Travel to Zambia
Lusaka
Area Overview
Lusaka is a cosmopolitan city sitting at about 1,279 meters (4,196 ft) on a limestone plateau.
One in ten Zambians lives here, many surviving on selling their wares or services at busy markets. It became the capital of northern Rhodesia in 1935, and is the commercial center of the country, especially for trade in maize and tobacco.
There is a burgeoning local art scene, an elephant orphanage, botanical gardens, and a reptile park outside of town, but the city is surrounded by farmland and mainly serves as a gateway to game reserves and parks in other parts of Africa.




South Luangwa National Park
Area Overview
South Luangwa is 9,060 km2 (3,500 mi2) in size and has incredibly diverse landscapes ranging from dense forests of mopane, ebony and sausage trees to wide open savanna punctuated only by the occasional lonely baobab – all hugged by the wide and winding Luangwa River.
The river is the most intact major river system in Africa and the lifeblood of this park. The now famous “walking safari” originated here and is still one of the finest ways to experience Africa’s pristine wilderness firsthand. The changing seasons add to the park’s richness, from dry bushveld in the winter to lush wonderland in the summer months.
60 different animal species and over 400 different bird species live in South Luangwa National Park. The only notable exception is the rhino, sadly poached to extinction. Aptly named the Valley of the Leopard, it is widely considered one of the best places in Southern Africa to look for these elusive cats. With an estimated 50 hippos per kilometer of the Luangwa River, it’s a very popular destination for them too.




Sioma Ngwezi National Park
Area Overview
Sioma Ngwezi is a 5,000 km2 (1,930 mi2) national park situated in the southwestern corner of Zambia.
The park shares a fenceless border with a 35,000 km2 (13,500 mi2) Game Management Area, making it possible for animals to roam freely across a massive conservation area. The park is home to more than 3,000 elephants and several endangered species like roan, sable, wild dog, and cheetah. Among the common species you will find puku, impala, zebra, giraffe, kudu and so much more. Predators like lion, hyena, and leopard also feature within the park.
Avid birders can have a field day with more than 300 bird species to spot, including the secretary bird, African fish eagle, red-billed teal, and yellow wagtail.




Nsumbu National Park
Area Overview
Nsumbu National Park includes some of the most pristine shoreline along Lake Tanganyika, with scenery that ranges from sandy beaches, vertical cliffs, rocky coves, and natural bays to the rugged hills and deep valleys of the interior.
The Lufubu River winds its way through the park and empties into Lake Tanganyika, with two smaller ephemeral rivers running through it. Much of the park is covered by Combretum thicket, but along the lakeshore there are figs and candelabra trees along with strange and interesting boulders balanced on top of one another.
Roan, sable, eland, hartebeest, as well as buffalo and zebra and occasionally elephant, lion and leopard can be seen. Bushbuck, warthog and puku often frequent the beaches. The rare blue duiker, a small forest antelope, is one of the park’s specialities, along with the shy, swamp-dwelling sitatunga. There is a very large population of crocodiles, and hippos also frequent the shallow parts of the lake.
The area has excellent angling off the shoreline. Some of the better catches are the large Nile perch, goliath tigerfish,
catfish (vundu), lake salmon and the tasty yellow belly (nkupi). Occasionally the much sought after golden perch is
caught. The Zambian National Fishing Competition takes place here every year around March or April. Several world records have been achieved here.




North Luangwa National Park
Area Overview
Most of the Big Five can be found here, with the exception of rhino which sadly has been poached to extinction in the area.
This remote tract of land lies along the western bank of the Luangwa River and covers 4,636 km2 (1,789 mi2). There are very few camps in this park, and very few roads, making it in some ways one of Africa’s most wild and authentic safari experiences. As in neighboring South Luangwa, there is a long history of walking safaris here, and in parts of the park this is the only way to explore the bush, with game drive vehicles not permitted at all.
A number of tributary rivers run through the park and into the Luangwa which play an important ecological role for the area. The crystal clear Mwaleshi River trickles down the escarpment in a series of small waterfalls. It recedes in the dry season, leaving many pools along the way, drawing the animals from the bush to its banks in search of water. The landscapes range from mopane woodland to riverine forest, open grasslands and Acacia thickets with sausage trees, vegetable ivory palms, red mahogany and leadwoods.




Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
Area Overview
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is located between Livingstone and the Zambezi River, and at only 66 km2 (25mi2) is Zambia’s smallest national park.
It extends from the Batoka Gorge and continues along the Zambezi River, just above Victoria Falls. Livingstone itself borders on several ancient wildlife migration routes and river crossing points, some of which are still frequented by elephants. A few of these fall within the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, where wildlife can be found throughout the year, especially elephants during the drier months.
What makes this park unique in Zambia is that it’s the only wildlife area with white rhinos. These are closely protected from poachers by the scouts from DNPW (Department of National Parks and Wildlife). It is free from predators but its riverine forest and mopane woodland have a mixed variety of regular game like zebra, bushbuck, impala, warthogs, and baboons.
The park is home to the Old Drift Crossing Point, where ox-wagons were floated across the Zambezi before there was a bridge. There is also a cemetery where the first European settlers were buried.




Luambe National Park
Area Overview
Boasting more than 200 species of birds, this park is a true wonderland for avid birders.
Nestled in the heart of the Luangwa Valley, on the eastern banks of the Luangwa River is Luambe National Park, one of Zambia’s smallest parks at only 254 km2 (98 mi2). The park is located between the North and South Luangwa National Parks, and features many of the same bird and game species, just on a smaller scale. Although it is relatively less crowded than its more popular neighbours, the Luangwa Valley is slowly gaining in popularity, making this an optimal time to experience the peace and tranquillity of the untouched African wilderness without the usual tourist crowds and routes.
Some of the top bird species include the martial eagle, tawny eagle, and the African fish eagle. Keep an eye out for rare species like the African skimmer, racket-tailed roller, and Pel’s fishing owl that also feature within the park.




Lower Zambezi National Park
Area Overview
The riverine woodland includes ebony, fig, and Albida trees, whose seed pods are a huge attraction to the elephants and browsing animals.
Lower Zambezi National Park covers an area of 4,092 km2 (1,580 mi2), with game concentrated on the valley floor. There is an escarpment along the northern end which acts as a physical barrier to most of the park’s resident wildlife, and enormous herds of elephant, some up to 100 strong, are often seen at the river’s edge. Further inland is a floodplain fringed with Mopane forest interspersed with winter thorns and huge Acacias.
The hills which form the backdrop to the park are covered in broadleaf woodland and on the opposite bank of the river lies Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools. Animals can be seen crossing from one side to the other.




Livingstone
Area Overview
This laidback and friendly border town on the edge of the Zambezi River is named after famous Scottish explorer and missionary Sir David Livingstone, the first non-Zambian to encounter the majestic Victoria Falls in 1855.
It serves as a hub for exploring the further reaches of Zambia and offers a multitude of activities for adrenaline junkies, including white water rafting, gorge swinging, jet boating, microlight plane rides, elephant back safaris, and bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge which, at 111 meters (364 ft), is one of the highest bridge jumps in the world.
While fisherman angle for Tigerfish upstream, downstream the Zambezi River rages with up to grade 5 rapids, such as the aptly named ‘overland truck eater.’ During the drier months, a rock pool known as Devil’s Pool forms on the edge of the Falls, creating the ultimate infinity pool. During a full moon, especially from June to August, visitors have the chance to witness a lunar rainbow over the Falls at night.



