Safari in Zambia

noticeably less commercial and pleasantly amateurish

Zambia is a substantial land-locked country in Southern Africa, best known for the Victoria Falls, but also with a handful of superb remote safari areas.

The country has long since been something of a secret backwater. Although it offers some superb safari, visitor numbers remain stubbornly low. The bottom line is that it’s simply not on most people’s radar.

Safari in Zambia is unusually earthy and involving. The lodges are generally more simple and authentic than in most safari countries, so they tend to appeal most to more outdoorsy and experienced African travellers.

Many of the better camps operate walking safaris which may include deliberate approaches to potentially dangerous wildlife, including elephants and lions. Night vehicle safari is also a particular speciality in some areas, a chance to see both some of the nocturnal creatures, but also try to catch the main predators when they are at their most active.

Those travellers who do make the effort to get here are rewarded with rare levels of intimacy and authenticity, ensuring that this is a country people really fall in love with and return to time and again.

The most popular area in Zambia is the Victoria Falls at Livingstone, combined with some superb safari locations, including Lower Zambezi, South Luangwa, North Luangwa and Kafue.

Most areas in Zambia are very seasonal and careful planning is extremely important. It is usual to primarily focus on the conditions in the safari areas.

The best time to visit the safari areas of Zambia is during the May-Oct dry season, when the wildlife is focused on the riverine areas and easy to find.

Within that period, May-Jul is pleasantly cool at night, but the animals may not yet be fully migrated back to the permanent water sources.

Towards the end of that period, Oct-Nov the wildlife should be at its strongest, but the weather is likely to be uncomfortably hot, especially at night. Bear in mind that most camps out in the bush do not have air-conditioning.

Getting around

Visiting and travelling around Zambia is relatively straightforward, with most locations being conveniently connected by scheduled light aircraft services. There are also options for overland transfers on a few routes.

The main safari hub for the safari areas of Zambia is the town of Livingstone, which provides access to the Victoria Falls. The international airport here has regular connections with Johannesburg and Cape Town. The capital Lusaka is also used as a hub.

Once in Zambia, the quality camps are most commonly accessed by light aircraft. Hopping around the country has become an integral part of the safari experience, it’s extremely convenient and can provide some fabulous low altitude wildlife viewing.

A few connections can also be done by means of private overland transfers, notably between Lusaka and the safari areas of Lower Zambezi and Kafue.

Where to stay

Zambia contains around 100 decent accommodation options, most of which are safari camps and lodges.

best for wildlife during the May-Oct dry season