My father died suddenly October 8, 2015. A year without him went by so fast. The most painful days are his birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas .. any holiday .. but those who advised that the pain will always be there but so will the memories, the smiles with the tears ... they are right.
I originally wanted to spend October 8, 2016 in my bed, in my memories, in my mourning. A year without him went by too fast. But my mother was having NONE of that! She threw a Remembrance Party, inviting family and friends and encouraged me to get out of town. Find moments to smile about as I remember my Daddy. I decided to spend the weekend in South Luangwa on safari. After some high praises I made my reservation for Lion Camp (http://www.lioncamp.com/).
Lion Camp is quite far into South Luangwa National Park. They pick you up in a safari vehicle and tell you to prepare yourself for a 2 hour ride to the lodge. They also provide a cold bottle of water which is a pretty cool souvenir! On the way to Lion Camp it was HOT. And by HOT I mean I am sure the devil was breathing on us (I immediately understood why we were greeted with the cold water) haha but you do get to see wildlife roaming throughout the park on your way to the lodge which was pretty cool!
Staying at Lion Camp is quite expensive (see rates here: http://www.lioncamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2016-Lion-Camp-Rack-Rates-International.pdf) but is such a great experience and for this particular weekend I was willing to spend the money.
A typical day at Lion Camp:
5:15 am: Wake Up
6:00 am: Leave for morning safari
10:00 am: Return back to the camp
11:15 am: Brunch
After brunch enjoy a cool cocktail in or by the pool as you watch zebras, elephants, giraffes, etc. walk up to the creek, near the lodge, for viewing pleasure.
3:30 pm: Afternoon Tea
4:00 pm: Leave for evening safari
8:00 pm: Return back to the camp
8:15 pm: Dinner
After dinner everyone is usually exhausted! But maybe one more cocktail by the pool before going to bed early in an effort to be ready for another early morning!
The food was pretty good! And of course an open bar is always a guest favorite! My only 'complaint' is that there is no air condition in the very hot rooms ha ... a safari guide said this is because they want you to truly feel like you are in the bush! haha oh and I truly felt in the hot ass bush! But it was cool enough at night to enjoy a full night of sleep. I would just encourage you to sit by the pool with a refreshing cocktail in the afternoon versus trying to get in an afternoon nap.
If you know me, you know I was more of a fan of the evening safari - I am not a morning person! But my last morning there I did venture out and go on the morning safari. I will not present falsehoods to you. I spent most of that safari asleep, only waking up when I felt the vehicle stop. I oohhed and awwed, took a photo or two and went back to sleep! This being said, please enjoy the photos taken of amazing wildlife during my safari weekend!
DID YOU KNOW: Elephants have the largest brain in the animal kingdom!
DID YOU KNOW: A lion's roar can be heard up to 5 miles away!
DID YOU KNOW: Giraffe spots are like human fingerprints - no two giraffes will have exactly the same pattern!
DID YOU KNOW: African buffaloes are known to kill more hunters than any other animal in Africa! On our safari we watched a herd run away a lion attempting to prey upon one of them at the back of the herd!
Shout out: thanks for the laughs Bethany and Marita!
To close this blog, one of my favorite things about the evening safari were the gin/tonics with lime cordial while enjoying these sunsets! But every sunset provided me with a moment of silence, another moment to think about my Daddy. Sunsets represent not only a completion but also the promise of a new beginning. Yes, there is a moment of darkness, but after those dark moments, the sun - hope, newness, life - rises again.
The weekend was everything I needed. I had my moments of down time to be in thought and in my memories. I cried, I giggled, I missed my Daddy. But as you can see, I also had a great time! If you are ever in Zambia, find your way to South Luangwa Park - you will not regret it!
I originally wanted to spend October 8, 2016 in my bed, in my memories, in my mourning. A year without him went by too fast. But my mother was having NONE of that! She threw a Remembrance Party, inviting family and friends and encouraged me to get out of town. Find moments to smile about as I remember my Daddy. I decided to spend the weekend in South Luangwa on safari. After some high praises I made my reservation for Lion Camp (http://www.lioncamp.com/).
Lion Camp is quite far into South Luangwa National Park. They pick you up in a safari vehicle and tell you to prepare yourself for a 2 hour ride to the lodge. They also provide a cold bottle of water which is a pretty cool souvenir! On the way to Lion Camp it was HOT. And by HOT I mean I am sure the devil was breathing on us (I immediately understood why we were greeted with the cold water) haha but you do get to see wildlife roaming throughout the park on your way to the lodge which was pretty cool!
Staying at Lion Camp is quite expensive (see rates here: http://www.lioncamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2016-Lion-Camp-Rack-Rates-International.pdf) but is such a great experience and for this particular weekend I was willing to spend the money.
A typical day at Lion Camp:
5:15 am: Wake Up
6:00 am: Leave for morning safari
10:00 am: Return back to the camp
11:15 am: Brunch
After brunch enjoy a cool cocktail in or by the pool as you watch zebras, elephants, giraffes, etc. walk up to the creek, near the lodge, for viewing pleasure.
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| A view from my chalet |
3:30 pm: Afternoon Tea
4:00 pm: Leave for evening safari
8:00 pm: Return back to the camp
8:15 pm: Dinner
After dinner everyone is usually exhausted! But maybe one more cocktail by the pool before going to bed early in an effort to be ready for another early morning!
The food was pretty good! And of course an open bar is always a guest favorite! My only 'complaint' is that there is no air condition in the very hot rooms ha ... a safari guide said this is because they want you to truly feel like you are in the bush! haha oh and I truly felt in the hot ass bush! But it was cool enough at night to enjoy a full night of sleep. I would just encourage you to sit by the pool with a refreshing cocktail in the afternoon versus trying to get in an afternoon nap.
If you know me, you know I was more of a fan of the evening safari - I am not a morning person! But my last morning there I did venture out and go on the morning safari. I will not present falsehoods to you. I spent most of that safari asleep, only waking up when I felt the vehicle stop. I oohhed and awwed, took a photo or two and went back to sleep! This being said, please enjoy the photos taken of amazing wildlife during my safari weekend!
DID YOU KNOW: Elephants have the largest brain in the animal kingdom!
DID YOU KNOW: Leopards are strong and skilled climbers! After hunting, they usually carry their heavy meal far up a tree to ensure it is not stolen (usually by hyenas)!
DID YOU KNOW: Giraffe spots are like human fingerprints - no two giraffes will have exactly the same pattern!
DID YOU KNOW: Hippos are quite aggressive! Don't let their stocky bodies fool you. On land they can run up to 30km/18 miles per hour!
DID YOU KNOW: African buffaloes are known to kill more hunters than any other animal in Africa! On our safari we watched a herd run away a lion attempting to prey upon one of them at the back of the herd!
Shout out: thanks for the laughs Bethany and Marita!
To close this blog, one of my favorite things about the evening safari were the gin/tonics with lime cordial while enjoying these sunsets! But every sunset provided me with a moment of silence, another moment to think about my Daddy. Sunsets represent not only a completion but also the promise of a new beginning. Yes, there is a moment of darkness, but after those dark moments, the sun - hope, newness, life - rises again.
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| Sundowner during evening safari. |
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| Sunrise. The promise. |
**UPDATE: Lion Camp will unfortunately be closed until the season in 2018. They are closing to renovate the main areas and the chalets. If you are interested in doing safari in South Luangwa next season, I have heard great things about Flatdogs (http://www.flatdogscamp.com/)**
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| Me on safari! Next time, follow me on snapchat to see my memories as they are created: pmkenney79 |
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