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Spot Big Game in Zambia's Top Park

South Luangwa National Park is Zambia's best known park for good reason. Herds of elephant gather to drink at the oxbow lakes, massive Nile crocs bask on sunny riverbanks, lion are often sighted, and the area is well-known for its high density of leopard. You can also see rare and unique wildlife like the Thornicroft's giraffe.

Nkwali's spacious cottages, set in a grove of ebony trees, are in an area known for excellent big game viewing. At Mfuwe Lodge you can relax on your private deck, overlooking a beautiful lagoon where hippo wallow, while Kapani Lodge is run by fantastic staff, and is a great springboard for the more remote bushcamps.

Game viewing is definitely better if you travel to Zambia in the dry season (April to Oct), in fact, many of the camps and lodges close for a few months during the rains.

Experience the Smoke That Thunders

The Victoria Falls deserve their local name: 'The Smoke that Thunders'. Nothing quite prepares you for the sight and sound of the Zambezi River in full flood: crashing into the Batoka Gorge and drenching visitors in a fine mist - which also creates beautiful rainbows.

Wander along paths through dripping rainforest, or take to the sky with the 'Flight of Angels' - a helicopter flip never to be forgotten. Other activities to get the adrenalin pumping range from white water rafting and bungee jumping to walking with lions - all top Zambia travel experiences.

The Royal Livingstone is set in peaceful park-like grounds, a short walk from the Falls. Further upstream is Tongabezi, a romantic getaway voted 'Zambia's leading safari lodge' in the 2008 World Travel Awards. Newly built Toka Leya has tented suites raised on wooden decks, to make the most of the fantastic river views.

The best time to visit Victoria Falls is during the wet season (from March to May).

Drift Down the Zambezi River

Experience a gentle canoe safari on the Zambezi River. The current helps you drift, more than paddle, down bush-lined channels: it's incredibly peaceful, and is also the most unobtrusive way to get close to big game.

Set off on a sunset paddle, or spend the whole day on the river, stopping for a tasty picnic lunch. The lodges in the Lower Zambezi National Park, and just upstream of Victoria Falls, all offer canoe safaris.

Chongwe River Camp has an incredible riverside location and friendly atmosphere - you're really made to feel at home. Kasaka River Lodge is tucked under some lovely big trees, looking down on the Zambezi. Sausage Tree Camp lives up to its reputation with luxurious accommodation and a beautiful setting, while Chiawa Camp recently won an award for the best guiding team in Africa.

Walk on the Wild Side - South Luangwa

On foot you can really feel part of Zambia's remote wilderness areas. The South Luangwa National Park is home of the walking safari, with incredible guides who'll share their intimate knowledge of the African bush.

A walking safari can last anything up to a full week - but don't think you'll have to rough it. Bushcamps are owned by Zambia's leading names (like Robin Pope and Norman Carr) so you can be guaranteed of soft linen, comfy beds, delicious food and settings that'll take your breath away.

Tena Tena has been described by The Times (London) as "one of the best safari camps in the whole of Africa". Nsolo Bush Camp is an authentic safari camp known for outstanding guiding. Chamilandu has beautiful, open- fronted chalets overlooking a river, while luxurious Kapamba Bushcamp has massive sunken bathtubs with a view.

See Cheetah on Kafue's Vast Plains

Zambia's oldest and largest park is the little known and remote Kafue National Park.

The vast and wild Kafue offers a unique safari experience with excellent game viewing. Huge herds of red lechwe and hartebeest, as well as the rare sitatunga, graze on the Busanga floodplains: the hunting grounds for prides of lion and the rare African wild dog.

Predator numbers on the whole are good, in fact Kafue is also the only park in Zambia where you can see cheetah. The Kafue and Lunga rivers offer superb fishing, and birders can add a few ticks to their lists with over 400 recorded species of birds.

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Top Zambia Experiences

Top Zambia experiences: game drive in the South Luangwa

Top Zambia experiences: flying over Victoria Falls

Top Zambia experiences: canoe on the Zambezi River

Top Zambia experiences: watching elephant on a walking safari

Top Zambia experiences: spot cheetahto in Kafue

 

 Zambia's South Luangwa National Park is a secret stomping ground for safari aficionados and those looking for an authentic safari experience.

The concentration of game around the Luangwa River and its oxbow lagoons is among the most intense in Africa. And, although not a Big 5 reserve, there's more than enough big game to fill a camera's memory card: huge herds of elephant, rivers filled with hippo, prides of lion and high concentration of leopard.

The park is also the birthplace of walking safaris. Initially, walking through big cat country may seem like a bad idea, but this is when the valley's best qualities really shine through. Focus on the smaller things, and the bush reveals itself in a way you just can't appreciate from the back seat of a safari vehicle.
- Sandra Mallinson, Off the Beaten Track in Africa, August '08. 

 

 

 We had been out on a sunset cruise with Kevin the previous evening and I had noticed that before he took his first sip he poured some of his beer into the river. Putting two and two together, and wanting to get into the spirit of things, I poured a generous sip into the water and said a silent hello to the Nyaminyami, the Zambezi river god.

Not even a minute later Alison had a chaser fish on the line. No sooner had she reeled hers in than I had one on mine. Peter took the fish off our lines and sliced them up into tasty morsels for the tigers. Now we were ready to begin game fishing.
- Nic Orfang, Catch a tiger in Zambia

 
 
 

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