Safari in Zambia

“Finally I’ll get to see elephants! “ I practically shouted at my boyfriend in excitement as we parked at Marula lodge in Zambia. In front of us lay a whole weekend of safari-adventure in South-Luangwa national park, organized by Land and Lake safari. And hopefully, my life-long dream of seeing elephants in the wild would finally be fulfilled.
It was pouring down when we, a couple of extremely excited Icelanders, armed with cameras and heavy-duty sunscreen, arrived at Marula lodge. We were greeted by the friendly lodge-staff who, thankfully, had umbrellas to spare. They guided us through the torrents of rainwater and booby-traps in the form of hidden cobblestone to our cabin, where we got ready for the first of three game-drives on our itinerary. After a quick bite to eat and introduction to the cast and characters of our weekend adventure, we set off in an open safari-ready Land Rover. Our driver and guide was called King David. “King” because he was the best guide Marula had to offer, David because, well, that was his name. For avid learners of all things, King David could not have been a better guide, his knowledge about every aspect of the South-Luangwa wildlife was a goldmine for curious minds. I can now proudly say that I can tell the gender of a zebra by indicators other than the obvious.
I got my wish on the second day, I cannot describe the feeling of seeing a happy family of elephants after years of obsessive elephant-Googling whenever I got the chance. However, and to my surprise, this amazing event, for which I had longed for so long, does not stand out in my memory as the highlight of the trip.
Thinking back, the feeling sparked in me by the synergy of the surrounding as a whole, is the absolute highlight. The exotic smell of the Zambian flora, the exciting presence of animals I had ever only read about or seen pictures of, the buzzing of the colorful insects, the anticipation of the thunderstorm the sky was threatening, the turbulent drive on bumpy mud roads, the company of other young adventurers, the affection with which King David spoke when explaining what each bird-call meant – all these factors contributed to the unreal, amazing feeling an Icelander in Africa experienced.
No matter your nationality though, South Luangwa national Park in Zambia is a place worth visiting. If you ever find yourself obsessively Googling elephants, or anything you would be likely to see on a safari, South-Luangwa will not let you down.