Why Visit Zambia?

While the country might currently lack the tourist-friendly infrastructure of more popular destinations such as Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, it’s the relatively untamed nature of the experiences in Zambia that is attracting more and more visitors from all over the world.

So if you’re wanting to explore parts of Africa less travelled, here are a range of reasons why you should visit Zambia.

For the climate

Zambia has a sub-tropical climate with predictable weather patterns and temperature variations. Much of the country is at a higher altitude than neighbouring nations, something that helps keep the heat less intense.

The dry season usually runs from May to October, with sun-filled days and cool, sometimes frosty nights. This is the best time to plan a Zambian safari, not just for the more pleasant temperatures but also for the less thick foliage, giving you a better chance of seeing wildlife.

Temperatures peak in August through October, when temporary lakes dry up and bushfires are most common. November to April is the rainy season, with heavy showers transforming the landscape into something lusher and greener. It’s still hot and sunny, but rain can fall as regularly as every other day during the height of the season, which can lead to flooding.

For the wildlife and bird spotting

Zambia offers some of the best opportunities to view wildlife on the ground and in the air in Africa. There are 20 National Parks and over 30 game management areas which between them cover close to a third of the nation.

The variety of species you can see is jaw-dropping, particularly in Kafue, the most diverse of the nation’s national parks, and South Luangwa, perhaps its most famous park.

For off-the-beaten track experiences

Most Zambian safari experiences hark back to the old days, with accommodation more comfortable than flashy, appealing to those with a spirit of adventure and a desire for authenticity.

Many camps are closed for the rainy season as roads are difficult to access. This means Zambia’s wildlife communities don’t get quite so used to seeing humans as they might in other areas of Africa with year-round tourism. So you get to see animals in their wild, natural state.

Many of the nation’s national parks have remote areas ripe for exploration, including:

• Lower Zambezi National Park: A good place to spot lion, elephant, hippo, zebra and leopard, with the Zambezi River providing dramatic scenery and water based safari experiences, including the chance to white water raft on The Gnashing Jaws of Death rapids, which is every bit as thrilling as it sounds.
• South Luangwa National Park: Visit the place where the concept of the walking safari was hatched, and get as close to the wildlife as is safely possible.
• Kafue National Park: The largest and most diverse of Zambia’s national parks is home to rare wildlife and the Busanga Plains.

For fewer people

You won’t find anywhere in Zambia that’s teeming with travellers, certainly compared to Botswana and South Africa. Many of the country’s camps are small and intimate venues, some with as few as five tents.

Smaller numbers of visitors mean more unspoilt landscapes and more privacy and seclusion for you to enjoy. But as with all best kept secrets, word soon spreads, so now is the best time to capitalise on Zambia at its best, as tourism in the country is growing.

For luxury, minus the hefty price tag

You can expect to pay anything between $150 and $1,500 per person per day for a Zambian safari experience, with somewhere in between those two figures the average price. Much depends on the luxuries you want and where you want to go, with Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa National Parks, as well as locations around Victoria Falls offering more competitive prices than the majority of remote camps, such as those at Kafue, North Luangwa and Bangweulu.

For $300 a night, many of Zambia’s so-called mid-range camps offer all of the facilities you’d expect from somewhere a lot more luxurious, just minus a few of the trimmings that most people can live without anyway.

For Victoria Falls – one of the seven wonders of the natural world

Vic Falls is a thundering wonder of the natural world, and the holder of many records, including being the only waterfall on earth that’s over a kilometre long and more than 100 metres high.

It’s also the largest sheet of falling water on the planet, just a few reasons that make it a must-see on any visit to Zambia.

Unsurprisingly, plenty of places to stay, shop and take part in activities have appeared in the region of the Falls, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding the perfect accommodation and activities for you. You can even bungee jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge if you fancy it.

For the spectacle of the world’s largest bat migration

If you plan a visit to northern Zambia between late October and the middle of December, you’ll be able to witness millions of giant fruit bats arriving in Kasanka National Park. It’s truly a sight to behold as the sky fills with the black wings of these magnificent flying mammals.

For Africa’s second largest wildebeest migration

Head to western Zambia’s floodplains to see over 40,000 wildebeest migrate to the Liuwa Plains, an incredible sight that also attracts zebra and inevitably predators such as lion, hyena, cheetah and wild dog. Don’t miss this chance to see a major migration minus the massive crowds that flock to see similar events in Kenya and Tanzania.

For some of the best photography hides

Think Zambia if you want to capture some of the best wildlife photos. The viewing points in the country are so good that many are used by National Geographic and the BBC to capture spectacular imagery. Among the most popular are:

• Kaingo’s Hippo Hide: Located at water level where the Mwamba and Luangwa Rivers meet, it’s a great place to capture photos of hippo.
• Shenton’s Bee-Eater Hide: This is actually a boat moored next to a riverbank where bee-eaters nest, offering chances of close-ups of these magnificent birds in flight.
• Kaingo’s Elephant Hide: A treehouse style location overlooking a point on the Luangwa River where elephants regularly cross the water.

For the legendary safari guides

Zambia’s wildlife guides are rated among the best in Africa – which is no great surprise as the country is the birthplace of the walking safari. These slower paced tours give expert guides more time to reveal the secrets of the bush and go into more detail about their surroundings.

Shaddy Nkoma is renowned for sharing tales of his time living and working in the wilderness, while Derek Shenton is also highly regarded for his insights and conservation projects in the country.

For good quality conservation and animal protection projects

Zambia is home to a wide range of programs designed to protect the nation’s wildlife, and include:

• Zambian Carnivore Programme: Dedicated to protecting large carnivore communities
• Game Rangers International: Focused on helping wildlife authorities in the Kafue National Park
• Chimfunshi Chimp Sanctuary: A place where chimp and other wild animals are cared for and rehabilitated.

For a tailor-made Zambian adventure, choose Namibia Tours & Safaris

Here at Namibia Tours and Safaris, we can curate the perfect Zambian adventure for you, however many days you want to go, people you want on your tour and places of interest you want to visit. Contact us today and let our friendly team help you make the most of the unspoilt beauty of Zambia before tourist numbers start booming.