Plans Are Optional: The Lower Zambezi in Emerald Season
Living in Zambia quietly rewires your sense of normal.
What once felt inconvenient becomes routine. What once seemed like a clever workaround becomes standard practice. You learn quickly or the hard way that plans are more like suggestions, and predictability is a luxury. Life here nudges you constantly out of your comfort zone, into a space where flexibility isn’t optional.
Because something unexpected will always happen.
It might be a Southern Vine Snake casually coiled in your flower bed. Or a fully loaded truck stuck across your only access road, turning a simple outing into a logistical puzzle. Over time, your realise Bear Grylls is living rent-free in your head: adapt, improvise, overcome.
Our trip down to the Lower Zambezi during the wet season was, at best, touch and go.
Heavy rains had taken their toll on the roads through the Game Management Area (GMA). Sections had been washed away entirely. The back route? Strongly discouraged, with reports of deep washouts and vehicles getting hopelessly bogged made that decision easy.
So we pivoted.
Plan B: drive via Chirundu.
Plan C (if needed): park at Gwabi River Lodge and arrange a boat transfer across to Kasaka River Lodge.
The drive to Chirundu was, thankfully, straightforward.
A few practical notes:
Carry cash (Kwacha) for the toll gate
Expect a few police checkpoints - especially over the festive season, when hints for sharing the “Christmas cheer” aren’t exactly subtle.
Chirundu itself is a surprisingly convenient stop. The Shoprite there came through for us, we even managed to find a cooler box and filled it to the brim with ice. A small victory.
Once you leave Chirundu, the tar road quickly gives way to dirt
The road into the GMA during emerald season is a different beast altogether. What might be a straightforward drive in the dry season becomes an unpredictable, shifting landscape of mud, water crossings, and deeply rutted tracks.
It was, at times, a slow drive to Kasaka Lodge but nothing unmanageable. Thankfully, the worst of the washed-away sections had already been repaired, which made a significant difference.
That said, driving styles varied.
My dad had clearly tapped into his inner Lewis Hamilton and was considerably swifter in the Land Rover Defender. Whether the prop shaft or tyres appreciated this enthusiasm quite as much is another question entirely.
Meanwhile, Granny, the kids, and I opted for a far more leisurely approach... easing our way through rocky sections and muddy puddles with a bit more patience, and arguably, a bit more grace.
We stayed at Hippo Pod House at Kasaka and, quite unbelievably, had the entire camp to ourselves for the week. There’s something incredibly special about that kind of solitude.
The tented accommodation was perfectly lovely for four adults and two kids. And the swimming pool was a win.
The only real surprise was the kitchen setup. It’s completely separate from the main living area, and the refrigeration situation is… creative. Instead of a standard fridge, there’s a gas-powered chest freezer which, in practice, functions more like an oversized cooler than true refrigeration. It does the job, but with limitations, made more noticeable by the December heat, when the kitchen itself becomes intensely hot during the day. Not a problem, it’s just something to plan for.
If we were to do it again, we’d definitely lean more into non-perishable basics rather than relying heavily on fresh food.
One absolute lifesaver: ice. And lots of it.
Thankfully, you can buy ice at Royal Zambezi next door and not just a bag or two, but enough to keep everything properly chilled. Better still, it’s the perfect excuse to linger a little longer. Their patio makes for a wonderful spot to sit back with a gin and take in the river.
The team there were exceptionally hospitable and kept us well supplied with ice throughout the week. This made a big difference to our stay and the quality of our wine.
Details:
Accommodation: Kasaka River Lodge
