Chattering and throwing monkey oranges on the roof of your cottage, the monkeys start your day before the sun does.
Stumbling out into the misty morning, a cup of coffee in hand, you watch as the sun rises over a broad snaking river. A breeding herd of elephant soundlessly descends the dusty bank to drink. The sun turns the glassy water pink, crocodiles stir and a fish eagle’s screech pierces the air. Welcome to Zambia - you have arrived in the wild heart of Africa.
Zambia is the home of the walking safari
The home of the walking safari, Zambia’s prolific game is especially exhilarating when encountered on foot. Elephant, lion, wild dog, spotted hyena, giraffe and puku are just some of the game you will see. Once you’ve approached a hundredstrong herd of buffalo on foot, game-viewing from a vehicle may never give quite the same thrill. At night there are drives to search for leopard, the spotlight seeking the reflection of its eyes in the undergrowth. Bushbabies leap from tree to tree and honeybadgers and porcupines can be seen foraging in the undergrowth.
Tree-climbing lions
From the tree-climbing lions of the Busanga Plains to the numerous hippo pods of the South Luangwa, Zambia is untamed, unexplored and as wild as it has ever been.
Big cats and safari wildlife
Zambia is a safari destination for the connoisseur, boasting a fantastic range of wildlife in its diverse national parks. All of the Big Five can be found in a single trip, with lion virtually guaranteed and leopard abundant. This superb array of game can be appreciated on foot, by car or on the water.
Birds
Zambia offers the full range of fascinating, colourful birdlife you’d expect to see on safari, with a range of water based birds in the Lower Zambezi and Kafue National Parks. The Bangweulu Wetlands are one of the few places on the planet where you can see the impressive Shoebill Stork.
Boat trips
An evening cruise on the Zambezi in Livingstone and game viewing from Kafue’s Lufupa River are wonderfully relaxing, but best of all are the water based activities in the Lower Zambezi. Drifting slowly down river, observing elephants coming into drink as the sun goes down is one of the definitive African experiences.
Night drives
With night drives offered in all of the major national parks, Zambia is arguably the best destination in Africa to observe nocturnal wildlife. The South Luangwa in particular is known for outstanding leopard sightings, and there is a tangible excitement to watching how wildlife behaves after dark.
Victoria Falls
By any judgement Victoria Falls is an awesome force of nature. During the wet season up to 550 million litres of water cascades over the lip of the Falls each minute, offering an intensely photogenic experience. The spectacle that so bewitched David Livingstone is still equally impressive today.
Walking safari
With superb guides and remote wilderness, the country that invented the walking safari is still the premier walking destination on the continent. There is nothing quite like approaching elephants or buffalo on foot knowing full well that you are a mere guest in their territory.
