Protea Lodge

After golf there was an opportunity to visit the Protea Safari Lodge. Located about 40 kms north of Lusaka, the lodge is surrounded by a small game park. Over coffee and a meal we watched a bushbuck and kudu graze while a couple of waterbucks lazed.

After lunch a short game drive took us to the lion enclosure where we stayed for a little while and watched as the lions did their stuff - principally just lying around in the bush.

Our journey then took us past some hartebeest and a few other deer varieties.

One lonely male elephant was also in the park....this once gentle elephant is now a touchy teenager and we needed to keep our distance.

The only other animal we saw on the drive was a lone tsessebe - and that was hidden away in the scrub. Couldn't see much at all, be he was there!

Back at the lodge at the end of the drive the female kudu was happily grazing on the grass and shrubs around the the dining area.

It was amazing to see this large and elegant member of the antelope family at close range.

What a day...and what a way to spend our last full day in Zambia.

Parays Game Ranch

Question:Where can you see Zebras near Lusaka?

Answer: Parays Game Ranch

Question: Where is Parays Game Ranch?

Answer: (Silence)

It is mentioned on various internet sites - but no address or contact details are given. It is not in the phone book. Many attempts to find information fell short.

Then we asked a local - one of the staff at the Officer Training College....he knew where it was...just 21kms east of Lusaka on Mumbwe Rd.

We found Parays Game Ranch, and we saw ZEBRAS.

The ranch has seen better days, but was certainly value for money. The cost 100,000 kwacha ($25) for four of us, on our own vehicle. Gilbert, our helpful guide, was included in the price.

Zebra, buffalo, impala and bushbuck were all we saw, but we had plenty of time to watch, take photos and enjoy the environment.

We have been to Africa and we have seen zebra - and buffalo!

Golf in Lusaka

Three months in Afica... three months without golf... three golf courses in Lusaka. With days running out the possibility of actually playing golf in Africa raised its head - so I checked out the golf clubs. As it turned out Lusaka was the best option...but getting information about access and cost was a problem.

Try the internet: no phone number and no reply to my email
Try the phonebook: no number listed
Call Zambia Tourism: their best advice was "Call directory information"
Call Directory Information: they gave me two numbers but neither of them worked!

So I rang a couple of the better hotels near the course - they had no contact numbers.
The most help I got came from the ex-captain of Chianama Hills Golf Club (his number was on the net). Roll up around 8 a.m., and it will cost around 60,000 kwacha. He was partly right...8.00 a.m. was a good time to roll up.

On the before we left Africa I fronted at Lusaka Golf Club at 7.30 a.m. Just on 10.00 a.m. I was in the clubhouse after playing 18 holes, with a score of ten over (no birdies, double bogey, bogey finish with 3 putts on the last!!!).
A nice course, relatively flat with some interesting holes, and greens that putted truly.

The cost...105,000 kwacha green fees, 50,000 for the caddy, 80,000 the hire of clubs, and 50,000 for a bag of pre-loved golf balls (and I used ONE!) - a total of around $60 AU.


Was it worth it? Yes, I have now played golf in Lusaka, AND supported a couple of Zambian families in the process.

Chik and Ester

Since one of the reasons to visit Zambia was thefriends who are working there we returned to Chikankata for a few more days. There must be some sort of irony in the contrasts...playing Guitar Hero III (badly) on a Wii, and visiting in the local market.

It was at the market that we met Esther. She had eight children of her own, but now cares for 24 grand-children. Seven of her children had died, and she has taken on responsibility for their orphaned children. No social security benefits, no government support...just a small plot of land to grow some crops, plus her own initiative, and efforts. One of those initiatives is a little restaurant near at the market.


In Africa there are many people like Esther - many of them grandmothers, some of them barely older thatn the children they care for. While there are many organisations that are set up to help the scale of the problem outwieghs the resources available.


We salute Esther, and those who like her care for children who are not their own, and need to work out how to most effectively make a difference in the long term.

Lusaka markets

There are markets aplenty around Lusaka and we made our second attempt to find Soweto Market. Third time lucky is the saying, but we found it on our second attempt.

Located behind Lusaka market is another area, and I must confess that we did not venture too far beyond the street. Instead of the temporary - shelters of Manuale narrow alleys lined by gray concrete brick walls that hid the small shops of the occupants. It must have been the combination of city and crowds, but for once I was not keen to explore. We did venture in to buy some bananas, but didn't wander as freely as we had in other places.

Some remarkable sights were still in evidence in the roads around the market...



Most memorable: sellers of plastic bags (Steve is on the left)



Most common: se llers of second hand clothes.