Zambia Safari: Africa’s Greatest Wildlife Adventure

Zambia is one of Africa’s most under-appreciated countries. Bridging the gap between favourite Southern African safari destinations like Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, and the famed parks and reserves of Tanzania, you’d think this beautiful country would be among everyone’s “must sees.”

That’s part of the appeal. A Zambia safari isn’t so much about checking off attractions or even animals from a “must see” list. It’s about full immersion in the wilderness with an expert guide. Elephants, hippos, buffalo, and zebra are all plentiful in national parks such as South Luangwa, along with healthy numbers of lions, leopards, and hyenas. While game drives here are excellent, the more personalized approach to guiding you’ll typically find in Zambia opens opportunities for more intimate experiences such as walking safaris. This gives you the chance to see some of the animals up close (without compromising your safety of course) with minimal impact on their environment. A night-time game drive is another excellent way to gain a different perspective on Zambia’s wildlife.

Of course, visiting Zambia does allow you to tick one big ticket attraction off your bucket list in the form of Victoria Falls. The town of Livingstone shares Falls tourism with Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and a wealth of activities are offered on the Zambian side including sunset cruises and white water rafting. If the waters are low enough, the Zambian side also offers access to the infamous Devil’s Pool, where particularly brave Globetrotters can paddle mere steps from the edge.