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Zambia
Awarded Best in Travel 2023
About Best In Travel 2023The rewards of traveling in Zambia are those of exploring remote, mesmerizing wilderness as full of an astonishing diversity of wildlife as any part of Southern Africa. Adventures undertaken here will lead you deep into the bush where animals, both predators and prey, wander through unfenced camps, where night-time means swapping stories around the fire and where the human footprint is nowhere to be seen. Where one day you can canoe down a wide, placid river and the next raft through the raging rapids near world-famous Victoria Falls.
Though landlocked, three great rivers – the Kafue, the Luangwa and the Zambezi – flow through Zambia, defining both its geography and the rhythms of life for many of its people. For the independent traveler, however, Zambia is a logistical challenge, because of its sheer size, dilapidated road network and upmarket facilities. For those who do venture here, the relative lack of crowds means an even more satisfying journey.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Zambia.
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Devil's Pool
One of the most thrilling experiences – not only at the falls but in all of Africa – is the hair-raising journey to Livingstone Island. Here you will bathe in Devil's Pool – nature’s ultimate infinity pool, set directly on the edge of the Victoria Falls. You can leap into the pool and then poke your head over the edge to get an extraordinary view of the 100m drop. Here also you'll see the plaque marking the spot where David Livingstone first sighted the falls. You can only visit Livingstone Island as part of a tour, and swimming in Devil's Pool is only possible during the drier months, usually from the middle of August to mid January. Five trips depart daily by boat to Livingstone Island, from where you'll swim to Devil's Pools. When the water is low around October and November, you’re able to access it via walking across, but a guide is compulsory. Note that access to the island is closed from around March to May when the water levels are too high. Prices start at US$90 which includes a full English Breakfast, US$158 for lunch or US$133 for high tea, including alcohol.
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Victoria Falls World Heritage National Monument Site
This is what you're here for: the mighty Victoria Falls! It's a part of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, located 11km outside town before the Zambia border crossing. From the centre, a network of paths leads through thick vegetation to various viewpoints. For close-up views of the Eastern Cataract, nothing beats the hair-raising (and hair-wetting) walk across the footbridge, through swirling clouds of mist, to a sheer buttress called the Knife Edge. If the water is low, or the wind is favourable, you’ll be treated to a magnificent view of the falls as well as the yawning abyss below. Otherwise, your vision (and your clothes) will be drenched by spray. Then you can walk down a steep track to the banks of the great Zambezi to see the huge whirlpool called the Boiling Pot. Watch out for cheeky baboons. Note during the dry season (from August to January) the water flow can be low to non-existent, in which case it's recommended that you cross over to the Zimbabwe side for a look at the main falls; visas are available at the border. When there's a full moon (and just before and after) the park is open in the evenings in order to see the amazing lunar rainbow.
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Lusaka National Park
The idea of seeing a rhino in the wild just 15km from the capital seems absurd, but this new national park (opened in 2015) allows you to do just that. Set over 46 sq km, it's home to eland, zebra, giraffe and wildebeest, among others. But it's the white rhino that brings people here. While you'll be able to tick it off from the list of Big Five, most likely you'll see them in their holding pen, so it can feel more like a zoo than national park. Imported from South Africa, the rhino are dehorned for anti-poaching purposes and guarded 24 hours a day. They spend most of the time roaming, but are fed in their pen – so it's a good idea to call ahead to ensure you see them. All up it's a nice retreat from town, but with the nearby power station at the park's entry, it's not the most pristine of locations. Theoretically it has bikes to rent, but in practice they're rarely available. It's located 4.5km off Leopards Hill Rd.
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Wildlife Discovery Centre
On the southern outskirts of town is this center set up by Game Rangers International (a Zambian conservationist NGO), which just opened the relocated elephant nursery that moved from Lilayi Lodge in 2022 and works with rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned elephants in Kafue National Park. They are open seven days a week from 9am to 3pm, and elephant viewing happens daily from 11:45am to 1pm. Entry is US$15 for adults; prices vary for residents and citizens. The center also runs sponsored 'Kids for Conservation' programs for children from under-resourced schools in Zambia.
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Livingstone Museum
The excellent Livingstone Museum is the oldest, largest and best museum in the country. It's divided into sections covering archaeology, history, ethnography and natural history. Highlights include its collection of original David Livingstone memorabilia (including signed letters), tribal artefacts (from bark cloth to witchcraft exhibits), a life-sized model of an African village, taxidermy displays and coverage of modern-day Zambian history.
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Shiwa House
The main draw to the area is the surreal sight of Shiwa House, a massive English-style manor materialising seemingly out of nowhere in the middle of rural Zambia. Built in the 1920s, the decaying grand mansion built on a stately lawn is full of old family heirlooms, photographs and stories. There are guided tours of the estate (or there's a self-guided option with booklet), which include a wildlife drive to spot the property's 24 mammal species including puku, kudu, zebra and wildebeest. Shiwa is also an important birdwatching area with about 380 species recorded here, including long-toed fluff tails, palm-nut vultures, and, by the lake, pygmy geese, herons and kingfishers. Animal lovers should be aware it doubles as a game lodge, however it's not something you'll encounter on a visit here. It's located 6km off the Great North Rd.
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Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
This park is divided into two sections: the Victoria Falls area and the wildlife sector. The latter is only 3km southwest of Livingstone, and most famous for its population of white rhino, which you can track on foot. For their protection, the rhino are accompanied by anti-poaching rangers round-the-clock. You can only see them as part of a pre-booked tour (US$80 per person, inclusive of park fees and hotel transfer), booked through Livingstone Rhino Walks or Savannah Southern Safaris. Other animals in the park include elephant, giraffe, zebra, buffalo and various species of antelope, some which you'll be lucky to see when driving between town and the falls.
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Lusaka National Museum
This big square box of a building resembling a Soviet-era Moscow ministry has upstairs galleries displaying exhibits on urban culture and Zambian history as well cultural, ethnographic and archaeological displays. Contemporary Zambian paintings and sculpture are shown downstairs. It makes for an interesting visit, but it's nearly identical in content to the museums in Livingstone, Mbale and Ndola, so it can be skipped if you've been to these. There's a basic cafeteria, souvenir store and kids corner.
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Moto Moto Museum
This museum in a 1970s modernist building is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. It has a large and diverse collection, much of which details the cultural life and history of the Bemba people. Items on display include old drums, traditional musical instruments and an array of smoking paraphernalia. Particularly noteworthy is an exhibition detailing how young Bemba women were traditionally initiated into adulthood. It includes a life-size, walk-in example of an initiation hut, with background info. Other exhibits cover everything from the lives of hunter-gatherers to the early economic activities of the Bantu, and Zambia during the slave trade and during the two world wars. There’s also a display on rock art, including a map pointing out the country’s key sights. The only drawback is that it’s quite dark so exhibits are not displayed at their best and some are without sufficient explanation. The gift shop sells baskets, sculptures and masks. To get here, follow the road north out of town for about 500m and turn left just before the prison. The museum is about 3km from the main road.
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