NAMIBIASOUTH AFRICALESOTHOZIMBABWEZAMBIAKafue N.P.Lochinvar N.P.LUSAKASouth Luangwa N.P.Lower Zambezi N.P.BangweuluNorth Luangwa N.P.LivingstoneCaprivi N.P.toneVictoria FallsMAUNBOTSWANAChobe N.P.Kruger N.P.JOHANNESBURGWINDHOEKCAPE TOWN Drakensberg MountainsKgalagadi Transfrontier ParkSwakopmundMoremi Game ReserveSkeleton Coast ParkANTANANARIVOMADAGASCARCentral Kalahari Game ReserveMOZAMBIQUESWAZILANDIndian OceanAtlantic OceanLake KaribaIn focusWildlife guide to MadagascarClimate - ZambiaNick Garbutt is an award-winning wildlife photographer, author and friend of Wildlife Worldwide. Nick's images have been published in many books and magazines all over the world, and his own books have received wide critical acclaim. He's also a regular expert at our annual Festival of Wildlife holidays and is leading some photography tours for us throughout 2011. One of the regions Nick's particularly fond of and knowledgeable about is Madagascar. As such, we thought it'd be a great idea to ask him to write the Madagascar section of our brochure, as Nick and Wildlife Worldwide's travel guide to this amazing island. We're sure it'll whet your appetite to visit Madagascar with us. For more information on Nick's work, you can see him online at www.nickgarbutt.com Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecTemperature max (°C) 26 26 26 26 25 23 23 25 29 31 29 27Rainfall (mm) 231 191 142 18 3 0 0 0 0 10 91 150Top tip:November until May is the 'green' season in Zambia's Luangwa Valley with clear skies, spectacular sunsets, great offers and fantastic birdwatching. AprilApril until the end of May is wild dog season in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, for great sightings. Pages 16-21JulyEnjoy whale-watching during Madagascar's winter months (July to September) as female humpback whales congregate to give birth. Pages 50-55SeptemberMany migrant birds appear in southern Africa. Late September sees thousands of iridescent carmine bee-eaters re-establishing their colonies in the banks of the Luangwa and Zambezi Rivers. Pages 16-25October The last dry month in southern Africa as the heat builds - this is a good time to view game by the major water courses.15AFRICA | SOUTHERN AFRICA

Zambia16South Luangwa is the jewel of the country's national parks and comprises 9,050 square kilometres of unspoilt African wilderness. Its eastern boundary is the meandering Luangwa River whose regular changes in course leave characteristically scenic ox-bow lagoons. Set amongst beautiful riverine vegetation of evergreen mahogany and ebony trees, these lagoons and the 'grazing lawns' around them are a magnet to the park's outstanding wildlife. You can expect to encounter numerous large animals here - elephant, buffalo, hippo, Thornicroft's giraffe, lion, crocodile, warthog, puku, Crawshay's zebra, Cookson's wildebeest and eland are all common, and the Luangwa has the world's highest naturally occurring population of leopard. For the birdwatcher too, Luangwa could hardly be better. The sun-scorched riverbanks play host to vast colonies of carmine bee-eaters, which together with lovebirds and kingfi shers lend more than a splash of colour to this beautiful destination. Norman Carr Safaris HIGH OUR CHOICENorman Carr was the pioneer of safaris in Zambia and his lodge and bush camps remain amongst the very best in Luangwa. Kapani Lodge is the main property sited just outside the park on a beautiful lagoon over which is a shady viewing platform and al-fresco dining area. Each of the four bush camps is inside the park but two of them (Luwi and Nsolo) are located along the dry Luwi River, Norman's favourite game-viewing and walking safari area in the whole of Zambia. The camps vary from the simple (and arguably perfect) Luwi, to the luxurious Kakuli and Mchenja which are located on the bank of the Luangwa itself.Kakuli is the only bushcamp in Luangwa which is open in the green season from January to the end of March. At this time of year it is accessed by an exciting two hour river journey from the park entrance.Zambia is the place we know best; this is where we grew up, and the place that draws us back time and time again. Our founder and director, Chris Breen, lived and worked here, and ran walking safaris from two beautiful bushcamps in the heart of the Luangwa Valley. It is against the standards of accommodation and guiding in Zambia that we compare everything else in the world that we offer. Zambia holds our heart. It is a country with warm, welcoming people and smiling faces. It also has fantastic accommodation and good transport links. However, it is Zambia's staggering diversity that really makes it our number one destination. From the verdant grassy plains and fi rst-class walking trails in the Luangwa, to the tree-climbing lions of Kafue's Busanga Plains, and the canoeing and boating opportunities on the Lower Zambezi, this is 'safari par excellence'. In some places, you won't see another tourist. It is the way they 'safari' in Zambia that makes it all so special. Try it - we have lots of interesting suggestions over the next few pages, carved from our years of experience. In fact, we think that if you travel to Zambia, you will want to return again and again.. as so many of our safari-goers do.Talk to an expert 0845 130 6982South Luangwa National Park