It's become clear right from the outset that our current trip deserves to be described in more detail than I had originally planned. I already have enough content and highlights to fill at least 6 weeks worth of ezines. So for the next several weeks, we are going to dig deep into our current Africa exploration, and I hope we can inspire you to consider a bucket list journey to this continent. We really are experiencing on a daily basis, our trip of a lifetime...

Here's this weeks Top 5 from our few days in Zambia.

1. Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma (above and below)
With just 12 treehouses and 2 private villas, our resort in Zambia was beautifully intimate. Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma is built on a dramatic bend of the Zambezi River in the Mosi Oa Tunya National Park, and 7 miles upstream from world-famous Victoria Falls. Every room has a view of the mighty Zambezi River, and you will see crocodiles and possibly hippos from your balcony. You will certainly hear the hippos, they are loud!

2. Game drives
From spotting elephants (above) very early on in our first game drive, to the giraffes (below) on our last drive on property, we were thoroughly spoiled with our wildlife sightings. Mosi Oa Tunya National Park has no big cats due to its proximity to Livingstone, so they would have to wait (hopefully) for Botswana, our next destination. The property offers 2 complimentary game drives per day, and it's usually an early 6.30am start for the morning in order to capture the best action possible, and a 4 pm start in the late afternoon to take you to dusk, the sunsets and again, more likely wildlife action.

3. A&K Philanthropy
It's very important to J5Travel that as much of our footprint as possible when we travel brings some good to the world. As with G Adventures who we featured a few weeks ago, Abercrombie & Kent have a truly excellent philanthropy program and have 48 different projects around the globe, all of which their clients contribute to, and can usually experience first hand themselves.
We met with A&K's Director of Philanthropy for Zambia, and their major work in the country is directed to a village just a few miles away from our hotel, and close to Livingstone.
Here A&K work has empowered women to own and run a successful bike shop, and a recycled gin bottle craft jewelry business. Also they supply 800 school meals a day (below) to the local Nakatindi School. This alone has pushed up education enrollment significantly.
Finally, the village now has a 24/7 medical center with a maternity wing, and this draws an extra 2,000 people from surrounding villages, it has been so popular.

4. Zambezi
From our morning cruise (above) to our gin and tonic sundowners on the northern riverbank (below), the river dominates everything in this part of the world. Wildlife is of course drawn to it, and even though Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana are experiencing drought conditions currently, the Zambezi is going to keep the eco-system working. A&K, who own the Sanctuary properties, operate a very small boat on the river with a maximum of 8 guests. This makes for a wonderful opportunity to get a little closer to the amazing sights, than most of the other vessels operating locally.

5. The White Rhino
30% of Zambia's entire White Rhinoceros population are in our photo below. That's right, there are just 10 left, and all in this National Park. How did we find them? They are under 24/7 armed guard and our guide is able to radio to determine their location. This is all down to poaching which remains a huge problem for several species who are well on the road to extinction. It has to stop, it's insane.
www.stoprhinopoaching.com 

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