TOURISM WITH NDUBI MVULA

The Barotse Trails Route

 “If already in Africa or intending to visit here, you have succumbed to a condition for which there is no cure,” observes Noel de Villiers, the found of Open Africa, an alliance of individuals, corporations and institutions committed to optimising job creation through tourism and conservation in Africa.

In this week’s Tourist Destination, NDUBI MVULA looks at the new discoveries.

Ever heard of Afrikatourism? Well, this is a branding for the features and characteristics of Africa, for what can only be experienced here, in the land that is the birthplace of humanity and the custodian of most of the world’s animal and plant species.

Therefore, a new route has been launched in the south-western part of Zambia.

It is called the Barotse Trails Route, a community-based tourism route that roughly follows the Zambezi River from the Victoria Falls in the east, to the Ngonye Falls in the west. It was launched on May 2, 2006.

The route’s gateway is Livingstone in the east or Katima Mulilo if approached from the south and meanders through Mwandi and Sesheke before heading into the rural areas like Lusu and Sioma.

Apart from being able to delve into Livingstone’s rich history, the route provides visitors with the opportunity to interact with local communities in the untouched charm of their rural surroundings alongside the Zambezi, one of Africa’s greatest rivers.

The first thing one notices upon arrival in Zambia is the gentle and friendly nature of its people. It is also this aspect that stays with you long after you have forgotten the natural beauty the country has to offer. Zambia offers much in terms of natural beauty, highlighted by the fact that it has no less than 19 national parks, 37 Game Management Areas (GMAs) and two bird sanctuaries.

Wildlife is abundant in many parts of Zambia and you could be lucky and spot endemics to the region like the Kafue Lechwe, Thornicrofts Giraffe and Cookson’s Wildebeest. Birders will not be disappointed with 740 different bird species recorded in the country so far.

The appeal of the route lies in the combination of African remoteness yet to some extent westernised infrastructure. The remoteness of some of the areas mean that the villages have not yet been influenced by western standards, yet on the other hand, one is somewhat surprised that a lot of the area is accessible by tarred roads.

This makes it an ideal opportunity to visit one of the seven natural wonders of the world combined with the experience of visiting the as yet unspoilt areas further inland.

There is currently a yearning for people to return to their roots and to connect with their natural environment and this route gives visitors the opportunity to revitalise the soul as only the African bush can and to connect with the people of this area.

The history of Zambia is well documented in some ways through the travels of legendary explorer and missionary Dr. David Livingstone. Few people however are aware of the history before the arrival of Livingstone.

Zambia’s present population lives on lands that have been inhabited by our ancestors for millions of years. Archaeologists have established that the human civilizing process got underway at least 3 million years ago, and crude stone implements, similar to some of that age found in Kenya, have also been found beside the Zambezi River.

The route covers part of the area commonly referred to as Barotseland. The ancient kingdom of Barotseland, located in what is Western Zambia today, had its traditional heart in the fertile plains annually flooded by the Zambezi.

Since Zambia’s independence in November 1964, the heart of this land was known first as Barotse Province and, from 1968, as Western Province. Before 1964, however, Western Province was known as Barotseland, home of the Lozi nation, whose influence spread north from Botswana and Caprivi to the present day border between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and from south-eastern Angola west to the Kafue.

The nation comprised over 25 different peoples united by culture and ecosystems.

The annual Kuomboka ceremony, in which the Litunga journeys from his summer residence to his winter palace, has become a popular tourist attraction and is held around February or March.

The precise date would only be known a week or so in advance, as the Lozi king would decide on the exact date. Now that the ceremony attracts more visitors, it is usually held at Easter. If water levels are not high enough however, it will not take place at all.

Zambia’s contemporary culture is a blend of values, norms, material and spiritual traditions of 73 ethnically diverse people. Most of the tribes of Zambia moved into the area in a series of migratory waves a few centuries ago.

After Independence in 1964, the Government recognised the role culture was to play in the overall development of a new nation and began to explore the question of a national identity.

Institutions to protect and promote Zambia’s culture were created, including the National Heritage Conservation Commission. Private museums were also founded and cultural villages were established to promote the expression of artistic talents.

Zambia’s diverse cultures bring with them a wide variety of traditional skills and crafts can be found in great variety if not in abundance and among them is some of the finest basketry in Africa.

Basketry, practiced by both the men and women, is widespread. The many forms and raw materials used to reflect the environment in which they are made: bamboo, liana vines, roots, reeds, grasses, rushes, papyrus palm leaves, bark and sisal.

The Lozi and Mbunda people in the Western Province are particularly skilled in this field.

It is the men that usually do the woodwork and carving and produce canoes, furniture, walking sticks, utensils and food bowls as well as masks, drums and a variety of animal forms.

The potters are usually, though not always, women who work the clay and then fire them on open fires or pits. Visitors will be able to view and buy many fine examples of traditional craftwork along the route.

Few people are aware of the fact that one can travel on tarred roads all the way from Cape Town to Livingstone. When entering from the south you can either use the border post at Katima Mulilo in Namibia or make use of the ferry at Kazangula when entering from Botswana.

The ferry is quite an experience, but make sure to have all your documentation ready as they will send you back and entry could then take up half of your day.

“It would be a tragedy if the specialness of the African environment were to be consumed rather than consecrated, for it is the last of its kind that is left. With proper management and care, it could become the saviour of Africa and its people, the resource and characteristic that will mark the place of this continent in the global community,” said Noel De Villiers.