| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85 | 65 | 8.20 |
| Feb | 85 | 64 | 6.25 |
| Mar | 85 | 63 | 3.15 |
| Apr | 85 | 57 | 0.37 |
| May | 82 | 49 | 0.06 |
| Jun | 77 | 44 | 0.01 |
| Jul | 76 | 42 | 0.00 |
| Aug | 82 | 47 | 0.00 |
| Sep | 89 | 56 | 0.03 |
| Oct | 92 | 63 | 0.65 |
| Nov | 90 | 65 | 1.41 |
| Dec | 86 | 65 | 7.01 |
My canoe began to rock a bit, so I paddled from deep water to the safety of the Zambezi's shallows. Nearby, a crocodile rose silently to the surface and began cruising toward an unsuspecting heron on the muddy bank.
We just sit down to lunch at the Mwambashi River Lodge when a scout runs into camp. "Don't start eating! You've got to come right away!" We jump into our vehicles and head into the bush. A lion pride has just taken down three Cape buffalo. Amidst the voracious growling and tearing, we hear the unmistakable crack of bone. The Zambezi has opened our eyes to the relentless tensions between predator and prey. Their struggles for survival are constant.
Later, in Botswana, we set off across the Okavango Delta on horseback. To gallop over the African plains, feeling the fertile soil give beneath your horse's hooves, is a truly unparalleled experience. It's also an advantage: we observe wild animals at about half the distance we would have on foot. The kudu and impala appear disinterested as we trot past them in the mopane woodlands. Breaking into a gallop on the flood plains, we set a nearby troop of chacma baboons to screaming and bouncing in a threatening posture. We stay away from the lions.
Once, we startle Cape buffalo foraging in an acacia grove. The whole herd thunders off, then turns, lines up and faces us. We are no more than 30 feet apart, staring eye to eye, until we rein our mounts in another direction, and trot away.
With 20 years' experience leading safaris, Gavin Ford's knowledge of the bush and its wildlife is legendary, earning him recognition by Condé Nast Traveler and Wanderlust. Among his many adventures in the bush, Gavin has come literally face to face with a lion, and lived to tell the story.
Arrive at Lusaka and fly to Lower Zambezi National Park, where you meet your guide for a safari briefing, followed by a game drive and tiger fishing.
Launch your canoe onto the Zambezi and paddle downstream, steering clear of hippo and crocodile. The sprawling Zambezi is dotted with small islands, where animals feed and predators hunt. You paddle between four and six hours today.
Explore the park's remote interior by canoe or foot safari, cast a line for tiger fish and keep a lookout for the wild dog, disappearing from this part of Africa.
Fly to Livingstone and drive to Sussi & Chuma. See Victoria Falls from the air on an ultralight aircraft, or take an elephant-back safari through the forest on the Zambian side.
Depart Livingstone for Macatoo Camp. Get to know your horse, then mount up for your first wilderness ride. Return as the sun sets over the delta.
Experience the delta on horseback. Trace backcountry elephant trails; investigate fresh game tracks; race the lechwe as they thunder through the water meadows; and penetrate the lower flood plains where elephant gather and hyena drink. You break each afternoon for a swim in the pool, or a driving or walking safari, then head back out for the evening ride.
After a final morning ride, you fly to Johannesburg and overnight at Tintswalo Lodge.
Depart South Africa for home.
