Wild about Africa...

Perched a few feet above the ground in an open-topped safari off-road vehicle, we felt a touch vulnerable as two young male lions strolled along beside us in the dark not more than ten feet away.

Our guides assured my wife and I that the powerful big cats were more concerned with marking their territory and assessing the possibility of finding their usual prey than to be bothered about a car-full of humans pointing cameras in their direction.

It would be easy to say that such a close sighting of the ultimate in big game was the highlight of a hugely interesting two-week break in Zambia.

But there was so much more to delight and inspire we intrepid explorers of this delightful sub-Saharan country rich in abundant wildlife of all descriptions, and its gentle welcoming people.

Our holiday was split between three centres intended to give us just a taste of the great variety on offer in this huge land with vast open skies that seemed to stretch forever.

Our first five-day port of call was at the South Luangwe river, staying at Wildlife Camp near the village of Mfuwe, perfectly placed on the river bank and a very short open-topped car ride to the South Luangwa National Park.

Flying down from the capital city of Lusaka in an eight-seater propeller plane, the vastness of the country had stretched out before us, and the ravages of a too-dry wet season were all too obvious in the dried-up river beds and dwindling amount of water in the vast Luangwa river itself.

Inside the national park, a vast tract of protected wildlife sanctuary half the size of Wales, every variety of wildlife was playing out its daily routine in the battle for survival.

Our own daily routine was to set out at about 6am for a four-hour game drive, slowly edging through the undergrowth seeking out the elephants, the giraffes, the hippos, crocodiles, zebra, impala, monkeys, baboons, bushbuck, kudu, and any of the more than 300 species of birdlife indigenous to the area.

Binoculars at the ready, and cameras constantly poised, each four-hour stint passed in double quick time with a flood of sightings and accompanying information from our very-wellinformed driver and guide.

Back at the camp, in the shade of the eating area thatched canopy, we took light drinks and a light brunch before heading off for a well-earned 'siesta' by the plunge pool.

Come the late afternoon, we were out on the game drive again, stopping half way through to watch the sun go down in all its sunset glory, drinks in hand, before setting off again to 'hunt' the game park's nocturnal wildlife with an arc lamp.

Our hosts at Wildlife camp, Patsy and Herman Miles, have huge experience of living and working in conservation and tourism in Africa, and 60 per cent of their profits are ploughed back into the natural resources of the region.

They work closely, too, with the local community, and we took one day out to be shown round the Mfuwe village to see the day-to-day survival struggle that people there have to endure. It was a sobering experience, but a joyous one, too, as dozens of very smiley children gathered round to laugh and joke with us, and proudly show us their very basic homes, school and the village water pumps that sustain them.

From South Luangwa, we flew to our second location on the Lower Zambezi, the mighty river that nourishes the heart of Zambia, and a smaller tributary, the Chongwe where our remote tented camp sat at the confluence.

From our huge canopied tent, with its open air en suite bathroom at the back, we could watch big game frolic in the waters just yards away.

Exquisite meals and drinks served in the open air made for a magical experience, especially at night with a nearby open fire and clear, vast skies twinkling with billions of stars brighter than you could ever hope to see in the West.

Our hosts, again, were warm, welcoming and infallible, providing game drives, day and night, in the nearby four thousand square kilometre Lower Zambezi National Park teeming with wildlife, and also taking us on a gentle canoe safari up the Chongwe to experience fantastic birdlife from eagles to kingfishers, heron, storks, bee-eaters and a great deal more.

And a morning walking safari we went on was as fascinating as the big game drives had been. Our unendingly interesting guide talked us through the symbiotic relationship of the bush life, from lion ants to termites, to the defence mechanisms of the flora, and the intricacies of the contributions of elephant dung.

At the end of the stroll, a temporary camp had been set up for us, where a long-hatted chef created a mouth-watering brunch, served at a full breakfast table under a huge parasol. Utter bliss.

All too soon, we had to depart from the serenity of Chongwe River Camp, and take off from the nearby dust landing strip to head for the more urban setting of Livingstone to the south, and the awesome majesty of Victoria Falls.

No matter what you ever hear about it, the 'Smoke That Thunders' as the locals call it, the Falls just take your breath away.

From close up, the roar of millions of gallons of water a minute tumbling over the escarpment across nearly two kilometres is deafening, and the spray that falls is like being in a torrential downpour.

But to get the best view, you have to get up high, and a 15-minute helicopter ride gives a fantastic panorama of the majesty of the falls. Hovering above the Zambezi as the still waters plunge over the massive precipice into the gorge 200 metres below is a mesmerising sight to rival anything you're ever likely to see.

The town of Livingstone has quite a few other adventures for the intrepid tourist to enjoy, from the serenity of a sundown cruise on the upper river, to elephant riding, to bungee jumping into the Zambezi gorge, horse riding , micro-lighting and, my favourite, white water rafting through 20 or more rapids of the gorge.

This all-day adventure was simply thrilling, nerve-wracking, exhausting and enervating in turns, ploughing down the raging river as it roared through the near-vertical rock sides 15 kilometres downstream.

At the end of the day, it was about all I could manage to return to our excellent Taita Falcon Lodge accommodation perched right on the edge of the gorge 12 kilometres out of town, with its fantastic view of the bubbling river 200 metres below the bar and restaurant verandah.

As the barbecue food roasted on the open fire, and we chatted round the glowing warmth of another open fire, it was time to mull over the excitement of another day in the intriguing African continent in all its stunning variety, and look back over what had been a truly invigorating holiday experience.

It set the two of us back a cool £5,000 but it was worth every penny.

FACTFILE Doug Akroyd's holiday was arranged and booked through Migration Holidays, The Trainers Office, Windy Hollow, Sheepdrove, Lambourn, Berks RG17 0DL. Tel: 01488 71140. Website: www. migrationsafaris. com