caption: Bat caves of chirundu district
One and a half hours drive from Lusaka CBD is a little town called chirundu which is home to the confluence of the kafue river and the mighty Zambezi river.
caption: chasing sunsets
On this confluence sit many camping areas and lodges. One of the lodges is Gwabi river lodge. The lodge is the gateway to the lower zambezi for guests that want to go further down. They have a boat parking dock where transit guests can hire boats or park their own boats.
caption: Boating dock/parking at gwabi river lodge
An evening at the lodge begins with a complementary sunset cruise. The sunset cruise is everything.A tonne of animals come out to the zambezi of a drink. We saw hippos, buffaloes, elephants and crocodiles just to name a few.
caption: the gentle giant, the might african elephant
caption:crocodile resting after its had its meal
After the game water safari, we experienced a truely magical sunset. Sunsets on the zambezi are beautiful, you need to see them in person.
caption: There is nothing like a sunset on the zambezi river
The next morning we had a hike to the famous bat cave. We started off with a journey through the baobab forest.
caption: Into the Baobab forest we go
This is a forest with a strict admission policy, you need to be a baobab tree. it was dry this season but its best visited after the rain season when the trees are at their mightiest glory.
caption: attempting to climb a baobab tree
After the baobab forest, you hike up the chibwerinunka hill up until the bat caves.
caption: hike
caption: cave entrance
The view from the cave is breathtaking, definitely worth the hike.
caption: the world from inside a hill
caption: breathtaking
You light up your torches and walk into the cave and tour it. it’s like a kasanka in there. kasanka is a local word that means bat migration.
caption: inside the caves
Later we hired a boat for a half day trip on the zambezi. We saw an elephant swim. Found a very satisfied crocodile that scared the daylights out of us when it dived into the water with force. We stopped at an island on the zambezi to enjoy a picnic. The lodge arranges the fire , food and chef. it was shallow enough to take a swim.
caption: picnic on an island on the zambezi
There is a tonne of stuff to do at gwabi. They also offer a canoe safari, full day boat trip , fishing and Game drive to the lower zambezi national park. The rooms are big and have river facing views. onsite restaurant and bar is available.
The trip was fun. Mother nature doesnt need a filter.
#discoverzambia