Afrika safaris

Zambia

Zambia is a huge country with beautiful nature and a friendly, culturally rich population. The country is largely situated on a vast plateau, 1500 meters above sea level. In addition to the impressive rivers Zambezi, Kafue and Luangwa, the spectacular Victoria Falls are also partly located in Zambia. The country offers an impressive diversity of flora and fauna, in some of the most pristine and remote areas of the continent.

Zambia offers fantastic safari opportunities. Of course in the form of game drives, but mostly also in the form of game walks.

The climate in southern Africa is generally pleasant throughout the year. Zambia is no exception: warm to hot days and cool to warm nights.

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On safari in Zambia

The home of walking safaris in Africa. Zambia, and South Luangwa in particular, is known for nature walks; so-called game-walks. Of course, around the Victoria Falls, there are also all sorts of options, mostly focused on experiencing the power and might of the Zambezi River.

Animal life is also plentiful in the area around the falls, especially during the dry season. It can be seen during boat trips on the river or during game drives in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, west of the falls. Buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala and even white rhinos can be seen in the small park. The birdlife is also rich and varied.

Livingstone is also worth visiting, especially for adventurers. Not for nothing is it called the “adrenaline capital” of southern Africa.

Nature reserves in Zambia

South Luangwa National Park

The 9050 km2 South Luangwa National Park is located in the lower part of the Luangwa Valley. Characteristic of the park is its lifeline, the Luangwa River. An imposing watercourse that meanders through the landscape. On its banks, with its typical sandbanks, you will find very high concentrations of game. Over the years, the river has carved out a multitude of flood plains and channels. In the dry winters, these remain as lagoons and horseshoe-shaped lakes supplied with water. These are a magnet for the area’s wildlife. Further from the river, the landscape consists of mopane forests, savanna, and hilly countryside. South Luangwa is home to over 60 species of large mammals: large herds of elephant and buffalo, as well as puku, impala, waterbuck, warthog, and kudu. Unique subspecies such as Cookson’s wildebeest and Thornicroft’s giraffe are also found in the Luangwa Valley. Lions are frequent and Luangwa is also known for its very high density of leopards. In addition, over 400 bird species have been observed, including Lilian’s Lovebird and Racket-tailed Roller. 

Several lodges and bush camps can be booked in South Luangwa. These include Luangwa River Camp, Mfuwe Lodge, Nkwali Camp, Puku Ridge Camp and Mchenja Bushcamp.

Livingstone en Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls are considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. They are known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya – “the Smoke that Thunders.” A name that accurately describes the sight of the falls. From a distance, the plume of mist can already be seen. It is formed by the water of the Zambezi River. It plunges down with thunderous force. The area is extraordinarily beautiful, both at the falls themselves, and at the photogenic course of the river upstream.

The main town on the banks of the Zambezi is Livingstone, which, with all the opportunities for spectacular activities – abseiling, bungee-jumping, white-water rafting and canoeing – is known as the “adrenaline capital” of southern Africa.

On the Zambian side of the Zambezi, accommodations such as The River Club and Toka Leya guarantee a pleasant stay. We can also provide various accommodations on the Zimbabwean side.

Kafue National Park

With a massive area of 22,500 km2, Kafue National Park is one of the largest parks in Africa. The pristine area is wild, remote, and very diverse. The northwest is dominated by the Busanga Swamps, a vast swamp area where papyrus vegetation is mainly found. The swamp flows into another distinctive area: the vast flood plain of the Busanga Plains. This plain consisting of grasslands and isolated tree islands is temporarily flooded each year by rainfall and water supply from the surrounding rivers. These rivers, the Lunga, Lufupa and Kafue, traverse the area and are lined with lush riverine forests. Furthermore, the landscape consists of Miombo forests, open plains and dense islands. Conditions in the area are very good for all kinds of African wildlife. In addition to large concentrations of buffalo, wildebeest, puku and lechwe, the Busanga Plains are home to relatively rare species less easily seen in southern Africa, such as Roan’s antelope, oribi and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest. In addition, there are large numbers of lions. Where lions are less at home, cheetahs and wild dogs can be seen. Birdlife is also abundant, and includes many unusual specimens such as the beautifully colored Ross’s Turaco and the swamp species Locust Finch.

Climate Zambia

The climate in southern Africa is generally pleasant throughout the year, and Zambia is no exception: warm to hot days and cool to warm nights. Because Zambia is located at considerable elevation (mostly between 1,000 and 1,500 meters above sea level), the extreme heat and humidity found in other parts of Africa are somewhat tempered. However, in the lower elevations, such as the Luangwa Valley and Lower Zambezi, both temperature and humidity can be very high.

In Zambia, roughly three seasons can be distinguished:

  • May to August: Daytime temperatures on the plateau are around 23 to 26 degrees Celsius. In the valleys between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius. At night, temperatures can drop to 7 degrees, especially in July, the coldest month.
  • September to October / November: hot and dry. Daytime temperatures average between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius on the plateau and between 38 and 42 degrees Celsius in the lower areas.
  • November / December to April: hot and wet. From late October, the first rain can be expected and temperatures gradually drop to around 27 degrees Celsius on the plateau and around 32 degrees in the valleys. During the rainy season, humidity is quite high – around 70-80%. Rainfall is usually not constant, but limited mostly to a few hours per day (or night). In general, more rain falls in northern Zambia than in the south.

Map Zambia

South Luangwa National Park

Characteristic of this 9050 km2 park is its lifeline, the Luangwa River. An imposing watercourse that meanders through the landscape. On its banks, with its typical sandbanks, you will find very high concentrations of game.

Livingstone en Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls are considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. They are known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya - "the Smoke that Thunders." 

The main city on the banks of the Zambezi is Livingstone, the "adrenaline capital" of southern Africa.

Kafue National Park

With a massive area of 22,500 km2, Kafue National Park is one of the largest parks in Africa. The pristine area is wild, remote, and very diverse.

North Luangwa National Park

Located in the oldest part of Africa's Great Rift Valley, North Luangwa is the northernmost of the three national parks in the Luangwa Valley. The Luangwa River has shaped this unique landscape over thousands of years, considered by many to be "The Real Africa."

Liuwa Plain National Park

A 3,369-square-kilometer national park in western Zambia. "Liuwa" means "plain" in the local Liuwa language, a dialect of the Lozi language. The plain originally served as hunting grounds for Lubosi Lewanika, the Litunga of the Lozi people.

Lower Zambezi National Park

Established in 1983, this park covers an area of 4,092 km2 along the northwest bank of the Zambezi River. Most of the wildlife is concentrated around the Lower Zambezi Valley and the river.

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    Reviews Zambia

    South Africa trip February/March. First a short stay in Zambia near the Victoria Falls at the Royal Livingstone hotel, it was fantastic. The giraffes and zebras walked in the hotel gardens here, truly beautiful. Then the safaris in South Africa, the Hannah Game lodge, Arathusa and River Bend lodge were weekly spectacular, maybe worth repeating. The drive from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town was also varied and beautiful, from the beautiful coast through the mountains with the vineyards to the beautiful Cape Town with Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope and of course the penguins. Oscar really sensed what we wanted! It was wonderful.

    Harry & Hetty van de Hazelkamp, journey to Zambia and South-Africa

    In May, put together by Oscar, we took a wonderful tour of Malawi and Zambia.Via Johannesburg and Blantyre, Thawale Lodge was our first destination. The cozy lodge is located around a watering hole where, throughout the day, various animals can be seen. Our next destination was Mvuu Camp, located in Liwonde National Park. The boat ride towards the camp could already be called a gamedrive with hippos, huge crocodiles and elephants. Mvuu Camp is located in a great spot with a magnificent view and we made beautiful game drives and saw a lot of wildlife. Everything here was organized to perfection From Liwonde we drove to Lake Malawi to relax for a few days. By boat we were taken to the Blue Zebra Lodge, located on a small island on the lake. Here we spent relaxing time sunbathing, swimming, eating and drinking. After these days, we flew by small plane to Mfuwe in Zambia. The Mfuwe Lodge is located in the South Luange National Park, where we enjoyed seeing lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras and buffalo. Our final stay: Chindeni Bushcamp consisted of four guest accommodations and a central meeting place was located on a beautiful lagoon. The night sounds, game drives and sunrises there were amazing. It was an unforgettable trip, which again was very well arranged by Oscar!

    Wilma, Herman, Greet & Johan

    We had an unforgettable and fantastic honeymoon through Botswana and Zambia! We wanted to go to Africa for safari, nature and relaxation. Already in the preparation Oscar helped us very well to determine the destination and advised us about the different accommodations. This is how we ended up putting together a diverse program. After the visit home beforehand where Oscar went through the itinerary with us one last time, the anticipation only increased! Our trip was great, one accommodation even more beautiful than the other. We saw the big 5 and many more animals, we were pampered and enjoyed the hospitality and pure nature. The program flowed seamlessly and the best part was that all the locations had arranged something special for us because we were on our honeymoon. Really a ‘wow’ vacation that we will remember for a long time, great! Thank you for the super organization and advice!

    Imre & Leonie