The Makololo Plains are broad sweeping affairs flanked by ridges of Mopani, Leadwood, Kameeldoring, Acacia and Jackalberry trees. In early Spring, before the rains set in they are stark and dramatic, although the first downpour will introduce a blanket of green. On the game drives and walks that are the staples of these safari holidays, we witnessed the extraordinary skills and passion of Zimbabwean guides. Obtaining a licence is no easy matter and requires a long apprenticeship under strict supervision. There are testing examinations that demand an encyclopaedic knowledge of birds, trees, animals, insects, bush lore and the micro-environment. Then there’s the development of the skills necessary for the huge responsibility of safely guiding tourists on drives, walks and canoe trails. To graduate requires fervour, dedication and in many cases, the instinct that is the birthright of many Africans born to life in bushveld villages. Foster, our guide for the duration of our stay at Makololo, had all these qualities in abundance. On our final morning he doggedly followed an obscure trail picked up near the camp, and tracked down a pair of lionesses – two of the few animals missing from our dance cards.

One of the corollaries of Sod’s Holiday Law decrees that at the peak of your enjoyment at any locality, when you are having the most fun, it becomes necessary to move on. And so reluctantly, I found myself flying over the barren moonscape that is Zimbabwe at the end of winter, en route for Kariba – the third largest man made lake in the world. The plane approached the broken jigsaw puzzle of shoreline, banked, completed a fly past to clear the broad dirt landing strip of baboons, and touched down.

Zimbabwe is a place of great contrasts, and nowhere is this brought into broader relief than Kariba. In its hyperactive waters, crocodiles lurk with malice aforethought, whilst hippo loiter without intent. Herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe and antelope roam the shoreline, followed by an eager cast of predators. And in the skies an air show featuring a wide assortment of birds will delight the most demanding twitchers. Tucked away in a creek a short speedboat ride away from the airport, is one those uniquely romantic travel bookmarks – The Water Wilderness in the Matusadona National Park. Ghostly trees that drowned when the lake filled point skywards, sun bleached and petrified, above the shimmering water. The atmosphere is surreal and hauntingly beautiful, a Salvador Dalian landscape minus the melting watches. And anchored in this unusual setting is a flotilla of charming, beautifully appointed houseboats with a central ‘Mother Ship’ where entertainment and administration takes place. Guests are ferried to and from their lodgings in a barge-like water taxi, or establish their independence by using the sturdy Indian canoes on offer.

On one of those balmy African evenings, the lodge manager Dardley, big in stature and personality, held court. We were all seated at an immaculately laid dinner table on the mother ship, after having climbed the upper cocktail deck to watch a flaming fireball disappear into a pyrotechnic sunset. The convivial atmosphere loosened inhibitions and repartee flowed along with the wine as an all-pervading sense of bonhomie took over. Laughter and good food were the currency of the night, and even hoary old jokes from the dim distant past were as debutantes in contributing to the merriment.

In addition to game drives and walks, Water Wilderness offers tiger fishing and cruises along the shoreline. We saw lionesses on a sunset cruise, rare black rhino on a game drive, and got heart stoppingly close to a herd of elephant on a walk. One needs a lot of confidence in your guide running into any of the big five on a stroll, and we certainly had that in Dardley. But we were having much too much fun, and once again Sod’s Corollary kicked in and it was time to move.

Cut to Mana Pools and Chikwenya, one of only four Heritage sites in the country, the others being the Victoria Falls Rain Forest, the Khame Ruins, and the Great Zimbabwe Ruins – very select company indeed. Situated on the Zambezi above a broad floodplain far below the dam wall, it is as lush, beautiful and serene, as Makololo is stark and dramatic. But the serenity is an illusion because in this neck of the woods, the animals hold sway. At night a bolshy band of right wing hippos and herds of extrovert elephants stomp around the camp, fully believing that the grass is greener closer to the raised tented chalets. Chikwenya owes its status to a unique eco-system that includes an abundance of Acacia Albida trees and Jesse bush. In winter the Acacias drop a bounty of protein rich pods, which attracts the vast and varied mammal population concentrated on the flood plains during the dry season.

There are two exceptional activities at Chikwenya. The first is an exciting canoe trail. Hugging the banks of the Zambezi, Kevin, a highly skilled river guide took us past hippos who looked as if they might abandon loitering in favour of serious intent at the slightest provocation. En route we enjoyed a spectacular tableau that took in the wide crystalline sheet of water edged with lush green forests, framed by purple mountains and set in a fiery sunset. The other special event was a nature walk with Sean, the camp manager who had a passion for, and an amazing knowledge of the insect world. Unlike the big- game walks at Makololo and Matusadona, this was a micro-tour that took in ant lions, air-conditioned termite mounds, spider webs and 101 uses for Baobab bark along with fascinating on-going dialogue about the local flora and mini-fauna. The small 5 you might say!

Holidays according to Sod, are the shortest units of time, and all too soon I found myself on an airliner bound for home, reflecting on a really extraordinary week. Each lodge had a singular charm and an atmosphere all of its own –I’m sure that there are as many moods as there are camps. But as a South African, who, like most of his compatriots believed Zimbabwe to be a complete no-go zone, I was bowled over by the degree of normalcy and the sense of security that Wilderness Safaris have managed to achieve in the face of the overall mayhem. Even choosing the Victoria Falls as the major entry point steers tourists away from the Harare alternative where the prevailing unrest would be more visible. The Falls are still one of the great tourist icons of the world, and any safari should end with a couple of days there. Ironically, I believe that the places I visited are amongst the safest destinations of the world. And you would be hard pressed to find greater concentrations of game or a wider range of safari experiences. Don’t take my word for it – contact us & find out for yourself.