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Ana Tree Lodge
By Ilse Mwanza
'Ana Tree' - 'Faidherbia
Albida (Delile)' - also known as 'acacia albida', anaboom,
apple-ring thorntree, muchesi, munga, nsangu, mujagwe, but generally
simply as Winterthorn. This is the tree most commonly found in the
eastern Lower Zambezi National Park (in the western park it's the
Ilala palm, 'hyphaene natalensis') where it has formed veritable
forests.
Because
Winterthorn grows so profusely in the Chakwenga and Mushika areas,
it is no wonder that the new lodge is named after this tree. And
because elephants love winterthorn, especially when the tree is in
fruit, it's no wonder that the logo of the lodge is an elephant
reaching up into a winterthorn.
It takes quite
a while to reach Ana Tree Lodge, the last camp in a long line of
lodges and camps on the lower
Zambezi
(21 from Gwabi to Chongwe, 6 inside the park). If self-drive, one
can either go the long way around, via Chirundu and Chiawa, or the
adventurous way down the Makamba escarpment road (past the abandoned
Chakwenga gold mine), that starts 100 km east of Lusaka and ends at
the interesting salt-pans (only 15km from the lodge). Of course one
can also go by air, land at Jeki or (hopefully soon) Mushika
airfield, and be transferred by lodge vehicle.
Whichever way
you get there, it is well worth the trouble. The lodge with its
large central nsaka and four tented chalets blends well into the
landscape. The owners, the Zumla family, have spent tremendous time
and effort (and obviously lots of money) to get all the little
details right. I liked the quilt-covers, embroidered with feathers
or porcupine quills, the towels with embroidered logo, the rattan
furniture and the decorations, but I especially enjoyed having a
clock by the bedside, mozzie spray and air-freshener, and an
enclosed bathroom with louvred windows and laundry basket. Reading
lights and wardrobes are soon to come, I'm assured. Power is
produced by a combination of generator, solar and firewood.
 I
first become curious about this lodge because of advertisements that
had been running in the Lowdown and phoned the given number and was
allowed a look-see before it officially opened. We had driven
through the park, stopped over at other, older lodges, forded the
perennial Chakwenga and the sandy Mushika, and finally arrived at
Ana Tree. We were warmly welcomed by staff and temporary managers
Cathy and Granville, enjoyed a good coffee in the nsaka, then shown
to our veranda’d chalet.
The view is of
the Zambezi's floodplain area with glimpses of the main river, the
Mushika riverbed (dry and sandy most of the year), and of course the
winterthorn forests. Game wanders right through the lodge; lions and
hyenas call at night; and when the time is right the camp, is full
of applering-munching elephants.
Gameviewing is
mostly in the west, in an area that is shared with Kulefu and Old
Mondoro lodges. To the east there is only one gameviewing road, to
the Musensenshi River, but as it had not been completely cleared
yet, we could not go exploring. There is also a loop to the north,
to the Saltpans and the
Makamba Rd,
mainly inhabited by tsetse and not much game. The loop carries on
over the Chakwenga and on to the Jeki Plain; game appeared as soon
as we got out of the thickets (which too needs some clearing).
What is of
special interest is the history of the lodge and Mushika area. From
colonial times onwards until 1984 the area between the Chakwenga and
Musensenshi rivers was a GMA, a game management area - meaning it
was open for hunting. Mr Granville Potgieter, the contractor and
temporary manager of Ana Tree, told us interesting stories of him
traveling there in days gone past. In 1971 the area was named the
'International Game Reserve'. Circuit Safaris, a subsidiary of ZCCM,
moved in and fixed up the old
Northern
Rhodesia
game-scout houses, bulldozed access roads down the escarpment hills,
and it became a base for hunting safaris.
This odd state
of affairs did not last long. Due to increasing incursions from
Rhodesian fighters, the Mushika area became inaccessible and the
Circuit Safari camp closed and declined. Then the
Zambezi
changed its course and the Winterthorn forests spread, forming
impenetrable thickets and ring-fencing the old camp. The present-day
lodge is about 4 km north of the original Mushika Camp, though the
ruins of the old camp can still be seen during game-drives.
The eastern
LZNP sector was finally incorporated into the park proper after
Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. It took a while to clear land mines
and remove unexploded ordinance but finally the Mushika sector
opened for business in 1984. Alas, there were no lodges (until
Potato-bush [now Old Mondoro] and then Kulefu opened in the late
90’s), and only adventurous souls went driving and camping down
there. Now things are a bit more regulated (not much, mind you,
poaching is still pretty bad and ZAWA not too keen to proceed into
these remote park areas), and the area is popular with canoeists,
game-viewers and birders - but most of all with anglers and fishing
enthusiasts.
For bookings,
contact 01 287-508 or email anatreelodge@zamnet.zm |
July 2004