What to buy in Zambia

Like every African country, Zambia has its fair share of curio markets. A trip down to one of them for a spot of haggling and a closer look at the local life is always worthwhile. You may even leave with a few prized souvenirs. At worst you'll leave with a couple of things you may not have wanted, but you'll be richer for the experience.

Before you even enter into the market expect to be approached and invited into every stall. No matter how clear you make it to the owners that you won't be buying anything, they will insist on ushering you in. This is part of the culture and, as the locals know, a rather effective selling technique.

Once you're inside you'll hear many stories about the originality of each craftsman's work and why you should purchase his rather than the same piece one stall down. Although this may seem tiring it has an up-side: it's a buyers' market. Everything is negotiable because everyone is selling it.

When you've found a stall and a souvenir that you like, enquire after the price. The first price offered is always the tourist price so a good rule of thumb when starting to haggle is to halve it, and then offer a little less. Then be prepared for some hard negotiations and, depending on your skills, you might walk away with a bargain.

The markets are filled with all shapes and sizes of wood carvings and hand-crafted souvenirs. Animals, masks, chairs, tables - almost anything you can imagine in an African market will be there. In addition, Zambia is known for its copper bracelets, fine hand woven and dyed materials and the famous Nyaminyami (the Zambezi river god) necklaces and staffs.

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