Wild dogs, pizza, and canoeing on the Zambezi River.
Mana Pools chapter two
I wake up at 04h30 to a crunching sound outside. I’m barely awake but curiosity gets the better of me.
Iforce myself to get out of bed to investigate and in the dark I can just make out a shape approaching the tent. I struggle to make out what it is until it’s almost right in front of the deck. It’s a giant hippo.
It’s amazing to see such a large animal so close, even if the dark makes it difficult to see it well. I’m tempted to turn on the lights but am afraid to spook it and let it be. I follow it as long as I can until it disappears in the dark and listen until I can no longer hear its steps.
•
In the morning we’re off to an early start. Wild dogs have been spotted and we’re headed off to take a look.
When we reach the wild dogs they’re scattered about on the forest floor, mostly lazing about. Later, over dinner, I’ll hear about how they exist in a democratic society, where they vote by sneezing. When a dog is ready to hunt it will sneeze to see if others are ready. If enough sneezes are heard in return, they’ll hunt; if not they’ll wait until the majority is ready.
The study that determined this hadn’t set out to learn or test this theory. They were studying other aspects of African wild dogs and were curious why they heard so many sneezes over the course of their observations. Curiosity got the better of them and the study turned to determine what the sneezes meant.
I love being able to see the wild dogs; they’re a relatively rare sighting. With a population of around 6,600 they are among the world’s most endangered species.
From there we cruise around the park looking at various animals until we learn that others are tracking Boswell, an elephant who has learned to stand on his hind legs to reach the leaves on the upper branches of the trees in the park.
We head off towards the river to rendezvous with a few groups who are already on the ground. Our guide stops the vehicle and has us join him as we walk towards where the elephants are.
While we end up not seeing an elephant stand we do watch as they walk towards the river and step in, walking and swimming to a nearby island. We run into the group from the States who have spent the better part of their morning tracking elephants and chat quietly as we watch the elephants go about their business.
When the elephants have wandered further across the river we walk back to the vehicle and continue to drive around the park. I’m as happy looking at the landscape and the trees as I am the animals. I love being on safari, and just being in the park is a thrill.
We circle back to where the wild dogs were and find a few still relaxing in the shade before we continue on to discover a few small families of elephants. One set we find in a small mud hole, tossing the mud and water onto themselves to keep cool.
Back at the camp, it’s pizza day and we’re encouraged to make our own before they’re slid into the pizza oven. They come out quickly and we slice them up for our lunch. I’m extremely happy my visit coincides with this scheduled meal.
After lunch I relax at the camp, surprised by how many animals come right up to the deck as they walk past the buildings. Elephants and eland sniff around, eating dried leaves around the deck. Even from the bathroom I can see animals as an eland peeks out from a gap in the fence to see what it might discover on the other side.
As I continue to linger in the main lodge two elephants approach each other, entwining their trunks as if in greeting before walking off together back into the bush.
In the afternoon we head out once again into the bush, taking advantage of coolter temperatures sa the sun sinks lower in the sky. The light also improves, as the savannah becomes more golden by the hour. I’ve arranged to canoe on the river and we drive upstream to the spot where we’re to begin.
The canoes have already been set by the water and we’re given life jackets and brief instructions. There’s a family who are also canoeing, the daughter a photographer working with African Bush Camps to shoot the lodge and the experience. Her husband has a drone and she asks the guide if it’s ok to use it. Generally, drones are only permissible by prior arrangement, and there seems to be some confusion as the front office doesn’t seem to have communicated with the guides.
After that’s sorted she asks if I’m ok with the drones and being filmed. She tells me that the drone is shooting wide shots and that we’d be unidentifiable. I wish I had worn my better safari outfit.
The guides divvy us up and assign us to canoes and then we shove off, letting the current take us, using our paddles to maneouver us around shallows, obstacles, and to keep ourselves a safe distance from any hippos we might spot.
I’m excited when we find some elephants grazing on an island by the shore. It’s great seeing them from this low vantage point, and fun to see how their hides have become two-toned, dark up to where they had submerged themselves.
Paddling further, we spot groups of hippos in the distance, and listen as they call out and slap the water with their tails.
We don’t venture too far into the middle of the river, and as the sun approaches the horizon, we approach the end of our paddle. We head towards the banks and hug the shore for the last little bit of our trip.
Soon, I can see the vehicles that will take us home, but also tables set up for sundowners. We nose our canoes into the banks and other guides help pull them ashore and help us disembark before carrying them out and securing them onto a trailer.
Snacks and a bar have been set up for us and we’re asked what we want to drink. I ask for my go-to in the bush, a gin and tonic, and ask if there’s a local gin they can use. One of the many things I delight in is discovering the different gins produced by each country I am in.
Over sundowners I learn that the photographer’s name is Nikita. She’s from Windhoek and has brought her parents along for the safari. During the Covid lockdowns she rethought her career and rebranded herself as a photographer of lux safari lodges and hotels, starting Crisp & Khaki. I love her work.
We chat and finish our drinks as we watch the sun creep ever closer to the horizon. I’m asked if Iwould like a refill, and while I had planned to be one and done I can’t resist. The setting is too perfect, the company too engaging.
I ask Nikita if she has a favorite park that she’s visited. It’s Mana, she tells me. There’s nothing like the light here, she says. And the African Bush Camps are one of her earliest clients.
We stay until the sun is well-below the horizon and the skies are crimson and gold. I exchange contact info with Nikita who tells me I’m always welcome in Namibia. She has some recommendations for me as well that extend beyond the tourist trail I took before. I thank her for her hospitality and tell her I’ll begin thinking about returning to Namibia next year. I’m already thinking about coming back to Zimbabwe to explore the parks with a walking guide. 🇿🇼
— 11 Sep 2025
