Day 208… Wednesday 18th October
5 hour drive to Kasanka National Park today. Entrance gate fees were a rip-off as too were the camping fees a further 12km into the park. The prices are not displayed and it was cash payment only. It completely wiped out our cash supplies but having committed ourselves, it was too late to turn back. The national park was very scenic with forest areas and no other vehicles. Saw plenty of baboon and my first sighting of Sitatunga (marsh buck). Campfire in the evening and total darkness at night except for a firefly (another first encounter). Not too keen on just how dark it gets at night. I have to confess to sleeping with the torch light on otherwise my eyes were playing tricks on me. Listening to croaking frogs and hippos at night.
Allen’s perspective…
What a flippin rip off! I had hoped that after visiting this park we would go and visit the memorial site where David Livingstone died, some 40 miles north, but knowing that also has an entry fee and that it would put us in the opposite direction of the nearest ATM (70 miles to the south of the park) we gave up on that idea.
The park charges you to enter, then to camp, and then an additional $25 per person to go and see the bats, since ‘apparently’ its dangerous and we need a guide… so no bats for now, and as far as I can see little in the way of animals.