1. Lagoons, Luxury and Elephant Shaped Soap
2. Fears, Feasts and Mud Fights
3. Insects, Sex and Sachets of Gin
4. On the Move, On the Stove and On the Hunt
5. Lie-ins, Lounging Leopards and Laws of the Jungle
6. Dung, Dust and a Midnight Snack
7. Wading, Wobbling and Fond Farewells
8. Candles, Crocs and Customised Showers
9. Picnics, Puppies and Crocodile Cookies
10. Sausage Fruit, Socks and a Lifetime of Memories

On the Move, On the Stove and On the Hunt

6am was becoming very familiar by the third day and the birds and monkeys were in full voice as usual. This morning we were going to walk to Chindeni so my bag was all packed and ready to be whisked away to my next port of call. A quick brekkie and we were off and, after another enjoyable walk, we arrived at Chindeni in good time for brunch. Marianne, our new host, came to meet us and showed us to our homes for the next two nights. I still can't believe that tents are made like this. En suite for a start (never had that in the girl guides!) with beautifully hand-painted wash basins and fluffy embroidered bathrobes and then a luxurious-looking four-poster bed in front of a spectacular sundeck overlooking the lagoon. Once again, the attention to detail and comfort was evident in every aspect of the room. My bag was already there waiting for me as a grabbed a quick shower and headed for brunch.

Marianne had concocted a mouth-watering spread. As well as the normal breakfast she had produced a delicious spicy pasta bake and a yummy apple and cinnamon pie. I was fascinated as to how she came up with food like this in the depths of the African bush and even more so when she showed me round the kitchen later on. All this amazing food comes from one tiny, wood-burning stove - barely one step up from a campfire. I couldn't imagine how she managed it, but the kitchen, for all its size was clean, cheerful and she and her assistant obviously knew their stuff.

I spent the afternoon on my sundeck watching the animals below on the lagoon. Afternoon tea was served at 4pm - so civilised - and then we all piled into the vehicle and headed off for a night drive. As the darkness crept on, James started to use his spotters lamp to scan the bushes, looking for an answering glint which would indicate some animal lurking in the undergrowth. It was a night for cats, Keennan said and sure enough, before long we came upon our old friends, the lion couple - still at it! . James spotted a delightful civet, on the prowl for some dinner and we caught a fleeting glance of the rare genet as it streaked away to the bush on our left. And finally James picked up the glint of a leopards' eyes in the undergrowth. Keennan ground to a halt and we waited, breathless with excitement to see if it would emerge. The absolute darkness of the African bush was now upon us and for a moment, I felt a chill of fear as I sat at the back of the open vehicle with only James' lamp providing a thin, insignificant beam of light on the bushes.

What happened next was undoubtedly one of the most incredible experiences of my life. As we watched, the leopard slowly sauntered out from the bushes and crossed over towards the vehicle. Closer and closer, with James' hands as steady as a rock on the light and then it sat down, so near to the front passenger door that he could have leant down and stroked the top of its beautifully marked head. Everybody froze, hardly daring to breathe, as it sat there for three, four, five minutes before deciding to set off for its night hunting and stalked off into the dark. We all heaved huge sighs of relief and excitement and then everyone started talking at once, reliving this closer-than-we-ever-dreamt-possible encounter with one of Africa's most awesome creatures. Fantastic, utterly fantastic.

After a few minutes, Keennan started the engine and we headed off in the same direction as the leopard. But our luck was over for the day and it had vanished into the undergrowth and wasn't to be found. We turned and headed back to camp, full of what we had witnessed that night. Luangwa had produced one of the most thrilling experiences of all our lives and as I fell asleep that night, the memory of that beautiful, powerful animal stayed with me in my dreams.

[continued...Lie-ins, Lounging Leopards and Laws of the Jungle]