An elephant in front of Serondela Camp in Namibia. SERONDELA CAMP
If you’ve not heard of KAZA, here’s a primer on this massive conservation area in Southern Africa. Taking it’s name from two of the region’s great rivers, the Okavango and Zambezi, Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) spans 200,000 square miles to form the largest wildlife conservation area in the world. It touches five countries and covers multiple famous wildlife and adventure tourism spots including Botswana's Chobe National Park, Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, Zambia's Kafue National Park, the Okavango Delta, plus Victoria Falls.
Here are the top spots to put on your next KAZA itinerary.
A rainbow over Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. VICTORIA FALLS
ZIMBABWE
The Victoria Falls
The spectacular Victoria Falls, the world's greatest sheet of falling water, is located midway along the course of the Zambezi River, which forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. At 5,604 feet wide and a drop of 355 feet, this is the largest uninterrupted curtain of falling water in the world.
The quintessential place to stay when visiting the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is The Victoria Falls Hotel, Zimbabwe's grandest and oldest luxury hotel. Set in lush, tropical gardens overlooking the impressive Batoka Gorge, the historic Victoria Falls bridge, and the impressive spray from magnificent falls themselves, the hotel offers authentic Edwardian luxury, all within walking distance of The Victoria Falls rainforest, and is in an ideal location for river cruises, helicopter tours, bungee jumping, white water rafting and any number of other adrenaline activities.
Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe. VICTORIA FALLS HOTEL
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To add a conservation element to your Victoria Falls visit, drop in at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust for a 1-hour tour of their Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and Laboratory facilities. Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust is called in for cases when wildlife has been injured or orphaned due to human interference or conflict. They assist by caring for the animal until it's recovered and ready to return to the wild.
Alternatively, visit the Vulture Culture Experience at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge to witness the spectacular sight of hundreds of vultures swooping down and, in a dust-raising, feeding frenzy, feasting on leftover meat scraps and bones each afternoon. White-backed, lappet-faced, hooded, white-headed, palm-nut and Cape vultures are all found in Zimbabwe, but all have been listed as either endangered or critically endangered. While these birds aren't pretty, they're fascinating.
Hwange National Park
At 5.8 million acres, Hwange National Park ranks as Zimbabwe's largest National Park. Known for some of Africa's densest concentrations of wildlife, the park has more animals and a greater variety of species, 107, than any other park in the country. It's also one of the world's last great elephant strongholds.
Imvelo Safaris has four camps in and around Hwange National Park. These intimate camps offer the usual game drives, night drives, and safari walks, and allow guests to interact with the local community.
Breakfast with rhinos at the sanctuary inside Imvelo. IMVELO
Adjacent to Hwange National Park's Ngamo Plains, Camelthorn Lodge was built by the community on community land to stand as one of the largest community-based tourism projects in Zimbabwe. The rhino sanctuary proves a highlight of visiting Camelthorn.
Imvelo successfully reintroduced white rhinos to the area after an absence of 15 years. The project, Community Rhino Conservation Initiative, is unique. Where most rhinos in the world are held in protected National Parks or private hands, these rhinos have been brought to a small sanctuary on community-owned land voluntarily donated by villages. Lodge guests can spend time on foot with these rhinos and meet the well-trained Cobra Rangers and community scouts, who guard the rhinos 24/7.
Zebras migration in Botswana. MENO A KWENA
BOTSWANA
Makgadikgadi Pans
Covering over 3,838 square miles, Makgadikgadi Pans boasts the largest salt flats in the world. Visible from the moon, this was once the center of an ancient super lake, which spanned an area larger than Switzerland and evaporated millions of years ago. The pans are a network of shimmering white flats during the dry season; during the wet season, they fill with water and attract large numbers of zebra, springbok and wildebeest, followed closely by predators, making for fantastic game viewing. The pans are also the world's biggest breeding site for greater flamingos and home to one of Africa's largest zebra populations.
During the wetter months (December – March), rains transform the pans into a lush oasis of grasses that absorb nutrients that entice Africa's second-largest zebra migration. One of the best places to see this is Meno a Kwena, a hidden gem on a clifftop above the Boteti River. You can view the zebra migration here for much of the year. In the arid landscapes of the dry season, the river becomes a magnet for wildlife. One of the highlights at Meno a Kwena is the opportunity to walk with local San bushmen, an exciting way to learn about their culture, traditions and intimate knowledge of the bush and bushcraft.
Flamingoes in Nata Bird Sanctuary.NATA
For keen bird watchers, the wetter winter months in the Makgadikgadi Pans provide an excellent opportunity to see flamingos, which migrate here to feed, mate, and nest. The Nata Bird Sanctuary, in the extreme northeast of Sua Pan (part of the Makgadikgadi network), is the best place to see them; the area is recognized as one of the continent's most important flamingo breeding grounds.
This 90-square-mile community-run wildlife sanctuary was created when local people voluntarily relocated their cattle and established a network of dirt roads through the northeastern end of the pan. The sanctuary's principal draw is the birdlife, with more than 165 species recorded here, though various antelope, zebras, jackals, foxes, monkeys, and squirrels inhabit the area, too. Nata Lodge is the place to stay when visiting the bird sanctuary. A guided tour into the bird sanctuary in one of Nata Lodge's open safari vehicles is a must.
A leopard lounging near Nambwa Tented Camp in Namibia. NAMBWA TENTED CAMP
NAMIBIA
Bwabwata National Park
Bwabwata National Park, established in 2007, was formed by merging Caprivi Game Park and Mahango Game Reserve. The park covers 2,422 square miles and is an important migration route from Botswana to Angola for African elephants and other game animals. The park borders the Okavango River to the west, Angola to the north, the Kwando River to the east, and Botswana to the south. It is an unusual Protected Area in that about 5,500 people live in the park, and the Namibian government involves park residents and neighbors in planning and managing the park.
Prior to signing the cease-fire in 2002 at the end of the Angolan Civil War, travelers rarely visited the area. Rampant poaching had virtually wiped out wildlife populations. In recent years, wildlife numbers have started to recover, though visiting to escape the well-trodden tourist trail is a key reason to visit. Bwabwata is a bird lover's paradise, recognized internationally as an Important Bird Area and supporting several threatened and endangered bird species.
Nambwa Camp in Namibia.NAMBWA CAMP
Built on stilts, the ten suites at Nambwa Tented Lodge hover in the tree tops. At the heart of the lodge is a wooden deck for dining under the stars and looking out over the floodplains below. Near the lodge is the Sijwa Project, which combines a cultural village, artisanal skills training center, organic permaculture nursery, and upcycling program producing lovely arts and crafts, including recycled glass beads and stylish sewn items for visitors to purchase.
Kabulabula Conservancy
In 1996, the Namibian government granted communities the right to create communal conservancies to empower local people to manage and benefit from their natural resources while giving wildlife populations a chance to recover from the poaching of the past. Today, Namibia's 87 conservancies cover nearly 65,000 square miles (around 20% of the country) and directly employ thousands of people. Recovering wildlife numbers in these areas have also contributed to a tourism industry that generates more than 14% of Namibia's GDP. The 35-square-mile Kabulabula Conservancy provides a perfect example of this.
Seronela boat trip to see elephants from the river. SERONELA
Situated on the Namibian banks of the Chobe River, opposite Botswana's Chobe National Park (guaranteeing year-round game viewing), planners built Serondela Lodge using eco-materials and methods. The lodge is a joint venture between the community and the Micheletti family, who already operate with two other lodges in Namibia. By staying here, guests help create jobs, promote conservation, and positively, directly, and sustainably impact the local community while enjoying excellent wildlife viewing near Chobe.
ZAMBIA
Simalaha Community Conservancy
In 2012, elders of the local community decided that 695 square miles of their communal land should be developed as a wildlife conservancy, protecting the area and promoting income generation through tourism. In 2013, supported by the Peace Parks Foundation, a wildlife sanctuary measuring 77 square miles was established inside the Simalaha Conservancy. The first wildlife translocations took place in 2013, and since then, more than 3,000 animals have been rewilded there, including eland, sable, waterbuck, roan, buffalo, and giraffe.
Around the fire pit in Simalaha Conservancy. SIMALAHA CONSERVANCY
A fantastic way to experience the conservancy is with Zambia Horseback Safaris, which runs riding safaris in Simalaha. Home to 16 large mammal species, though no large predators, the area offers horseback safari adventures suitable for any level of horse rider. For experienced riders, the terrain is perfect for long canters and wildlife sightings from horseback. It's also great for families or those who want to experience a horse safari for the first time.
Livingstone
The proximity of the Zambezi River and the spectacular Victoria Falls makes Livingstone a hub for visitors worldwide. Seven miles from the falls, Livingstone is quieter and less 'touristy' than Victoria Falls Town in Zimbabwe. It is known for its range of adventure activities – white-water rafting, helicopter and microlight flights, canoeing, quad-biking and plenty more.
Devil's Pool, adjacent to the famous Livingstone Island, sits on the edge of the falls and is the ultimate adrenaline-inducing activity on a visit to Livingstone. Visitors to Livingstone Island can swim to the rim of the falls when feeling brave, though one must be a strong swimmer.
Zambia's Radisson Blu Spa. RADISSON BLU
Upstream from the falls sits the Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-oa-Tunya. The hotel's rooms have private balconies and patios overlooking the Zambezi River. Guests can pamper themselves with a visit to the spa, a swim in one of the two outdoor swimming pools, a sunset cruise, or relax in one of the resort's bars or restaurants.
Small, local nonprofit CATS (Conservation & Tourism Society) works to bridge the gap between local communities and local wildlife. Their volunteers conduct conservation, wildlife and environmental education at a grassroots level. Livingstone has seen increased human-wildlife conflicts as the town has expanded into wilderness areas. CATS has developed a roadshow to sensitize people on elephant behavior and to promote safe cohabitation with wildlife.
The park and pool of Radisson Blu in Zambia. RADISSON BLU
KAZA's diverse landscapes offer travelers an incredible opportunity to experience the natural world while contributing positively to local communities and wildlife conservation. By choosing responsible and sustainable travel, such as supporting eco-friendly accommodations, engaging in community-based tourism, and respecting wildlife habitats, travelers can leave a positive footprint and ensure that the magic of Africa's landscapes and the welfare of its people and wildlife remains for generations to come.
Read the original article on Forbes.
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