KASONSO LODGE – THE LOUNGE AND MAIN DECK
It is the height of the wet season in Central Africa. The rains arrive in the summer in this part of the world.
Most of the lodges in the Kafue National Park close down for a few months in mid-summer due to the muddy waterlogged conditions of many of the roads. These conditions make it difficult to do much game viewing from a vehicle.
Two of our lodges, Kikuji and Kafue River Lodge are no exception, they are all closed until next March when the rains taper off and the bush dries out making it possible to move around again.
AERIAL VIEW: KASONSO LODGE, BUSANGA PLAINS, KAFUE NATIONAL PARK.
Our Kasonso Lodge up on the Busanga Plains will be closed even longer, until Late May, which is when the Lufupa River recedes back from the huge flood plain into its shallow water course.
Until then the four staff members tasked with looking after the camp will be isolated on a small island of slightly higher ground, with our chalets tucked into a blanket of woodland surrounded By a sea of waterlogged grassland. Almost a modern day Robinson Crusoe experience.
LOOKING OUT OVER THE BUSANGA PLAINS AT KASONSO LODGE.
Actually I am sure that there are some guests who would welcome a stay in isolation for a few months, joining the staff in watching the spectacular afternoon thunderstorms, the magnificent sunrise and sunsets, the birdlife and the herds of water loving Lechwe slashing about on the flood plain in the ankle and knee deep water.
Let us know if anyone would be interested
SUNSET ON THE BUSANGA PLAINS
The uninhibited views afforded by the openness of the plains makes for great vista scenes.
A LECHWE RAM
The Lechwe area species of antelope which had adapted to wet waterlogged conditions.
A HERD OF ELEPHANT OUT ON THE PLAIN
Someone who has seen most of what happens on the plains…
A BIG BUFFALO BULL TAKING IT EASY.
The big news is that Africa parks, the privates non-profit organization which is now managing the Kafue National Park, in a briefing to the lodge operators, revealed its vision and plans for the park.
From the map below one can see the vastness of the area.
The conservation area is approximately the size of Belgium (66k sq.km.). It consists of the National Park itself and surrounding game management areas (GMA’s), which are hunting concessions awarded to private entities to manage.
When it comes to conservation, the GMAs are as important as the National Park itself, because conservation is primarily about habitat preservation.
The efforts of the concession holders are almost as robust, if not more so in many aspects, in protecting the wildlife from poaching.
One of the biggest threat to this splendid habitat area is illegal settlement encroachment by tribes people at the periphery. Once settlement occurs and the trees cut down and ground dug up, it becomes a major political problem to have them removed in the face of exponential population growth.
From the map it can be seen that our three lodges in the North East sector of the park are close to key enhanced protection and wilderness areas.
Our Kikuji Lodge is the only facility in the park on the pristine Lunga River. It is adjacent to one of the wilderness areas and hence can continue to offer unique combinations of floating and walking safari experiences.
In the high intensity protection areas in our vicinity the big push is to reestablish Rhinos. As such Africa Parks has purchased all of the rhino from a big breeding project that is closing down in South Africa. The intention is to relocate a lot of these animals to the kafue, where they will be released into the unfenced wilderness and intensely patrolled areas.
Another highlight from the end of 2023 was our team attending two big travel shows in Europe the first at Lugano in Switzerland and the second the World Travel mod at the huge Excel centre in London.
Both events were very well attended and we made contact with many private individuals and agents.
We look forward to seeing menu the folks we met at the shows in our lodges later on in 2024.
THE ZAMBIA BOOTH AT THE WORLD TRAVEL MART IN LONDON
We will also have team members at two upcoming travel shows, the first in Madrid at the end of February 2024, and the second in Berlin in early March 2024.
We hope to see many of you at these shows and out in the Bush and plains of Africa later in the year
David and Paul with guest Sonja
David Maritz 