Zambezi Meander

Nomadic Road's October 2021 Zambezi Meander expedition was an eight-day, 3,000-kilometre overland trip across Zambia and along the Zambezi River basin. The route worked through dirt roads, soft sand sections and the occasional tarmac stretch, threading across one of southern Africa's least travelled regions. October sits at the end of the dry season, with the Zambezi running low and the bush at its driest. Wildlife concentrates heavily around the remaining water sources at this time of year. The Zambezi is one of Africa's defining rivers, and the 2021 expedition followed it for long stretches. The convoy passed Victoria Falls in its low-water October state, when the spray drops and the underlying geology of the falls becomes visible in a way the high-water months hide. Several days worked through Zambia's national parks, including South Luangwa and Kafue, with the convoy crossing paths with elephants, hippos, the occasional lion at distance, and the usual mix of antelope, baboons and birds that define a Zambian dry-season trip. The 2021 group included several repeat Nomadic Road travellers and a few first-timers drawn by the Zambezi route specifically. Driving days were long, with several stages crossing more than 400 kilometres of mixed-surface roads. Most nights were spent in private bush camps and small lodges, with evening meals around fires and the constant sound of the African bush at night. The October 2021 Zambezi Meander delivered Zambia at the end of its dry season: hot, golden, wildlife-rich and almost entirely off the standard tourist map. For Nomadic Road, the October 2021 Zambezi expedition reinforced southern Africa's standing as one of the catalogue's most visually layered regions, combining serious wildlife, big river geography and proper overland distance.