Africa’s ‘best kept secret’ with walking safaris, amazing vineyards and lodge plunge pools

FROM a short distance away, we watch in awe as the baby elephants are fed from bottles, their small trunks curling upwards in delight.

The herd of youngsters next to them are giddily splashing in the mud, cooling off from the intense heat that is beating down on us.

I’m at the Wildlife Discovery Centre on the far outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia’s built-up capital, an elephant orphanage where rescued baby elephants are cared for until they are old and stable enough to be released back into the wild.

The African country of Zambia is still playing catch up in the minds of many to whom safari automatically means Kenya, South Africa or Tanzania.

With less glitz and more game, for those in the know it is Africa’s best-kept secret — and for those just catching on, they are busy shouting it from the rooftops.

And whatever Zambia might lack in international clout, it makes up for in pristine wilderness twice over.

Almost a third of Zambia’s vast land is heavily protected. Across 20 national parks and 34 reserves, lions, leopards and elephants thrive in tropical grasslands, savannahs and rift valleys.

As a safari destination, it is known for its smaller camps, walking safaris, night drives and stern commitment to conservation — becoming a benchmark across the continent.

I was staying towards the edge of Lusaka in Lilayi Lodge, a perfect oasis that eases you into life in the wilderness with walking trails galore, its own wine vineyards and epic views of giraffes grazing at sunset.

I felt very far away from home, but things were about to get even more wild as early the next morning we took a small propeller plane over mountains and into the Lower Zambezi National Park.

My home for the next couple of nights was Baines’ River Camp, sat in the shadows of the nearby mountains and on the banks of one of Africa’s greatest rivers, the Zambezi.

With just 12 riverside luxury chalets, this place feels wholly immersed in its surroundings — I learned on day one that there is a high chance of a hippo blocking the path to your room.

On top of rural accommodation, the resort also offers mind-blowing walking safaris. With the assurance from a rifle-carrying ranger that we won’t be eaten by a lion (they are not interested in us, apparently) it is an incredible experience, following the guide who possibly knows more about these creatures than even Attenborough.

During the wilderness experience we learn about animal tracks, dung, bones as well as feathers and come away appreciating the intelligence of every creature living out here. We even learned how a leopard manages to eat a porcupine.

Fine-dining lunches are set up on islands where elephants graze and afternoons can be filled with fishing or canoe trips down channels of the croc- infested Zambezi

The really special thing about taking a walking safari tour is that instead of listening to the roar of a diesel engine, we were exposed to the quiet stillness of the near-true wilderness with all our senses heightened by the possibility of coming face-to-face with a lion.

My fellow safari goers and I were so buzzing after our adventure that we could barely manage the bush lunch afterwards, although the cold beers helped steady our excitement.

The experience immersed us in nature, but if you are the type who prefers some luxury touches then just up the river, the Royal Zambezi Lodge is the place for you.

The only option is to arrive in style, by boat or to the camp’s own airstrip.

Each of the suites here has its own private plunge pool and a river-facing deck complete with a freestanding bathtub.

Private plunge pool

You may even catch a glimpse of a monkey while you are having a soak.

Visitors can join a walking safari or game drive, both starting at dusk, where they will have a decent chance of spotting wild dogs — a species so endangered that only 3,000 are left across the whole of Africa.

As well as this, fine-dining lunches are set up on islands where elephants graze and afternoons can be filled with fishing or canoe trips down channels of the croc- infested Zambezi.

One evening, we were treated to a three-course bush dinner next to a crackling open fire, where the sounds of the scenery were followed up with an epic performance by the resort’s staff choir.

It is clear that this retreat has spent years perfecting their product.

But all of this wouldn’t be possible without charities that fiercely protect the parks and their wildlife.

I suppose you could liken it to a mother lion, protecting its cub. That is nature at its finest.