Ten unforgettable memories from Southern Africa

Animals, breathtaking landscapes, magical moments… Passengers return from their safari cruise in Southern Africa with stars in their eyes and a collection of unforgettable memories. If we had to choose just a handful (which is almost impossible!) here are ten postcard-perfect moments.

The proof, seen from above. A spectacular rainbow appears almost daily over Victoria Falls, stretching across the 1.7-kilometre-wide waterfall between Zambia and Zimbabwe. In fact, it is not one rainbow but a multitude of rainbows shimmering in the sunlight through the vast cloud of mist rising from the falls, sometimes reaching as high as 300 metres.

Black and white against a backdrop of green and every shade of blue. In Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe, zebras seem to exchange curious glances with visitors. Behind them stretch vast grasslands, the waters of Lake Kariba, the fifth-largest man-made lake in the world, extending for some 220 kilometres, and the mountains that surround it.

Don't be fooled by appearances. The hippopotamus isn't yawning, it's roaring.

Its enormous mouth can open to an astonishing 150 degrees, sometimes reaching more than a metre in height. Its powerful jaws are armed with tusk-like teeth that can grow to nearly 50 centimetres long, strong enough to crush a canoe as easily as a straw. The undisputed lord of the waters, the hippo marks its territory with an impressive, almost silent roar.

At the heart of Impala Island, behind the windbreaks, the village gathers beneath a centuries-old baobab tree. It is time for music, dancing and celebration, a festival of colour where everyone has a place: women, children and even visitors. The excitement is palpable. The dancers' footsteps and the rhythm of the music send clouds of dust swirling into the air.

Water is the source of life and play. Every day, the elephants make their way to the Chobe River to quench their thirst. They drink nearly 140 liters of water daily. For the herds and families, it’s also an opportunity to splash around and spend time together in what feels like a joyful bath.

Time seems to have stood still. You’re being watched. There you are, just a few meters away from a lion that nothing seems to disturb. Impassive, his fur slightly ruffled, with the air of a calm father, the lord of the savanna, standing right in the middle of Matusadona National Park, commands respect. The question remains: is his gaze lost in the distance, or is it fixed, delightfully, on you?

There's an expression: "to walk oneself into the lion"s den." Is the same true in Africa with the crocodile? Not so sure.

The reptile's impressive mouth (containing between sixty and eighty teeth as sharp as knives) isn't just a formidable threat. When it spends a long time in the sun, the animal opens its mouth to cool off and lower its body temperature.

You'll easily recognize the silhouette of this bird, which here appears even more clad in black than usual. There's no need to go all the way to Lake Kariba to spot a cormorant with its wings spread wide, drying itself in the wind. It's not certain, however, that closer to home, the day often bids farewell with such elegance and poetry.

Welcome to Cascades Lodge. Its eight bungalows are situated on a private islet where only the occasional grunts of hippos, discreet neighbors, disturb the tranquility. On the banks of the river that flows all the way to Mozambique, at the borders of three countries (Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia), this luxurious base camp immediately opens the door to another world.

A play of shadows on Lake Kariba. When nature creates an illusion… Backlit, in shades of black and white, two impalas seem to merge into a single strange creature, as if sewn together by the silence of the early morning. The horizon line, a fragile seam between earth and sky, holds them together like an invisible thread.