... heavily potholed and no sign of any works being done at all – and it was been like this for several years now: derelict road contractor camps and no sign of anything happening. From Kaoma onto Mongu is great tar and a really beautiful scenic drive. Massive open dambos and pans and at the start of the rain season it looks all amazing. The only thing I hadn't really considered was the fact that the game viewer with the canopy on is less than slow. Taking the canvas off was not really an option so we just bashed on an let the 'mighty' grunt of the 2.5 D4d power us along at about 80km/hr.... To be honest when sitting in the front row of seats on the game viewer with no seatbelts it felt like about 150km/hr!

Anyway we got to Mongu at about 14:30, plenty of time for the essentials – fuel, gin, beer and vegetables from the Shoprite (which is usually surprisingly well stocked).

Across the new causeway (well, the diversion road alongside it) and we were sitting with Charity an hour and 15mins after Shoprite. Amazing. The Chinese contractors are doing quite a job on this project, which is destined to provide an all year link between Zambia and Angola. Quite why and for what is a interesting question, but it is happening and looks (unlike previous attempts) to be going to work.

We booked into Lyangu campsite, which we had stayed in a few times before. To be honest I don't really mind where we stay in Liuwa. The sites are all basic but totally fine. The pitches are all beautifully located and you are never really aware of your neighbours that much. Friendly camp attendants bring firewood and keep the place nice and clean. Everything we took in we took out – being where we are we are well aware of the issues of rubbish disposal in such a place.

The biggest embarrassment of the trip was when we had helped Martin and Marina put up their mini-meru style tent and we went to put up our dome tent only to find we had forgotten the poles! Luckily our site had a small thatched shelter so we could make some bungee and paracord arrangements to rig our tent.

So across the famous hand drawn pontoon and onto Liuwa. I won't give a blow by blow account of what we did each day and what we saw. That is not really my thing and I don't keep any sort of journal anyway. We did a few very early starts and we went out every afternoon. Thats about it! Oh, and amazingly we didn't get wet once. Sighting highlights... I am not sure really. The Hyena that walked up to our vehicle and sniffed a tyre would be one – no image as my lens was too long at the time. The Spoonbills doing their frantic group feeding another. But as I say – the ambience! The distant lightening flickering from dark clouds over herds of Wildebeest. The view and feeling of space is also magical. Now the Kafue is home and our first love, but the contrast of Liuwa is amazing. It is (landscape wise at least) a bit like Busanga on steroids.

We weirdly ended up camped next to guests that had been staying with us at Kaingu. They were delighted to join us on the open vehicle for a game drive, especially as the day before their GPS had packed in and they had spent 4 hours trying to find the campsite – yes, it is a very easy place to get lost...

So, I leave it at that. I will get started on December, photo uploads take time on a VSAT internet link that is now on it's lowest and cheapest setting until March!

Heading across the Zambezi floodplain at speed. Our friends up front relishing the feel of an open vehicle in Africa!

Finally into the park.

First Hyenas

Pelicans and scenery

Pratincoles and Spoonbills

Spoonbills and Spurwings

I thought Busanga was the place for Crowned Cranes, but here we saw groups of over 30.

Mosi time...

Very newborn Oribi

Bacon and eggs on an all day drive

Liuwa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Watching Pelicans while having brunch - unbeatable combination

Meyer's Parrot in the campsite

December to follow

[egilio]

Nice!!! December...I hope you got across the Barotse plain before the Chinese took out their work bridge like they do during the rains.

[twaffle]

Wild and beautiful

[Gregor]

Fantastic! An inspiration. Self drive is on my to do list.

[Atravelynn]

There's the beauty of Liuwa, after that little embarrassing tent incident. Great stuff!

[SafariChick]

Yes, @@Sangeeta and I did go with Bundu - love your photos and it's all very familiar and beautiful!

[KaingU Lodge]

Nice!!! December...I hope you got across the Barotse plain before the Chinese took out their work bridge like they do during the rains.

@@egilio

 

Yep, we got out in time! Absolute chaos on leaving though. Chinese crane truck had got stuck on the bridge.

[graceland]

Love the Field of Flowers, the Sky and the Tent - (beautifully lit!)

 

Great adventure!

Edited January 24, 2015 by graceland

[Marks]

You've captured some unbelievable skyscapes. Liuwa does indeed appear to be worth a visit for the scenery alone.

[Sangeeta]

Great photos all, but that very first vehicle shot from the rear is hugely romantic and I would love to use it somewhere with your permission and attribution, KaingU. And the pratincoles look like Lynn's Kasanka bats. Lovely skyscapes. We loved it all and very good to hear that you're thinking of offering a drive-in option too! I agree with you that driving in has its own very special and unsanitized charm, not the least of it the ability to buy some esp delicious mangoes en route.

[SafariChick]

@@Sangeeta ah those mangoes - I can still taste them if I think hard about them! We thought we had more than we could possibly eat but I do believe we ate them all!

[KaingU Lodge]

Great photos all, but that very first vehicle shot from the rear is hugely romantic and I would love to use it somewhere with your permission and attribution, KaingU. And the pratincoles look like Lynn's Kasanka bats. Lovely skyscapes. We loved it all and very good to hear that you're thinking of offering a drive-in option too! I agree with you that driving in has its own very special and unsanitized charm, not the least of it the ability to buy some esp delicious mangoes en route.

 

@@Sangeeta Feel free to use the image as you like.

 

Yeah - Mango season eh! So good.

[KaingU Lodge]

Part Two December (not very different to part 1 I am afraid)

 

I was a wee bit nervous about this one, we planned to be in the Park from the 9th until the 15th and at this time of year the causeway can get difficult quickly. With major rains and mud (as well as the fact that the temporary bridge gets removed as Egil has mentioned) there is some potential for trouble. And you really, really do not want to be marooned on the other side of the Zambezi!

The park itself is by and large sand, so at the onset of the rains it is still easy to move around, so that was not the issue – just the getting in and out.

Anyway this time we took our car – there was no way that an open viewer was going to work well a second time. Not so good in the park for game viewing obviously but the main problem is that the car is rigged for the two of us to travel. Having four people means two are on the front 'seat and a half' (which is torture after several hours) and one person is in the back on top of the drawers! This is actually the best spot – a foam mattress and serious comfort. Plus being next to the fridge – cold drinks/cheese/chocolate etc! Once in the park the rear 'bed' is actually pretty good as you can open up all the side windows and get good views both sides.

We got to Mongu and as we pulled into Shoprite the heavens opened massively. Some of the heaviest rain I have ever seen. I stayed with the vehicle as we had just suffered an attempted break in (in Lusaka) where someone had kind of beaten the door lock and opened the roof tent. And with camera gear and all the rest I was not comfortable. My folks and Julia reported that the noise of the rain on the metal roof was mind boggling. Luckily they also bought a couple of umbrellas! Already the choice of a closed vehicle was vindicated.

Heading across the floodplains I was starting to wonder if we were doing the right thing – mud everywhere. Our car is more than capable, front and rear diff locks, MT tyres and the grunt of a 4.2L turbo diesel, but at 3 tons + when it does get stuck it REALLY gets stuck. Made it through though and everything dry in Kalabo! Dealt with the park fees – Charity kindly said I was the 'guide' and so we got quite a discount. Dealt with the poor mentally challenged guy that hangs around the pontoon and then off!

My parents were highly excited – they had planned a trip with our car there a year and half previously but a broken axle shaft (and the subsequent three wrong parts supplied) put paid to their trip and they had to sit at Kaingu for two weeks!

We were back in exactly the same camping spot as before. As we arrived in the park we saw a rented Hilux leaving, and that was the only other vehicle we saw for 6 days! Incredible. In fact the only thing with a motor we saw the rest of the days was the AP microlight.

Another amazing trip to Liuwa. Far, far wetter than previously, but we only got a real soaking the one evening and we managed to huddle under the thatched shelter with the car positioned as a windbreak.

The sights were similar to last time, with the exception of seeing Lechwe – first time we had seen them in Liuwa, but they were pretty unapproachable.

On leaving the floodplain was bone dry and it was like a different road altogether. The chinese contractors had managed to get a mobile crane stuck on the bridge, so we had a nice one hour wait parked in a line of traffic next to a huge compressor and jack hammers!

The park never fails to amaze us. It is a stunning place and really quite different to any other Zambian park.

[Marks]

Great secretary bird in flight.

I also like the skull picture...quite intimidating.

[KaingU Lodge]

Great secretary bird in flight.

I also like the skull picture...quite intimidating.

 

Thanks @@Marks

[pault]

Love your people pictures - good fun and pretty creative too... also makes a change from just the animals. I wouldn't want to over-encourage selfies and the like in the trip reports but I have to say the creative ones are great,

 

Anyway, all pics and text give lovely overview of the place. Quickly get a feeling of what Liuwa's all about.

[KaingU Lodge]

Love your people pictures - good fun and pretty creative too... also makes a change from just the animals. I wouldn't want to over-encourage selfies and the like in the trip reports but I have to say the creative ones are great,

 

Anyway, all pics and text give lovely overview of the place. Quickly get a feeling of what Liuwa's all about.

 

Many thanks @@pault. Appreciated. I have really admired the photography and in depth report you have been doing on Ruaha. Interesting you mention the people and other views (not just birds and animals etc). I hardly ever take pictures that are not of wildlife, sure I do stuff that is mostly used on the lodge facebook/web etc, but for own personal enjoyment it has to be animals and birds! But on this second trip there was just less of a photographic feel to it - my folks are not that into photography compared to the friends we took in November, and I was struggling to find yet another Wildebeest picture stimulating.... So I guess this is reflected in the pictures and thoughts.

 

Fully agree on the selfies. Fairly recent guests with a go pro on one of these selfie sticks was a later ordeal.... Me on the boat, me on the vehicle, etc etc etc. "Do you want to download my pictures, you can use them if you want"? Errrr. No thanks.