Zambia

Once the Cinderella of Southern Africa, Zambia has put on its best clothes and has come to the international tourist party in a big way (thanks largely to neighbour Zimbabwe’s decline as a tourist destination).

Before, Zambia was known primarily for its game parks; today, it has become one of the adventure centres of the world. Although Livingstone, its capital, is some 11km from the actual falls, so many lodges and hotels have now sprung up within walking distance of one of the most beautiful and awesome natural wonders in the world that the Zambian side can outshine the little Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls both in accommodation options and in activities. The whole Victoria Falls area, including the Zambian river bank, is now a designated World Heritage Site, so over-development will hopefully be kept firmly in check.

Zambia is widely acknowledged as one of the safest countries in the world to visit, and its peaceful people are renowned for their friendliness.

Don’t miss …

Although Zambia’s game parks are not as well-known as Kruger or the Serengeti, they are among some of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. South Luangwa, over 9 050km², boasts the most intact river system in Africa. It’s in this park that the original walking safari started. You can view over 400 different birds and over 60 mammal species and, including large herds of elephant and buffalo, although the rhino has been poached to extinction.

The concentration of game around the Luangwa River and its lagoons is among the densest in Africa. As you cross the river into the park, you’ll see pods of up to 70 hippos in the water below, and it’s claimed that there are at least 50 hippos per kilometre of the Luangwa River. Check out the zebras, which have different stripes to their southern and east African cousins.

Take time if you can to visit Zambia’s other 17 magnificent waterfalls by going on a Cascade Tour, which often takes you into remote, undeveloped rural areas where you can get a glimpse of village life.

Zambia also has more water than any of its neighbours, with five huge lakes and lots of rivers where the fishing is spectacular. Another great wildlife destination is Kafue, one of Africa’s biggest parks.

If you want to find out more about Zambia’s history and culture, then Livingstone itself has 368 cultural sites, covering a wide range of interests from archaeological and historical sites to traditional sites such as the Mukuni Cultural Village – which is the genuine thing, not a tourist trap. A visit to the Livingstone Museum is fascinating. Goggle at a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II dancing with the first President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, and see KK’s motorbike and lots of Livingstone memorabilia, including his medical instruments, one of his iconic caps, and a copy of the mangled armbone from the time when he was attacked by a lion. (He’s reputed to have said, when asked what his thoughts were at the time, “I wondered which part of me he would eat first!”)

But if it’s adventure activities you’re after, then look no further than Livingstone and the banks of the Zambezi. Choose between kayaking or rafting, canoeing or bungee jumping, river surfing or jetboating, pitting your wits against the savage tiger fish, and taking to the air in a microlight, fixed-wing plane or a chopper. If you’ve a head for heights, go abseiling, rappelling or swinging. Go horse-riding, or stroll along any one of the four walks in the immediate vicinity of the Zambian border post.

In the dry season you can walk across the Eastern Cataract to Livingstone Island for a snack or sundowner, and for the very intrepid, you can even take a dip in the Armchair Falls, which are right on the very lip of the Falls – not for sissies! If you’re a land animal take an elephant-back safari, or if you prefer one of the greatest adrenaline rushes possible, go whitewater rafting. There’s a spectacular one-day trip, claimed to be the best in the world, with class 5 rapids dauntingly called The Ugly Sisters and Oblivion.

Useful Links:

http://www.thebestofzambia.com/

http://www.luangwawilderness.com/

http://www.leopard-lodge.com

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