Zambia: South Luangwa National Park, Croc Valley Campsite & Lusaka City

Zambia: Country #82 on my Countdown to 100 U.N. Countries by the time I turn 70 in 2026.

Day 18: Feeling like a broken record but yes, it’s another long haul to cross the Malawi border into Zambia to arrive at our Croc Valley campsite in Zambia.

We left our Kande Beach campsite at Lake Malawi at 6:00 am to journey through southern Malawi to enter Zambia continuing on for pretty much a whole day of driving to our Croc Valley campsite by the South Luangwa National Park.

Crossing the border was pretty simple and uneventful. It was a one-stop passport control to exit Malawi and enter Zambia.

After a long 10 hour day of driving out of Malawi and crossing the border into Zambia we arrived at our campsite in the dark. How our new driver, Sam, knows these roads, is beyond me. It’s pure darkness with no street lights to guide him as he turns onto the dusty, bumpy road towards our Croc Valley campsite. Come to find out, the electricity was off countrywide for the night. We usually arrive at our campsites before it gets dark but not tonight.

Goodnight to a full hot, driving day thru Malawi to enter Zambia.

This is my “I’m baking” face because we had to have all the windows closed on the truck for about an hour and a half to prevent the tsetse flies from entering into the truck as we drove through the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in Malawi on our way to Zambia.
We were also told by our tour leader, Laban, to not wear dark clothes since the flies are highly attracted to blue and black surfaces.
Thankfully no Tsetse flies, known for their painful sting and carrying a deadly sleeping sickness, entered the truck. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Views of the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in Malawi from inside our hot box truck. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Leaving the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in Malawi and its Tsetse flies as we continue on with opened windows and a seemingly endless drive to our Croc Valley campsite at the South Luangwa National Park in Kafue, Zambia. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Views of city of Kasungu, Malawi, as we continue our daylong drive to our campsite at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. The red booths, dotted along the streets, are mobile banks. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Views of city of Kasungu, Malawi, as we continue our daylong drive to our campsite at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Views of city of Kasungu, Malawi, as we continue our daylong drive to our campsite at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. The red booths are actually mobile banks where people go to deposit, take out or send their money. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Is it an Intrepid Travel face of? No, it’s an exchange, our driver, Edwin, for their driver, Sam. That’s Sam loading his belongings onto our truck on the right. Edwin needed to head back home to Nairobi, which the other, to the left was heading to. So, they came from Cape Town and heading to Nairobi while we are doing just the opposite. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Our group saying goodbye to our Intrepid driver Edwin as he gathers his things to drive the other truck back home to Nairobi. (Oct. 23, 2024)

The very modern looking border control for both leaving Malawi and entering Zambia. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Having a bit of fun as we wait online at the border crossing office to get from Malawi to Zambia. That’s me, Kate, Chris and Julia. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Julia being cheeky again as we stand in line at the passport control office both exiting Malawi and entering Zambia. We’ve exited Malawi and now waiting line to get our passports stamped to enter Zambia. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Standing in line at the passport control office both exiting Malawi and entering Zambia. We’ve exited Malawi and now waiting line to get our passports stamped to enter Zambia. (Oct. 23, 2024)

A quick stop in the city of Chipata, Zambia, to hit the ATM machine for some Zambian Kwacha and snacks at the grocery store before heading to our Croc Valley campsite in Mambwe, Zambia. I took about 400 Zambian Kwacha, about $15 USD. (Oct. 23, 2024)

This is the only photo I took of the bar area at our Croc Valley campsite in Mambwe, Zambia. It’s the WiFi password, which worked well but only in the bar area. I tried to upgrade but the room was tiny and with the fan not working because the lack of electricity, (which was out for the night, using a backup generator for some things) I decided the coolest place for me was my tent.
But they did have cold Savanna’s apple cider, which helped bring this extremely long, hot driving day into a cool, quenching evening. (Oct. 23, 2024)

Day 19: A beautiful morning for a game drive at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia

I like staying in places that have a bit of an ambience to it and our Croc Valley campsite across from the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia had it.

Even though I’m not a hardcore animal lover, I do love seeing these animals in the wild during the game drives. And I love knowing that they have vast lands to roam. Plus in comparison to Serengeti in Tanzania, which I hold in high esteem, the South Luangwa National Park was quite impressionable along with wildlife.

When we arrived last night in the dark, I had my concerns but in the light of day, coolness of the morning and views of the Luangwa River, I’m wholly impressed. It’s rustic and definitely nothing fancy, but the surroundings make it worthwhile.

Except for the vervet monkeys who came around anytime they heard the rustling of bags or the smell of food and snacks.

In the afternoon, I was sitting and relaxing by the bar with views of the Luangwa River, holding a cookie in the tips of my fingers, when a vervet monkey literally snatched it out of my fingers. It was so quick that I’m not sure if she used her hand or her mouth to do it. But she was carrying her baby around at the time. I wasn’t the only one who got pinched, Jill got her pear stolen and Julia had her bag of chips taken up a tree. The monkeys look so cute and innocent but they will stalk you and take your goodies.

Here’s to an exhilarating morning game drive and an afternoon of relaxation with vervet monkeys stealing snacks.

The sun rising over the Luangwa River at our Croc Valley campsite across from the South Luangwa National Park in Kafue, Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The Sun rising over the Luangwa River by our Croc Valley campsite near the South Luangwa National Park. (Oct. 24, 2024)

That’s my tent to the left of this huge tree at our Croc Valley campsite in Zambia that the vervet monkeys love to climb on. And I was told by Laban, our Intrepid travel leader that both a herd of elephants and a bloat of hippos walked through our campsite, between our spaced out tents, I slept so hard that I saw nothing and heard nothing. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The women’s shower and toilet area at our Croc Valley campsite near the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The kitchen area where Ibrahim, our Intrepid cook, makes our three meals a day at our Croc Valley campsite near the South Luangwa National Park. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Our 4×4 jeeps have arrived at our Croc Valley campsite for our game drive inside the South Luangwa National Park in Kafue, Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Heading to the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia from our Croc Valley campsite for our game drive. (Oct. 24, 2024)

A lone hippo crossing the field to get to the water. Hippos are grazers and they only eat grass. Their skin is delicate but when the sun comes out, they move to the river. In the river, they live in groups. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The South Luangwa National Park is unfenced and bordered to the west by a steep escarpment and to the east by the Luangwa River. The Luangwa Valley lies at the tail end of the Great African Rift Valley system, which extends 2,500 miles or 4,000 km all the way from the Red Sea down to the Pungwe River mouth in Mozambique. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Crossing the bridge over the Luanga River and into the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The Luanga River with a bloat of hippos in the distance at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Female water buffalos at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. The male water buffalos have horns. (Oct. 24, 2024)

A pack of lions resting after a nearby kill of a water buffalo at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The lions at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

A pretty dirty lion at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Come to find out later on the game drive, this pack of lions took down a buffalo. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The graceful looking male impalas at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The striped kudu at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. They eat leaves and flowers, but no grass. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The large and lovely sausage tree at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The vultures picking on the remains of a buffalo that was killed earlier by the pack of lions at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Although the Luanga River at the South Luangwa National Park has been affected by the drought, in a good rainy season the embankments fall into the river which is why there are trees and branches in the river. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Our jeep group on our game drive at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Next to me is Shi, our Intrepid leader in training, Chrissy, Kate, Daniela, Chris and then back down to me. The person in the back, right corner was not a part of our group. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The stripes on the zebras here at the South Luangwa National Park in Kafue, Zambia, are different from others I’ve seen. There are three species, of which the plains zebra is much the most common. (Oct. 24, 2024)

A beautiful lone zebra at the South Luangwa National Park in Kafue, Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Taking a mid-morning break from the game drive at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Tea, coffee with little cakes and cookies were our mid-morning treats at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

While taking our mid-morning break during our game drive, the zebras and the impalas kept us entertained at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Our jeep parked in the shade under a large and beautiful sausage tree at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The flower buds that fell to the ground from the sausage tree at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

The impalas at the at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Our game driver, Maison, stopping for us to catch a family herd of elephants keeping cool in the muddy waters at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

A herd of elephants at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

A family herd of elephants keeping cool in the muddy waters at South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Mama helping the baby elephant out of the mud at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

A lone male elephant in the distance at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

A close-up of the lone male elephant at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Back at our Croc Valley campsite at the banks of the Luangwa River in Zambia for a nice afternoon of beer (in my case, a nice bottle of cold apple cider) and snacks with the vervet monkeys always keeping an eye on what we’re eating. They are quite adept at snatching food right out of our hands, as one did with me and a couple of others. (Oct. 24, 2024)

Day 20: Those thieving vervet monkeys at the Croc Valley campsite by the Luangwa River in Zambia.

I think the whole Croc Valley campsite was woken up at the 5:00 am sunrise by the vervet monkeys rustling around our campsite kitchen area and also breaking into our overland truck. Somehow, they slipped into the opened small top windows and rummaged through the truck stealing snacks.

And when they were caught running out with the goods, one of them decided to defecate on one of the seats. And that’s also when the baboons came to take whatever they could from the smaller vervet monkeys and a loud fight ensued. Good morning to us!

After both cleaning up the vervet and baboon monkeys mess, we had breakfast and visited a wonderful jewelry workshop where local craftswomen take snare wire recovered from poaching traps. Then they transform it into jewellery inspired by the African bush.

Afterwards, it was back on the road for more than six hours heading further south to the Chimwemwe Hotel campsite for the night in Petauke, Zambia.

Our Croc Valley campsite, by the Luangwa River in Zambia, may look peaceful but things were turned upside down when the vervet monkeys decided to rummage through our campsite kitchen and then get into the truck to steal snacks. (Oct. 25, 2024)

The vervet monkeys, after raiding our overland truck for snacks, are still waiting around close to our Croc Valley campsite by the Luangwa River in Zambia. (Oct. 25, 2024)

The baboons getting away after the sling shot or catapult warden showed up and was able to chase the smaller vervet monkeys and bigger baboons away with his slingshot. It was an eventful and beautiful morning between 5:00 and 6:00 am during which the vervet monkeys were stealing from us and the baboons were stealing from them. Good thing I went to sleep early and had a great night’s sleep before the shenanigans began. (Oct. 25, 2024)

I was also told, since I was sound asleep, that a herd of elephants came through our tent site and 30 minutes a bloat of hippos also made their way through. Laban, our Intrepid leader, said one passed right in front of my tent. I did not hear a thing until the vervet monkey ruckus started this morning at 5:00 am. (Oct. 25, 2024)

The Mulberry Mongoose jewelry shop on Mfuwe’s main tar road and a 15-minute drive from the South Luangwa National Park main gate in Zambia. (Oct. 25, 2024)

Inside the Mulberry Mongoose jewelry shop and workshop in South Luangwa, Zambia. The front portion of the building is the store where the necklaces, bracelets and rings are displayed for sale. And the back portion is the workshop where the supplies are stored and the jewelry is designed and made. (Oct. 25, 2024)

The display of necklaces inside the Mulberry Mongoose jewelry retail shop and workshop in South Luangwa, Zambia. “We turn this brutal snare wire into meaningful jewellery. Our most celebrated collection mixes snare beads with semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, local vegetable ivory seeds and hand carved wooden beads. With every piece of jewellery sold we make a donation to essential anti-snare patrols,” according to Mulberry Mongoose. (Oct. 25, 2024)

The display of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings inside the Mulberry Mongoose jewelry retail shop and workshop in South Luangwa, Zambia. “For each sale made, a donation is given to anti-snare patrols dedicated to the conservation of the region,” according to Mulberry Mongoose. (Oct. 25, 2024)

Phelida, the Mulberry Mongoose shop manager, introduces us to the two young men whose job it is to hammer the steel alloy snare wire down so it lays flat. (Oct. 25, 2024)

A close-up of hammering the wire at Mulberry Mongoose in South Luangwa, Zambia. That’s a lot of loud noise to hear everyday without protection. (Oct. 25, 2024)

Phelida, the Mulberry Mongoose shop manager, demonstrating how to tightly curl the steel or metal alloy snare wires to make their small coiled jewelry. According to Mulberry Mongoose, “many men can’t create our snare coils and yet our courageous ladies have learned to coil and flatten snare wire into one-of-a-kind beads.” (Oct. 25, 2024)

We’re all trying to get photos of the coiled snare wire that Phelida, the Mulberry Mongoose shop manager, demonstrated. She said it took her time to develop the strength and accuracy to create the coils. (Oct. 25, 2024)

The workshop where the women design and create the necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings for sale at the Mulberry Mongoose jewelry retail shop, at the entrance, in South Luangwa, Zambia. (Oct. 25, 2024)

The wires and other supplies at the Mulberry Mongoose jewelry retail shop, at the entrance, in South Luangwa, Zambia. (Oct. 25, 2024)

Day 21: Lusaka City in Zambia, the Eureka Campking Park and a Chalet upgrade.

I’m not entirely sure what I expected when after five or so hours of driving through villages, we arrived at the bustling, crowded, modern-ish capital and largest city in Zambia…Lusaka. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa.

I live in the U.S. state of Texas where it gets pretty hot. I ‘m not out in the heat 24/7 but I am in the heat 24/7 in Africa. And although the days are beautiful, blue skies with a spattering of clouds, the sun during the day and the accompanying heat, is relentless. The only reprieve is when the sun goes down and the temperatures quickly drop.

We arrived at the Eureka Camping Park just outside the city of Lusaka, with a couple of hours before sunset and time to put up our tents in the daylight. But, not me.

I decided to upgrade to a chalet. Don’t get too excited, it was not as exquisite as it sounds, but I did have two beds and my own bathroom. There was also a fan but it did not turn on until the country’s electricity turned was turned on. I was told the electricity would be on at around 9:00 pm or 9:30 for sure. It did come on, until 10:15 pm. Until then, there was little air circulating in the warm room. And, as usual, I took a lukewarm shower to help cool me down but the cooldown party only worked for a little while.

Here’s to an uneventful drive day, a brief look at Lusaka, the capital and largest city of Zambia, and a warm night inside my upgrade to a chalet.