For many travelers, Zambia is known primarily for the grandeur of the Victoria Falls, yet an African Safari in Zambia should not be considered mere add-on or after-thought for that matter. Threaded with permanent rivers that prove a magnet for animals, Zambia is home to an enticing network of national parks,  and is often less visited than the better-known safaris destinations like Botswana, Tanzania or Kenya.

While traditional wildlife safaris with great guiding are the mainstay of safari holidays in Zambia, the option of top-class walking safaris is an added bonus. Night drives are a further draw, permitted in all of Zambia’s national parks, and affording the opportunity to see a broader range of animals, from the amusing porcupine to the normally elusive leopard. And creature comforts come courtesy of many small safari lodges, many of them still owner run and highly individual.

THE TIME FOR SAFARIS IN ZAMBIA
Most visitors to Zambia come between June and October, when the land is drying out after the rains and animals are seeking out water, but the ‘emerald’ season, during the rains, can be great for birders and photographers.

HOW TO GET AROUND TRAVELING IN ZAMBIA
The distances between Zambia’s safari areas and national parks are huge and its roads are often poor, so flying between the parks in light aircraft is the better option. Most flights run to fixed schedules.  When moving from one camp to another in the same national park, you’ll often be transferred by 4WD – which effectively becomes an extra game drive. In some specialist walking camps in the South Luangwa, you may even be able to walk between the camps.

TOP SAFARI SPOTS IN ZAMBIA
Most safaris to Zambia are tailor- made. Top of the bill for a safari in Zambia is South Luangwa National Park, which offers superb big-game safaris by 4WD, plus some of Africa’s best walking safaris. Most people spend at least 5 to 7 days of safaris in Zambia.

As well as night and day drives, come for boat trips, canoeing, great fishing and walking safaris, all based at intimate safari camps perched along the riverbank.

Higher, cooler and less developed than either the Lower Zambezi or the Luangwa, Kafue National Park has species like cheetah that are rare elsewhere in Zambia. Kafue’s Busanga Plains are the gem of the park, so do include that in any trip to this national park.

No safari trip to Zambia would be complete without experiencing the majesty of the Victoria Falls, one of the wonders of the world. You’ll find good-value hotels nearby, a handful of lovely lodges on the banks of the Zambezi, and a host of adrenalin activities. The Falls lie in the far south of Zambia, close to the town of Livingstone, but are easily added on to any trip to the country (or indeed to nearby Botswana).

ACTIVITIES ON SAFARI
One of the joys of a Zambia safari is that you’ll stay in small safari camps that will tailor their activities around your interests. Most safari camps in Zambia organize two activities per day: one in the morning, the other in the evening, each lasting about three or four hours. Your days will be fairly full, but there are always a few hours after lunch for a light siesta – after all, it is a holiday!

Most safari camps in Zambia offer a range of activities. Typically you’ll spend your days (and evenings – something that is not possible in national parks in many countries) exploring either from open-topped 4WD game vehicles, affording all-round visibility, or on foot. Zambian safari guides are trained to very high standards, including stringent practical tests, which will add enormously to your safari experience.

Camps near navigable rivers, for example in the Lower Zambezi, will usually also offer boat safaris, as well as canoeing and fishing. For almost all of these, you will be given the options at the camp, so there’s no need to decide before you get there. The exceptions are a handful of tiny bush camps in the more remote areas of South Luangwa National Park, which offer only walking safaris. If you like walking, then you can’t beat spending a few days at one of these – their focus gives them a great atmosphere.