Zambia, like an uncut diamond in a row of perfectly cut diamonds, is the real, rough, wild, animal Africa. It is home not only to some of the best national parks on the entire continent - unique wildlife reserves, but also to the main attractions of this region: Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Zambezi Park. In addition, this country is every fisherman's dream: thousands of fishing enthusiasts from all over the world flock to the mighty Zambezi River every year to try their luck in search of the toothy African tigerfish or the rare giant wundu catfish. Energetic bird lovers also flock to Zambia to catch an incredible variety of birds in the sights of their camera, the most coveted catch being the African bearded vulture.
A must-see destination is the capital of Zambia, Lusaka (because you will fly there in 99% of cases) and Livingstone, the real Africa, so rare among the increasingly developing and Western-oriented countries of the continent.
Leisure and attractions in Zambia
The best thing people go to Zambia for is, of course, the legendary Victoria Falls: huge, scary, noisy, 120 m high and almost 2 km wide. The waterfall is located near the border with Zimbabwe, so you can enjoy the views of the falling water equally from both countries. Popular activities here include helicopter rides, paragliding, rafting, canoeing and even bungee jumping from the Victoria Falls Bridge (111 m high).
There is another noteworthy waterfall in Zambia, Ngonje, located 300 km downstream of the Zambezi River. Nearby is the Sioma-Ngwezi National Park.
It is also worth visiting the popular resort of Siavonga, which is located on Lake Kariba (100 km from the capital). In addition, when flying to Lusaka, it would be a sin not to go to the amazing Chirundu fossil forest, located right under your nose (40 km to the north). Here you can see the rarest imprints of 150-million-year-old trees.
Lusaka is not the most interesting city on the African continent, but you can easily spend a couple of interesting days here. Strolling through noisy bazaars, looking into nice art galleries, enjoying the measured and colorful life of Zambians.
But, of course, the main wealth of the country is hidden in its hot national parks.
National Parks of Zambia
There are about 20 national parks in Zambia, the most popular being Kafue, Sioma Ngwezi, North and South Luangwa. One of the most visited is South Luangwa, which is relatively close to the capital, just 250 km to the northeast. The diverse local flora consists of dense woodland, grassy plains and water lagoons. Lions, buffalo, zebras and Thornycroft's giraffes are found, as well as elephants, as this park is home to one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. Leopards and birds can also be seen. The park is closed during the rainy season, from December to April.
In Kafue National Park, 200 km west of the capital, on the territory of hundreds of square kilometers of forest, shallows and sandbanks of the river of the same name, you can see lions, leopards, elephants, antelopes, zebras and even the rarest yellow duiker (South African antelope).
From March to May, the lands of the reserve are flooded, and then Kafue turns into a giant swamp, a breeding ground for thousands of hippos and millions of birds.
Finally, it is worth highlighting another reserve, popular among bird lovers - this is Lake Itezhi-Tezhi. Herons, ducks and other waterfowl are found here, which nest here and hatch chicks.
