November 2007 Travel Zambia 51............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

52 Travel Zambia November 2007 Nkani Nkani Vakacha Vakacha Zambezi wilderness course EcoTraining, which has been leading Field Guide Training courses in South Africa since 1993, has now teamed up with Conservation Lower Zambezi to offer a new course in Zambia. The Field Guide Programme is a 28-day educational adventure. Participants will learn about nature and ecology from their wilderness camp on the banks of the Zambezi adjacent to the Lower Zambezi National Park. Learning activities include driving, walking, boating and canoeing. The course appeals to anyone interested in the African bush. www.ecotraining.co.za. Photographer’s tips Wildlife photographers must rapidly assess a photographic situation. Picture this: South Luangwa, the sun about to set, a small muddy pool, and suddenly an African skimmer appears. How do you capture it? Reposition to maximise the sunset’s reflection. Set zoom to 400mm. Cancel autofocus – follow-focus is unlikely to work in low light with a small flying bird. Manually focus midway down the pool, follow the feeding skimmer in the lens and just before it flies into focus release the shutter. Work fast: you get only get one shot per flypast and the skimmer will stop feeding as soon as the light fades. Philip Perry is a wildlife photographer based in Swaziland and past winner of British Birds’ Bird Photograph of the Year competition. His latest project is a long-term study of leopards. For a full portfolio visit www.pperrywildlifephotos.org.sz Livingstone looks local Discover Zambian culture with two new activities at Waterberry Lodge. Visit the sprawling Maramba market on the outskirts of Livingstone, with its dried fish, local produce and textiles, and see pots and pans being made. Or take a guided walk to the local village of Singanga where most of the lodge’s staff live. See how families prepare their meals, grow their vegetables, tend their livestock and build their houses, and enjoy a real Zambian welcome. www.waterberrylodge.com Safari Visitor numbers rising Zambia recorded 756,860 visitor arrivals in 2006, 13.2 per cent more than in 2005. Europe contributed 19 per cent of these, with the UK being number one, followed by Germany. South Africa provides the biggest short-haul market. During this time 42,907 international tourists visited the national parks, 19 per cent more than in 2005. South Luangwa National Park was the most popular, with 52 per cent of total visits, followed by Mosi-oa-Tunya and Lower Zambezi. DID YOU KNOW? Spotted hyenas are matriarchal. Clans are led by dominant females, which are larger than males. WATERBERRY LODGE Bringing up the rear MIKE UNWIN PHILIP PERRY