A Perfect Morning on The Lower Zambezi
If you are an early riser, you can really take advantage of the welcome coolness of the Lower Zambezi at dawn. Around 5.30am the majestic call of the kingfisher can be heard across the vastness of the river. Boisterous baboons can be heard on the Zimbabwean side, and hippos offer the occasional grunt, unwinding after the nights activities. The sky graduates from a hazy gold to pastel blue and the water starts to glisten in ripples, as fishermen and visitors head upstream for the promises of the new day.
After a welcome cup of coffee or tea, and a snack, its time to hop into the vehicle for an early morning game drive in the local GMA (game management area) or Lower Zambezi National Park. The wildlife is often most active in the cooler morning hours of the hotter months, where day temps can hit 40 degrees!
Expect to see an abundance of impala and elephant as well as nimble waterbuck, warthog, wildebeest, crocodile, zebra, lion and more. I also saw plenty of carmine bee eater, varieties of hornbill, yellow billed egret, guinea fowl and a couple of fish eagle perched high on bare and exposed tree branches. What I was most struck by was the relaxed nature of the wildlife on the Lower Zambezi, especially the lion and elephant. This made it a pleasure to capture beautiful photographs and take in the experience fully, without feeling like an intruder.
By 9am the heat is building rapidly, and the most natural thing to do is head back to the welcoming shade at camp, and enjoy a late and relaxing breakfast overlooking the river.
