Zambia
The land of the legendary African walking safari, Victoria Falls,the wild Zambezi River,abundant wildlife,and raw wilderness,all in one friendly country.
Blessed with awe-inspiring natural wonders, an abundance of wildlife, huge water bodies and vast open spaces, Zambia offers unforgettable holidays exploring the real Africa. Acknowledged as one of the safest countries in the world to visit, Zambia’s welcoming people live in peace and harmony. And here, in the warm heart of Africa, you will find some of the finest Safari experiences on the planet, including face to face encounters with Nature at its most wild.
Spectacular waterways provide adrenaline-thrills or a leisurely playground of activities for all ages. Seventeen magnificent waterfalls, apart from the spectacular Victoria Falls provide ‘cascade followers’ an adventure into the remote undeveloped rural areas where a taste of village life can be experienced. Spectacular daily sunsets are almost guaranteed.
Attractions
Kafue National Park.
Found in the centre of western Zambia, Kafue National Park is the oldest and largest of Zambia’s national parks. It covers a massive 22,400 km2. First established as a National Park in the 1950’s by the legendary Norman Carr, Kafue is one of the largest national parks in the whole of Africa. Despite its size and prominent location only two hours drive from Livingstone, it remains little-known and largely unexplored with vast tracts of its virgin bush still untouched. Thanks to its size and variety of habitat types the Kafue holds a fantastic diversity of wildlife .
In recent years the Park has seen a well-managed growth in the number of Safari Camps and Lodges that operate in and around the Park. This new interest has brought with it more visitors and investment to the area, notably in infrastructure with a number of well-graded roads and airstrips. As a consequence of the increasing interest and benefits in terms of investment this brings, the wildlife is beginning to enjoy an increased level of protection by the Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), always aided and supported by the operators in and adjoining the park.
Activities from walking Safaris where you will get to experience the African bush at its most intense. These safaris are usually overnight so you have the opportunity to camp in the bush. Balloon flights, at certain times of the year you can explore the park from an aerial perspective offering spectacular views of the terrain and wildlife. Boat safaris, the Kafue River offers a wonderful vantage point to view game coming to the edge of the river to drink or encounter water birds, hippos and crocodiles close up (quite safely!)
South Luangwa National Park.
Experts have dubbed South Luangwa to be one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and not without reason. The concentration of animals around the Luangwa River, and its oxbow lagoons, is among the most intense in Africa. The Luangwa River is the most intact major river system in Africa and is the life-blood of this 9059 km2 Park. The Park hosts a wide variety of wildlife, birds and vegetation. The now famous ‘walking safari’ originated in this Park and is still one of the finest ways to experience Africa’s pristine wilderness first-hand. The changing seasons add to the Park’s richness, ranging from; dry, bare bushveld in the winter, to a lush, green wonderland in the summer months. There are 60 different animal species and over 400 different bird species in South Luangwa National Park. The only notable exception is the rhino, sadly poached to extinction.
With about 400 of Zambia’s 732 species of birds appearing in the Park, including 39 birds of prey and 47 migrant species, there is plenty for the birdwatcher to spot, whatever the season. An interest in the vegetation of Zambia will enhance your experience of the bush. Some magnificent trees and plants grow in the Luangwa Valley and it certainly adds to the richness of one’s experience to be able to recognize the different tree species and to discover exotic wildflowers. Among the more common trees in the valley are the mopane, leadwood, winterthorn, the tall vegetable ivory palm, the marula and the magnificent tamarind tree, as well some magnificent baobab specimens.
Mobile Walking Safaris – you will be accompanied by a guide as you walk from one overnight camp to another deep in the heart of the park, along with the river banks, exploring areas where there are no roads so you are unlikely to see anything but wildlife. . This park is one of the best known for these types of safaris.
Birding Safaris – there is a vast array of birds in the park. A birding safari is usually accompanied by an ornithologist or an expert birding guide. Bird lovers appreciate the time to listen to bird song, twitters, and calls, while still enjoying the opportunity of seeing large game.
Boat Safaris – the South Luangwa River offers a spectacle of wildlife to view safely from the comfort of your boat. The Luangwa River is best navigated in the rainy season when it is fuller. The scenery is lush and verdant and hippos and crocodiles are everywhere, elephants will be common too but most of the other animals will not need to come to the river in the wet season so th focus will be on the experience itself more than game viewing but most operators combine boating and walks.
Mosi oa Tunya National Park.
The Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is situated along the upper Zambezi River. It includes the Victoria Falls and stretches for about 12 kilometres up the Zambezi River above the Falls. It is only 66 square kilometres, but there are plans to extend the Park further up river. Because the Park is small, it affords a wonderfully relaxing drive alongside the river for much of the circular route, and the wide variety of species can be easily seen. The Park provides a home for numerous antelope species, zebra, giraffe, warthog, and a variety of birds and smaller animals. Elephants cross the Zambezi and freely walk through the Park and the surrounding area.
One can take a very pleasant drive around the Park in a couple of hours and all the animal species should be seen at close quarters. Since there are no predators in the Park, the animals are very relaxed and afford some excellent photo opportunities. Visitors can drive their own vehicles through the Park or go on organised open-vehicle game drives.
Walks can be arranged in the park with an armed guard. If it is possible he will take you to watch the white rhinos from afar. Other animals are Hippo, Crocodile, Elephant, Buffalo, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Zebra, Waterbuck, Kudu, Puku, Impala, Bushbuck, Warthog, Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Genet, Civet, Mongoose (various) and an impressive array of birdlife.
The Victoria Falls.
Victoria Falls presents a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. In more modern terms Victoria Fallsis known as the greatest curtain of falling water in the world.
Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as, at the height of the rainy season, more than five hundred million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge, over a width of nearly two kilometers, into a gorge over one hundred meters below. The wide, basalt cliff over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a placid river into a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges. Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height, and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor prepared to brave the tremendous spray, with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls.
One special vantage point is across the Knife-edge Bridge, where visitors can have the finest view of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls as well as the Boiling Pot, where the river turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the Falls Bridge,Devils Pool and the Lookout Tree, both of which command panoramic views across the Main Falls.
The Victoria Falls have created a fabulous playground for thrill seekers, as well as lovers of beauty, tranquillity and relaxing pursuits. Known by many as the ‘Adventure Centre’ of Southern Africa, there is no shortage of things for you to do. Many of the tourists visiting the Falls are in search of adventure-based activities. It is also a major safari hub and attracts visitors from all walks of life. Apart from endlessly staring at the magnificence falls, if you are an adventure-junkie, you will not be short of activities during stay. If you prefer the culture, shopping and history of the land, Victoria Falls will also do well to accommodate your needs:
Attractions:
Bungee Jumping– best done off the Victoria Falls bridge (one of the highest and most spectacular in the world), the plunge will see you heading straight down towards the raging Zambezi River.
Abseiling, Gorge Swing or Zip Line– A little downstream from the falls suspended across the deep Batoka Gorge is a range of fun activities to thrill all the senses! Go by yourself or with a friend in the tandem option
White Water Rafting– The Zambezi River below the Falls offer a world class rafting experience as your guide steers your boat skilfully over 23 raging rapids. Or you can try surfing them on a river board. Kayaking in tandem or on your own is also available.
Scenic Helicopter Flights– your flight over the area will allow you to spot game from above and marvel at the incredible Victoria Falls. The zig zag swathe that the Falls have cut into the land over millions of years is astounding to see from this height.
Microlight Flights– if you’re keen for the wind in your hair and an exhilarating ride, a flight over the Falls in a microlight is unmatched.
Jet boats– thunder along the Zambezi River in one of the high-powered jet-boats and experience a fast-paced thrill along on the water’s edge.
Devil’s Pool– enclosed by rocks, This natural Pool is accessed by walking along the edge of the lip of the Falls in the dryer season. It is enclosed by rocks which keep you from falling over the 100 meter drop, but makes for excellent photographs.
Elephant Back Safaris– Tame elephants give the best view for spotting wildlife in the Reserve
Lake Kariba.
Lake Kariba is one of Zambia’s most popular attractions due to its vast size. In 1958 it became the world’s largest man-made lake and provided hydroelectricity to Zimbabwe and Zambia. The lake is 280 kms long and 40 kms at its widest. The Italian company who built the dam wall employed over 7000 men over six years to build, and during which 86 men lost their lives. In 1958 to 1964 during the filling of the dam, Operation Noah was tasked to rescue the wildlife that were getting trapped on the ever diminishing islands. More than 6000 animals were saved and relocated to the mainland during this time. As with most areas with such a great quantity of water, most activities in the area are based on the water
Many people come to Kariba to experience the beauty of this massive expanse of water which affords spectacular sunsets, watersports and good fishing. Kariba makes a great getaway from Lusaka as it is only a 3 hour drive. If you have never been on a houseboat, living on the water for a few days is certainly something to experience. Try fishing, gaming-viewing or just relax as you explore the vast lake or sip on an ice-cold beer as the sun goes down., cruising around the spectacular archipelago of islands located in the Lake and around the Chete Island game reserve. Lake Kariba is well known for its fishing and especially sport-fishing! The tiger fish is a very popular catch and the lake boasts the annual Tiger Fishing competition in May in search of this fighting fish. Bream are very tasty and are very common in the lake.
Lake Kariba’s banks are often lined with big crocodiles so it is best not to get in the water Its 2000 kilometres of shoreline offers a spectacular variety of estuaries that lead from the surrounding bush. The entire region abounds with bird life. Sadly much of the ’big game’ on the Zambian side of the Lake has disappeared, although this can still be found west of the Kota Kota peninsula. Hippopotamus and the Nile crocodile are frequently seen and if you are lucky, a variety of small mammals can be spotted.
