Zambia has recently come to the fore as one of Africa’s most popular safari destinations, especially for those seeking remote and largely unexplored quality game viewing areas.
The Luangwa Valley, which was gazetted to protect the endemic Thornicroft’s giraffe, is the best known of Zambia’s parks. A series of ox bow lakes, plains and forest, Luangwa hosts a huge concentration of game, especially leopard, and is the inspiration for many of David Shepherd’s African paintings.
To the west, Kafue National Park is 22,000 square kilometres of classic grassland with seasonally flooded swamps, separated by the permanent waters of the Kafue and Lunga Rivers. It is rich in game with large herds of red lechwe, puku, Defassa waterbuck, Liechtenstein’s hartebeest, roan antelope and the shy sitatunga. A unique feature of Kafue’s varied birdlife is the endangered wattled crane.
The Zambezi Valley is one of Africa’s famed geographical features. It is an area of extraordinary beauty and is fabulously rich in wildlife. The Zambezi River forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The two countries share part of the fast flowing Upper Zambezi, the Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba and the quiet waters of the lower Zambezi, with its many narrow side channels which provide a wonderful opportunity to game view by canoe.
Weather
Prime Time: May – October
Hottest time September and October
(It is cold at night and in the early mornings from June to August but daytime temperatures are very warm and comfortable.)
