Zambia

Quick Facts

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Capital

Lusaka

Government

Republic

Nationality

Zambian

Population

10,307,000

Languages

English, Bemba

Religions

Christianity, Islam, Hinduism

Currency

Zambian Kwacha (ZMK)

Calling Code

+260

Time Zone

UTC+2

Introduction

Vic Falls - Zambian side

© All Rights Reserved Luis M

Like most African countries, Zambia's recent past has been marked by poverty and political instability and corruption. Spectators insist that Zambia has reached a new period in its history: a time of progressive, fair leadership and rising economic status.

Zambia's tourist attractions, however, are unchanged. The Zambezi river cuts through the west, veering east along the Zimbabwe border and finally departing the country through Mozambique. It and its notorious Victoria Falls (which straddle the Zimbabwe border and can be viewed from both countries) are one half of Zambia's attraction, affording opportunities for heart-pounding adventure and great photos. The other half is the country's amazing wildlife, which is both diverse and abundant. A host of excellent national parks offer safaris, be they at night or day, by car or foot. Lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, giraffes, baboons and buffalos are easily found. The country also boasts a magnificent array of bird species.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

Zambia is organised into nine provinces.

• Central Province
• Copperbelt Province
• Eastern Province
• Luapula Province
• Lusaka Province
• Northern Province
• North-Western Province
• Southern Province
• Western Province

Cities

• Lusaka - The capital.
• Livingstone - Located in the southeast of the country, this city serves as the gateway to the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls.
• Solwezi
• Kitwe
• Kasama
• Chipata
• Mongu
• Chingola

Sights and Activities

Zambia is gaining popularity amongst travellers who want to go on a safari and although many of the parks are more difficult, time consuming and expensive to visit, this only adds to the charm. You won't find 8 cars around 1 lion here.

South Luangwa National Park

Zebra

© All Rights Reserved wian

The South Luangwa National Park is 9050 square kilometers big and is located in the east of the country, towards the border with Malawi and is one of the finest parks in Africa with high densities regarding animals, especially around the central river. The park is one of the pioneers regarding walking safaris and nothing beats standing eye to eye with an elephants or lion, of course at a safe distance. There are around 60 different species of mammal, and over 400 species of birds, making it one of the most diversified parks in Africa as well. Access to the park is limted during the rainy season from the end of November until April, sometimes even impossible.
Mfuwe is the gateway to the park and flights to and from Lusaka are possible on almost every day and buses from Lusaka take at least around 16 hours and you will need to change buses as well.

Kafue National Park

kafue_leeuw

© All Rights Reserved liesjoen

Kafue National Park is the largest national park in Zambia, and the second largest in Africa, with an area of 22,400 square kilometers and is located in the central west of the country. There are over 50 different species of mammal to be seen here and hundreds of species of birds. The Kafue River is the central hart of the park, and is of importance especially during the dry season when water is more scarce. The park is easily reached by private car along the road from Lusaka to Mongu, but getting there by public transport requires some more planning. The Zambezian flooded grasslands in the north of the park is one of the highlights of the park, with many species like antelopes and along with them many predators, like lion and leopard. In general, the north has better facilities, like lodges and roads compared to the south, mainly because animal density is just higher up north.

Lower Zambezi National Park

The Lower Zambezi National Park is located in the southeast of the country, along the Zambezi River and close to the border with Zimbabwe. The parks mainly consists of woodlands and savannah with the area right on the banks of the Zambezi River being flooded habitat for most of the year. This is where most mammals and birds are to be found, like lions, hippos, crocodiles and elephants. Large herds of buffalos can be seen as well. The park is reached from Lusaka by car or plane, but facilities in the park are rather limited, with only one lodge and several camping possibilities. It is best to arrange things before you go here.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Zambia has a tropical climate with high temperatures and humidity throughout the year. Temperatures are usually around 30 °C during the day and still above 20 °C at night, although some places at somewhat higher altitudes might be slightly cooler. December to April is rainy season when much of the country, especially the national parks, are best avoided, as roads might be blocked and parks may be unreachable.

Getting There

By Plane

Lusaka International Airport (LUN) is located near the capital and Zambian Airways flies from here to and from Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo). Other airlines are mainly flying to neighbouring countries, but British Airways flies to and from London.

Livingstone Airport (LVI) might be of more importance for travellers wanting to visit the Victoria Falls. Zambian Airways serves the same cities from here than from Lusaka. South African Airways and Kulula.com both fly to and from Johannesburg, while Kenya Airways flies to Nairobi and British Airways to London directly.

By Train

Centrally located in Zambia, north of the capital Lusaka, Kapiri Mposhi is the starting point of a two nights trainride to Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian coast. From here you can travel further by boat or plane to the tropical island of spices, Zanzibar. The TAZARA (Tanzania-Zambia Railway) operates scheduled services twice a week. This 38-hour journey leaves in both ends of the line on Tuesdays and Fridays and arrives on Thursdays and Sundays.

By Car

By Bus

There are international connections from Lusaka to neighbouring countries, the main corridors being Lusaka to Harare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and to Gaborone in Botswana via Victoria Falls and Bulawayo. There are even buses that travel between Lusaka and Johannesburg in South Africa, taking about 26 hours. Most of these buses stop in Bulawayo as well. From Lusaka, there are also connections to Windhoek, taking about 27 hours and travelling via Livingstone and Botswana. Also, direct buses connect Lusaka with Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, taking almost 30 hours to cover the distance.

By Boat

If you want to avoid travelling through Zimbabwe on your way to or out of Botswana, you can take a direct service from Botswana to Zambia by taking the Kazungula ferry over the Zambezi River. From the Zambian side, there is onwards transportation in the form of buses to take you to Livingston.
Other possibilities of getting there by boat are to and from Namibia's Caprivi strip (across the Zambezi River) and to and from Tanzania, across Lake Tanganyika

Getting Around

By Plane

Chipata, Lusaka, Mfuwe, Ndola, Solwezi and Livingston are served by Zambian Airways. Several tour operators in the country organise fly in trips to national parks like Kafue, South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi National Park. Prices are high though.

By Train

Travelling by train is cheap and comfortable, but much slower than buses. It takes 15 hours between Lusaka and Livingston for example, twice as long as the bus.

By Car

Main roads are tarred and renting a car is becoming more and more popular. Bear in mind though that most roads are not of a high quality with potholes very common. Renting a car though is the best way if you want to visit parks like Kafue National Park, especially when you don't want to do an organised tour.

By Bus

Buses travel between all major cities and towns in Zambia. From Lusaka, examples include buses to Chipata (gateway to South Luangwa NP, 8 hours) and to Livingston near the Victoria Falls (6 hours).

By Boat

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