Zambia Travel Guide

We did not have time to go and see some of the plains animals because of the time of the year. Other than that it was all good.

The travel from Lusaka into the wildlife areas was very simple and you were not having to travel long distances. Once inside the Kafue National Park there was a great diversity of wildlife and often you wouldn't see too many other tourists so sighting of the wildlife could be quite personal.

Many Parks, each with their own atmosphere and highlights. Zambia is the real Africa with Savanna areas, wetlands, large rivers and very dry areas. Tourism is less developed, which make it more adventurous but also very expensive if you are not ready to sleep in your own tent. It is nearly impossible to go to most parks without your own car. People are generally very friendly and easy going. Politically stable. No real urban highlights, although you could spend a couple of days in Lusaka without getting bored. Especially eating, drinking and markets are good (if you are into that).

Zambia is an amazing safari destination, of which you couldn't ask a whole lot more of.

Zambia has some amazing areas, and benefits from not being the most sought out safari destination like Tanzania's Serengeti Plains. Things are a bit more spread out, but that offers some great exploration opportunities. The locals are very kind and warm, and I have visited many of their home villages to hear their stories. The Kafue is also a great area to find the rare and elusive Sitatunga, of which I saw quite a few at dusk. There are some great lodges and tent locations in the area, some of which are permanent, with natural wood floors, stone walls, and traditional thatched roofs. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my stays in the area, and hope to return soon. Plenty of opportunities to view game, birds, or even the famous bat migrations.

A true "National Geographic" experience in every way!

Undescribable

Zambia is a MUST for any safari goer. From the people to the variety of wildlife it is an amazing experience. We travelled to Zambia in 2009 and 2011 (21-24 day safaris each trip) and we are returning again in August/September (2013) for nearly a month. Our favorite spots are the South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi. The diversity and abundance of wildlife is spectacular, only to be outdone by Botswana's Kwando/Okavango regions (and less expensive than Botswana). August and September being the best times for safaris with no chance of rain. Our favorite camps to date are Kaingo (we are going for a 3rd visit) and Chiawa (also our 3rd visit) the incredible amount of wildlife in these 2 areas make them tops in our book as well as staff and guides that are excellent. Food at Chiawa is 5 star as are the accomodations and guides. There are a variety of activities offered from canoe trips, to boating and fishing on the Zambezi, to vehicle safaris. Kaingo also has great accomodations, and now each cabin has its own little overlook of the river where lunch is served so you can enjoy the privacy and views. Kaingo has some of the best "hides" of any camp we have ever visited. we love spending afternoons at the hippo hide and getting up close to these magnificent creatures and the beeeater hide is not be missed especially in September. Chindeni and Chamilandu are also great in their own right, but wildlife is a little sparser in these areas, still the environments make these excellent camps in their own right. They offer walking safaris or vehicle safaris at all their camps. Both have excellent cuisine and all camps adapted their menus for my husbands "unusual food phobias". Transportation is seemless as all the camps work together to get you to your destinations, "no stress". We are visiting some of Robin pope's camps this trip as well I am hoping they too will be just as wonderful.

A beautiful, friendly place where simple things are loved and appreciated

We had a wonderful weekend trip from Malawi to South Luangwa. Our camp was set up on the banks of the South Luangwa river, where we could watch the hippos and crocodiles. The hospitality and our guides were excellent, and South Luangwa park is enormous so there was much to see. We were so fortunate to see many lions, including a mother and five adorable and active cubs who just played all around our vehicle! I will never forget waking up in the middle of the night to the sound "chomping" from outside my window, and peering out to see a gigantic hippo eating grass right in front of my window! There were several other hippos walking around the grounds as well, the natural lawn-mowers of South Luangwa! Later, still in the early morning, as they called us for breakfast while it was still dark, we could hear rustling trees and one of the staff trying to chase the elephants off the grounds who were blocking the walking path! All in all an unforgetable experience!

Some places are better than another.

Zambia is a great destination with Victoria Falls and many stunning national parks full of wildlife to visit. The only lowlight is a high cost of travel.

So many great places to be discovered, remote, beuatiful, huge rivers, great people.