Must See

Lusaka

Lusaka is Zambia's capital city, with attractions including the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the interesting Kabwata Cultural Village (devoted to the preservation of indigenous arts and crafts and displays of traditional dancing), the Lusaka National Museum and the Munda Wanga Botanical Gardens and Zoo.

Lake Bangweulu

A lake of breathtaking beauty, where the grey-blue waters disappear into the horizon, so that you can't distinguish the sky from the water. Used as a fishing source rather than a tourist trap, this lake situated in Luapula Province and Northern Province is well worth seeing.

Ndola

Located 320 km (137 miles) from the capital and just 10 km from the border with DR Congo (formerly Zaire), Ndola is the second-largest city in Zambia and the hub of the Copperbelt district. The Copperbelt Museum has collections of gems and minerals of the Copperbelt.

Ndola is also home to a number of monuments, including the Slave Tree (or Mukuyu Slave Tree) around which Arab slave traders held slave markets in the nineteenth century. Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial ten kilometres along the Ndola/Kitwe road commemorates the site where the then United Nations Secretary-General died in a plane crash on 18th September 1961 during the Congo Crisis. However, visitors should be cautious visiting the area due to its proximity with DR Congo.

The Zambezi River

This magnificent river - which also incorporates Zimbabwe and Mozambique on its path - boasts some of the most outstanding terrestrial and riverine wildlife and landscape in Africa. Its many tributaries and wetlands are home to an array of animal and plant species such as buffalo, eland, sable, black rhinoceros, impala and lion, to name a few. There is also the chance for fishing, or whitewater rafting and abseiling for the more adventurous.

Whitewater rafting trips on the Zambezi are considered particularly wild. Longer and quieter river trips lasting from one to seven days usually follow the Victoria Falls-Lake Kariba itinerary, with Lake Kariba also offering the possibility to relax for a week on a luxurious houseboat.

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls, described by the Katolo tribe as 'Mori-oa-Tunva' - 'the smoke that thunders' - is a sight of phenomenal beauty as up to 546 million cubic metres of water per minute plummet into the gorge below. The spray can be seen 30km (20 miles) away. The best place to view the eastern cataract, the boiling pot and the main falls is Knife Edge Bridge. Another good viewing point is Victoria Falls Bridge, which offers a view through the falls from one side, and a view down the gorge from the other. However, to fully appreciate the Falls' full magnitude and power, they should be seen from the air by small plane, microlight or helicopter.

National Parks

There are nineteen national parks in Zambia; however, many of them are not maintained and contain no facilities and few animals. Some (including the ones listed below) have high concentrations of animals and are popular with tourists.

Kafue National Park

Situated in central western Zambia, this is the largest national park in Zambia, covering an area of about 22,400 sq km (about the size of Wales) and is home to more than 40 species of wildlife, including elephant, buffalo, zebra, lion, leopard, kudu, sable and roan antelope, hyena, hippo, crocodile. It is also home to a small, rare antelope, the Lechwe, almost extinct due to poachers and now found mostly on the Busanga Plains.

Noted for its beauty, the park is bisected by the Kafue River, which attracts hundreds of species of birds and offers good game fishing.

Accommodation is provided throughout the year, although there are no guided safaris during the rainy season - November to April.

The Kasanka National Park

Located north of Lusaka, on the edge of the vast wetlands of Lake Bangweulu, Kasanka is one of Zambia's smallest parks, with an area of 450 sq km (280 miles). It is one of the only privately managed parks, and encompasses eight lakes and four rivers, the largest being the beautiful Luwombwa, which offers great opportunities for anglers. Careful steps have been taken to preserve the wild environment, with the revenue from visitors going to conservation and local community projects.

Kasanka is an attractive and diverse park with swamps and forest, home to animals such as elephant, hippo, reedbuck, waterbuck, bushpig, hyena, warthog, baboon, jackal, leopard and the rare blue monkey, which can be found in the forests that flank Kasanka's rivers.

The Lower Zambezi National Park

Located on the north bank of the Zambezi River in south eastern Zambia, 100 km (62 miles) downstream of the Victoria Falls, this recently established park covers an area of over 4,000 sq km. The river provides a focal point for attracting abundant wildlife including lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, hippo, buffalo, zebra, various antelope species and a large variety of birds. Canoe safaris and fishing expeditions along the river are popular and provide close viewing of animals in their natural habitat. Game drives and walks will often reveal big cats and, on occasion, the cheetah.

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park

Mosi-aa-Tunya National Park is the country's smallest National Park, covering an area of just 66 sq km (25.5 sq mi) and located approximately 450 km south of Lusaka. The name comes from the local name for Victoria Falls, and means 'the smoke that thunders'.

The park is divided into two sections: one that contains one of the great natural wonders of the world (Victoria Falls) and the other section the game park which lies further west along the riverbank.

Although small, the park is home to most of Zambia's more common wild animals, particularly the giraffe, wildebeest, Lechwe, impala, warthog, baboon and monkey. In the height of the dry season, elephants sometimes migrate to the Zambian side from Zimbabwe.

North Luangwa National Park

This remote park is one of Africa's most spectacular surviving wilderness areas. Covering an area of 4,636 sq km (1,790 sq mi) the park offers a unique experience for those seeking a truly, off the beaten track experience. Walking safaris allow visitors to get close to the wildlife in its natural environment, and often reveals elephants, leopards, wildcat, hyena, puku, impala, eland, zebra, baboon and velvet monkey. The park is particularly noted for its huge herds of buffalo.

There are no roads or permanent lodges in the park, and visitors must book in advance to enter.

Nsumbu National Park

Also known as Sumbu NP, Nsumbu lies on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika near its southern extremity, in Zambia's Northern Province. The 80 km of sandy shorelines provide the setting for three all-year beach resorts: at Kasaba, Ndole and Nkamba bays. There is also a small non-catered camp at Ndole Bay. Activities include boat rides and freshwater big-game fishing for the Goliath tigerfish (up to 35kg), the Nile perch and giant catfish (both up to 50kg and more). Swimming however is discouraged as crocodile and hippo are common.

It is possible to arrange visits into the surrounding bush to watch game. Animals seen in the park include crocodile, hippopotamus, bushbuck, warthog, puku, roan antelope, sable antelope, eland, hartebeest, buffalo, zebra, spotted hyena, side-striped jackal, serval, impala, waterbuck, reedbuck, elephant (occasionally), lion (occasionally), leopard (occasionally), blue duiker (rare) and sitatunga (rare).

South Luangwa National Park

Located 700 kilometres north-east of Lusaka, and covering an area of 9,050 sq km, this is one of the best-known national parks in Africa for walking safaris. The walking tours can vary in length from 4 hours to 3 days, with a camp with all amenities being pitched each night in a suitable area.

Visitors will be able to see a huge variety of animals including elephants, hippo, lions, zebras, black rhinos, giraffes, antelopes, buffaloes, monkeys, wild dogs and small herds of Cooksons's wildebeest. Jackals, leopards, bushbabys, serval, civet, antbears and wild cats may be seen during night time game viewing.