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Zambia General Information |
- Area: 752 614km²
- Capital: Lusaka
- Currency: Kwacha
- Climate: There are three seasons: Dec-Apr which is warm and wet, May-Aug which is cool and dry and, Sept-Nov which is hot and dry
- People: African (98%, including Lozi, Ngoni, Tonga, Lunda, Bemba, Kaonde, Luvale), European (1%)
- Official language: English (over 70 indigenous languages)
- Time: GMT plus two hours
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Zambia is truly a great holiday destination. It is home to the infamous Victoria Falls, one of the most popular attractions in Africa. Zambia is one of Southern Africa’s landlocked countries; sharing its borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. Zambia’s landscape can be described as flat terrain that rises to a plateau of 8,000 ft in the east. The climate of Zambia is generally very pleasant. The capital of Zambia is Lusaka and other cities in Zambia include Kitwe, Ndola, Livingstone and Kabwe.
At the border between Livingstone, Zambia, and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, visitors enjoy the sights of the incredible Victoria Falls and the beauty of the great Zambezi River. The Zambezi River is Africa’s greatest waterway, with extensive rapids and long streams which sustain hundreds of species of wildlife. In Livingstone and along the Zambezi River you will find some of the finest all-inclusive accommodations Zambia has to offer, with some breath-taking views of African wilderness – a terrific African destination, Zambia cannot be ignored.
Zambia is not only home to the Victoria Falls, but also to 17 other smaller waterfalls as well, and has a great variety of flora and fauna. Zambia is host to some of Africa’s greatest National parks. South Luangwa National Park, Kafue National Park and Lochinvar National Park are home to the continent’s biggest wildlife sanctuaries. South Luangwa National Park holds the greatest wildlife population in the world. Kafue National Park offers viewing of the major species of the continent and is the largest African game reserve. Lochinvar National Park is home to 400 species of birds and is a popular destination for bird watching safaris. Zambia offers many safari options for visitors who want a great variety of African wildlife.
Zambia is rich in culture and the Zambian population is made up of more than 70 different ethnic groups. Some of the ethnic groups are small and only two of these groups are big enough to constitute at least 10% of the population. The majority of the Zambian population is made up of the Bantu-speaking clan. Zambia’s cultural diversity is another reason that makes Zambia one of the great African destinations to be visited.
History & Background: A number of the Bantu tribes existed in the area when the Portuguese and the English traders and missionaries arrived in Zambia in the 19th century. Britain annexed most of Zambia in 1890 and it became known as Northern Rhodesia. Vast copper deposits were discovered, but little was left for the native Zambians after the independence in 1963 . The country was plagued by all kinds of economic and political instability, which mostly ended when Frederick Chiluba became president in 1991.
Best Game Viewing Months: Zambia gets its rains in the summer months of December through to April when some of the roads into various parks become impassable. May through to September is the best time of year to go on safari when the weather is cool and dry. October and November are hotter then the prior months but still dry so you can still go on safari as long as you don’t mind the heat. One of the main parks that people are interested in going to is the South Luangwa, the months of June, July, November and December are good for game viewing and August through to October is excellent for game viewing! In North Luangwa the months of June to August are good for game viewing and September and October are excellent for game viewing. Victoria Falls is at its fullest in January through to April but the better time to see the falls is August through to December as it’s clearer to see the Victoria Falls with less water being thrown up in the air! In the lower Zambezi the rainy season from mid-November to mid-March can make some of the roads impassable. Most of the walking and canoe safaris run throughout the year, and some of the Lodges close during the rainy season in this area.
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Main Attractions in Zambia |
VICTORIA FALLS
The less commercial side of the falls - Most tourists go to Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls, but few know that they can see the same spectacular waterfalls from the Zambian side. Many, in actual fact, prefer Zambia as an alternative as it is less commercialized and touristy' - while still offering the same activities like bungi jumping and sundowner cruises on the Zambezi...
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KAFUE NATIONAL PARK
Kafue National Park is the oldest and largest park in Zambia, and is the second largest national park in the world! It covers 22,440 km2 of land and offers an excellent collection of game and birds... Visitors travel to Kafue to enjoy the many fishing opportunities, as well as the vast and varying landscapes and beautiful scenery.
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These wonderful views can be seen from the marvellous and untouched Busanga Plains in the north, to the lush southern region that gets fed by the sustaining Kafue River.
Kafue National Park supports a diverse and immense number of wildlife. Animal species in this area include: lion, leopard, cheetah, puku, roan, oribi, duiker, tsessebe, kudu, grysbok, zebra, red lechwe, reedbuck, impala , buffalo and hartebeest, as well as warthog, bush pig, serval, hyena, jackal, baboon, vervet monkey, civet, genet, porcupine and mongoose. Over 400 bird species in Kafue include: wattled crane, purple crested loerie and Pel's fishing owl.
In the south the Kafue River runs into the Itezhi Tezhi Dam – a vast inland sea covering an area of 370 km2. This expansive watery area covers approximately 750 km2 during the rainy season, as there are numerous streams and rivers flowing into the dam collectively. This is a beautiful area surrounded by rocky bays, grassy plains and submerged trees. It provides a home for many hippos and crocodiles, and supplies water to elephant, buffalo, zebra and many other animal species. The dam also offers excellent fishing opportunities.
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SOUTH LUANGWA
South Luangwa National Park covers 9050km2 of land, and includes the vital and renowed Luangwa River. This park, with an incredible magnitude of wildlife, is known as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. This park changes through the seasons and boasts a vast array of vegetation and wildlife. Amazingly, the park holds over 60 different animal species and well over 400 different species of birds.
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Animal species include: leopard, lion, elephant, hippo , hyena, jackal, wild dog, crocodile, crowned crane, antelope, buffalo, zebra, bushbuck, eland, duiker, giraffe, impala, puku, kudu, baboon and vervet monkey. Bird species include: great white egret, black headed heron, open billed stork, goliath heron, crowned crane, white and yellow bill stork, pelican, saddle bill and marabou stork, European swallow, swift, Steppe eagle, Steppe buzzard, ground hornbill, fish eagle, and bee eaters.
The valley in South Luangwa boasts a wide variety of interesting vegetation, including trees such as; the mopane, leadwood, winterthorn, ivory palm, marula, tamarind and baobab...
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LOWER ZAMBEZI
The Lower Zambezi National Park is the country's youngest park. It covers almost 5000 km2 in area and it remains undeveloped compared to Zambia's older and larger parks.
The diversity of animals is less extensive, compared to some of Zambia's other parks. But, game viewing is terrific in this park because there is a great chance that visitors can get really close to the animals!
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The Park is situated adjacent to Zimbabwe's Mana Pools Reserve, and the areas on both sides of the river hold an enormous number of wildlife species.
The many varieties of game include: lion, leopard, elephant, hippo, buffalo, kudu, zebra, waterbuck, impala, roan, eland, warthog, crocodile, samango monkey, hyena, pocupine, civet, genet and honeybadger. The bird species include fish eagle, red winged pratincole, crested guinea fowl, black eagle, hornbill, Meyers parrot, Lilian's lovebird, quelea, carmine bee-eaters and narina trogon.
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LOCHINVAR NATIONAL PARK
Lochinvar National park is located in the south-central region of Zambia, halfway between Lusaka to the north and Livingstone to the south. The park, which was established in 1972, is the perfect holiday destination for all things avian, housing one of the highest concentrations of birdlife with over 400 species recorded in the area. The park has three distinct vegetation zones that include floodplain, grasslands and woodlands, offering a wide variety of game and sightseeing when on safari.
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The park lies in an area known as the Kafue Flats - a vast 4000 square kilometre floodplain of the Kafue River, regarded as one of Africa's most significant wetlands. With the rains from December to March come the migrant birds from the north, and the complement of water birds includes pelican, flamingos (greater and lesser), great snipe and marsh warbler.
Lochinvar is also home to an abundance of Kafue lechwe, an amphibious antelope that wades or swims through the Chunga Lagoon during the wet season. In the northern section of the Kafue Flats floodplain there are literally thousands of these beautiful beasts – a vacation highlight. As the floods of the wetlands recede herds move further north on to the grassy plains where they feed on grasses at the water’s edge.
The grasslands are the habitat of the blue wildebeest, zebra, kudu and buffalo, but most predators have been wiped out from the area. Lochinvar is not about viewing larger mammals. Rather it is the exceptional beauty of the park, and the incredible access to bird life that draws safari groups here.
In the southern parts of Lochinvar lie the woodlands, dominated by acacia and combretum trees, where safari groups head to see kudu, baboon, bushpig, vervet monkey and bushbuck. Highlights of any vacation here include the Gwisho hot springs and Sebanzi Hill, the excavation site of an Iron Age village.
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LAKE KARIBA
One of the world’s largest man-made lakes, regarded as an inland sea it is so vast, Lake Kariba lies in the Zambezi Valley on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Lake Kariba stretches back from the Kariba dam - something of an engineering feat built to produce hydroelectricity for both countries - for 290 kilometres and at its widest point measure 42 kilometres across.
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Considered one of Africa’s best kept secrets, Lake Kariba attracts untold numbers of animals, including Nile crocodiles (houseboats normally include a swimming cage for dips!), hippos and even herds of elephant. At the time of creation of a dam here, “operation Noah” ensured that some 5000 animals were rescued and relocated at Matusadona National Park on the southern shores of the lake, meaning that wildlife viewing on safari here is excellent. Lake Kariba is surrounded by mountains; forests fringe the shoreline, and a series of islands are scattered across the water.
As a vacation destination Lake Kariba is virtually unsurpassable. Lying at the downstream side of the lake, the little village of Kariba caters for holiday makers with hotels, restaurants and casinos and various hotels, lodges and houseboats surround the lake. Despite the malaria precautions one must take when on safari, there is little to worry or interfere with the swing of perpetual game viewing, water tours and island hopping, minus the crowds.
The best time of year to vacation in Lake Kariba is the balmy winter months of June to August. October is known as “suicide month” for its heat and humidity, even though it is one of the better months for tiger fishing. Spectacular sunsets, bird life and shoreline relaxation make Lake Kariba an essential part of any safari.
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