The First Timer

Highlights
Livingstone and Victoria Falls
South Luangwa National Park
Lower Zambezi National Park

Day 1: Lusaka
First-time visitors may find Zambia's capital chaotic and bewildering. Although Lusaka is not particularly well suited to the traditional ‘city tour', it still has a vibrancy and pulse that is worth experiencing - even if that means just an hour or two browsing the local art and craft galleries. A short drive away are several private nature reserves that offer respite from the city's hustle and bustle. They include Chaminuka Nature Reserve (www.chaminuka.com), Protea Hotel Lusaka Safari Lodge (www.proteahotels.com), Lechwe Lodge (www.zambiatourism.com/lechwe) and Lilayi Lodge (www.zambiz.co.zm). All provide opportunities for game drives, bush walks and other activities. Chaminuka also has a wonderful African art collection.

Day 2: Livingstone
The most popular tourist centre in Zambia, Livingstone has lots of historical and cultural interest and is also the gateway to the Upper Zambezi and, of course, the Victoria Falls. There are regular flights from Lusaka to Livingstone, as well as daily buses and an express train that operates three times a week. Accommodation in and around Livingstone ranges from luxury resorts such as The Royal Livingstone (see page 107) to mid-range lodges and budget campsites. Along the banks of the Upper Zambezi are several lodges offering stunning views across the river. They include Sushi & Chuma (www.star-of-africa.com), Tongabezi Lodge (www.tongabezi.com), The River Club (www.africanadrenaline.co.za) and Stanley's Camp (www.stanleysafaris.com)

Days 3-5: Victoria Falls
Measuring 1.7km in length and over 100m tall, Victoria Falls is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site but is also the undisputed adventure capital of southern Africa. Using Livingstone or the Upper Zambezi as a base, allow at least three days to experience this natural wonder and adrenaline hotspot. First, take in the views on the Zambian side by following one of the walking routes that start near the Field Museum. The most spectacular crosses Knife Edge Bridge to a viewpoint of the Eastern Cataract. On the Zimbabwean side, reached by crossing Victoria Falls Bridge (where you clear immigration and customs), you will need to pay a fee to enter Victoria Falls NP. Walking trails lead through a rainforest (sustained by the spray rising from the waterfall) to several mesmerising viewpoints.
For the ultimate views of the ‘Smoke that Thunders', you need to get airborne. Keen photographers should opt for one of the regular helicopter flights, while those in search of something more daring can take a flight in an ultralight or a microlight - or bale out of a plane with a parachute.
Top of most visitors' wish lists of adventures at Victoria Falls is whitewater rafting. Allow a whole day to shoot the rapids in Batoka Gorge, downstream of the Falls. Although this is not for the faint-hearted (many of the rapids are grade IV or V, with VI considered commercial suicide), operators adhere to strict safety standards. There are several companies to choose from, including Safari Par Excellence (www.safpar.com), Shearwater Adventures (www.africanadrenaline.co.za), Adrift (www.adrift.co.za) and Bundu Adventures (www.bundu-adventures.com). If you still have adrenaline to spare the next day, consider bungee jumping off Victoria Falls Bridge (the operators, African Extreme, are located on the Zambian side of the bridge). If you've already peaked, however, relax on an Upper Zambezi boat cruise or take a game drive in Mosi-oa-Tunya NP - an excellent introduction to Zambia's wildlife. Before leaving Livingstone, be sure to visit some of the town's key attractions, such as the National Museum, Maramba Cultural Centre and, for shopping, the curio stalls near the Field Museum.

Days 6-8: Lower Zambezi NP
The easiest way to visit this beautiful park, renowned for its herds of elephant and buffalo, is to book an all-inclusive safari that includes transfers (either overland or by light aircraft), accommodation, meals and guided wildlife-viewing activities. From Livingstone you may be able to charter a plane straight to Lower Zambezi - otherwise, backtrack to Lusaka to connect with your safari transfer. The Lower Zambezi area has several lodges and camps, both inside the national park and in the surrounding game management areas. Options include Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro Bushcamp (www.chiawa.com), Kayila Lodge (www.safpar.com), Kiambi Safari Lodge (www.karibu.co.za), Mvuu Lodge (www.mvuulodge.com), Redcliff Zambezi Lodge (www.redcliff-lodge.com), The River House (www.tomax.co.uk/ zambezia), Royal Zambezi Lodge (www.royalzambezi.com) and Sausage Tree Camp (www.sausagetreecamp.com). A typical three-day safari at any of these will include game drives and fishing trips. However, the highlight of a visit to the Lower Zambezi is a canoe trip through the river's quiet backwaters, where you have an excellent opportunity to spot some of the park's 350 bird species, plus elephant, hippo and other big game.

Days 9-14: South Luangwa NP
The jewel of Zambia's national parks, South Luangwa has long been renowned as Africa's classic walking safari destination. Five days in this wonderful park (which is home to over 15,000 elephant, dense populations of hippo, leopard and lion, as well as the endemic Thornicroft's giraffe and Cookson's wildebeest) should be split between a traditional safari (in a lodge or tented camp) and a more adventurous walking safari (staying in rustic bush camps).
There are scheduled 1hr flights from Lusaka to Mfuwe airport, where your safari operator will collect you for the short drive to the national park. Accommodation in South Luangwa is generally upmarket and expensive - but remember that you are paying not only for high quality camps, meals and guides, but also for the complicated logistics of setting up a safari base in a remote, seasonal location. Companies that offer tented lodge and walking camp combinations include The Bushcamp Company (www.bushcampcompany.com), Kafunta Lodge (www.lwangwa.com), Norman Carr Safaris (www.normancarrsafaris.com), Remote Africa Safaris (www.tecc.co.uk/ bbs/remote), Robin Pope Safaris (www.robinpopesafaris.net) and Shenton Safaris (www.kaingo.com). The highlight of your stay will undoubtedly be the thrill of walking in the African bush. Following your guide and armed scout, you will be enthralled by tracking big game on foot and learning about small wonders, such as the medicinal properties of various plants and the often-overlooked lives of insects, lizards and birds.


The Africa Addict

Highlights
Busanga Plains, Kafue National Park
Nchila Wildlife Reserve
Kasanka National Park
Shiwa N'gandu
North Luangwa National Park

Days 1-4: Kafue NP
Similar in size to Wales, Kafue NP offers the Africa addict a taste of raw, untouched wilderness - and nowhere are the skies bigger or the wildlife more abundant than the Busanga Plains in the far north. Teeming with antelope, zebra and a healthy population of lions, Busanga has even been compared to the Serengeti. To make the most of your time there, join an organised fly-in safari from Lusaka. Operators include Busanga Trails (www.busangatrails.com), African Experience (email: ), Star of Africa (www.star-of-africa.com) and Chilongozi Safaris (www.chilongozi.com).

Days 5-6: Nchila Wildlife Reserve
Covering just 40km2 in the remote north-west of Zambia, Nchila is tiny compared to Kafue NP. However, what this reserve lacks in size, it more than compensates for with beautiful scenery, sensitive management and an impressive bird list. Nchila Wildlife Reserve (www.nchila-wildlife-reserve.com) can be reached by charter flight from Kafue. Full-board or self-catering accommodation is available.

Days 7-10: Kasanka NP
After returning to Lusaka, it's time to head east to another of Zambia's small gems. Kasanka NP is located on the fringe of the Bangweulu Wetlands, where it protects some 390km2 of grassland, woodland and swamp. During your stay at either Wasa Lodge or Luwombwa Fishing Lodge (both operated by the Kasanka Trust, www.kasanka.com), be sure to visit Fibwe Hide - renowned as Africa's best vantage from which to spot the rare sitatunga (a semi-aquatic antelope).

Day 11: Shiwa N'gandu
An impressive yet incongruous site in this part of Zambia, the red-brick manor house of Shiwa N'gandu was completed in 1932 by Lt-Col Stewart Gore-Brown who surveyed the region in the early 1900s. Accommodation is available at the nearby Kapishya Hot Springs through Shiwa Safaris (www.zambiatourism.com/shiwasaf), who can arrange guided tours of the historic landmark, as well as onward safaris to North Luangwa NP.

Days 12-14: North Luangwa NP
Only a few operators are granted licences to run safaris in this remote and little-visited park. Accommodation is limited to small rustic camps, such as Buffalo Camp (www.zambiz.co.zm) and Mwaleshi Camp (www.tecc.co.uk/bbs/ remote). North Luangwa, which is wilder and less refined than its popular southern neighbour, is an outstanding location for walking safaris.

The right time, right place.
To go on a walking safari
South Luangwa NP is flooded during summer (an exciting time for river safaris). However, many camps close during this period and have to be reconstructed each May or June when flood waters recede. Walking safaris are usually possible only from June to October. Days are comfortably warm and sunny and nights are chilly. Towards the end of this period, though, daytime temperatures can soar to 45oC in the build-up to the rains. If you can bear the heat, this is a good time to view wildlife as it concentrates around the shrinking lagoons.

To visit Victoria Falls
Although water levels vary, Victoria Falls are impressive year-round. Between March and April, when the Zambezi reaches peak flood, the clouds of spray rising from the waterfall are spectacular from the air - but close-up views on foot are often obscured. During the low-water period, from September to November, the cataracts dwindle and it's possible to raft to the base of the Falls.


The True Connoisseur

Highlights
Liuwa Plain National Park
Bangweulu Wetlands
Nyika Plateau

Days 1-5: Liuwa Plain NP
Just reaching this extraordinary grassland reserve in the extreme west of Zambia can be an adventure. Your options are limited to a self-sufficient 4x4 expedition (with a minimum of two vehicles and plenty of supplies and experience) or an organised mobile safari. Once there, however, you may be lucky enough to witness (during late October or early November) one of Africa's last great undisturbed animal migrations, when thousands of blue wildebeest arrive from Angola to give birth at the start of the rainy season. Lion, cheetah, wild dog and serval are also regularly sighted, along with plenty of zebra, buffalo and tsessebe.

Days 6-9: Bangweulu Wetlands
A long air transfer via Lusaka brings you to another of Zambia's more unusual highlights. The Bangweulu Wetlands are Zambia's very own Okavango - a ‘waterworld' flushed with vast herds of black lechwe and superb birdlife (including the rare shoebill). There are just two places to stay: Shoebill Island Camp is run by the Kasanka Trust (www.kasanka.com), while Nsobe Safari Camp is a community-run project (contact the WWF Wetlands Project in Lusaka). Both offer opportunities for exploring the area by boat, vehicle or on foot, depending on the season.

Days 10-14: Nyika Plateau
For some cool relief from the lowlands, the Nyika Plateau (straddling the border between Zambia and Malawi) is a magnificent highland region of undulating grassland - a refuge for a rare subspecies of Burchell's zebra, as well as some 435 varieties of birds. The best facilities are actually on the Malawi side, where Chelinda Lodge (www.nyika.com) offers a range of activities from game drives and walking safaris to mountain biking and trout fishing. However, the most exciting way to experience Nyika is on horseback. Chelinda caters for both novice and expert riders, and can arrange trips lasting from a few hours to several days.

Fact File
Checklist
Language: Officially English, although over 70 local dialects also spoken.
Time: GMT+2
Int. Dialling Code: +260
Money: Kwacha (Kw), currently Kw7598 to the UK £. Most lodges, camps and safari operators quote prices in US$.
Visas: Generally, all visitors need a visa (valid for three months).
UK tourists who travel on organised trips, booked overseas and in conjunction with local operators, are usually issued with fee-waived visas on arrival.
Getting there Airlines serving Zambia include Air Malawi, Air Zimbabwe, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways and Zambian Airways. The main international gateway is Lusaka, although it is also possible to fly to Mfuwe from Lilongwe, Malawi, and from Johannesburg to Livingstone with Nationwide Air. Long-distance coaches link Zambia with South Africa via Harare or Windhoek. The Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) operates a twice-weekly express service between Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Moshi, north of Lusaka. The MV Liemba runs scheduled services around Lake Tanganyika, connecting the Zambian port of Mpulungu with Tanzania and Burundi. Travel in Zambia can be simplified by making all arrangements through a specialist agent (in Zambia or abroad). There are several companies in the UK who can book a tailor-made package, including international flights, internal transport, accommodation and safaris. See the advertisers index on page 111 for details.
Getting around Various companies operate scheduled and charter flights within Zambia. Self-drive is possible, but if you plan to venture off the beaten track you will need at least two 4x4 vehicles, experienced drivers and adequate supplies. Inexpensive buses connect main towns and there is a limited rail network linking Lusaka to Livingstone and the Copperbelt.
Where to stay Zambia offers all forms of accommodation from five-star hotels and safari camps to budget campsites and backpackers, the latter of which are concentrated in Lusaka and Livingstone. As a rough guide, allow around US$250/day for a fully-inclusive safari camp and US$5/day for a campsite.
Eating out Most lodges and bush camps, even the remote ones, prepare sumptuous meals. International restaurants are available in Lusaka and Livingstone. Be sure to sample Zambia's staple dish of nsima - a maize porridge usually served with a meat or vegetable sauce.
Health Vaccinations for polio, tetanus, hepatitis A and meningococcal meningitis are recommended. You may be asked to show a certificate of yellow fever inoculation if arriving from an infected area. Malaria is widespread in Zambia. Begin a course of preventative pills before leaving home.
Find out more The Zambia National Tourist Board (www.zambiatourism.com)
The Zambia Wildlife Authority (www.wildzawa.com)
Zambia (Bradt Travel Guides, 1999)
Zambia & Victoria Falls (Globetrotter Guides, 2003)