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THE GET AWAY DESTINATION: ZAMBIA
10 REASONS Why you should visit Zambia
THE VICTORIA FALLS
By Michael Grosbery
This large, landlocked country in southern Africa
has natural attractions that rival any continental
competitor. The sheer size and remoteness
of Zambia’s vast network of national parks mean
no safari jeep traffic jams, very personal service
and an opportunity to meet massive mammals
eye-to-eye. And despite its buzzing and rapidly
modernising centre, history and traditions remain
very much alive.
1. Walking safaris
Hoofing it into the bush is the focus of tourism in eastern Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park and other
reserves. A legacy of Zambia’s pioneering conservationists, ambling through lush grass or dusty sandbanks on the trail of a pride of lions is a thrilling experience. And even if you don’t see the animals themselves, the guides or rifle-carrying scouts will explain
how much is revealed by the animal scat and paw
prints. TV detectives have nothing on these guys.
2. Canoeing the Zambezi
Get up close and personal with sunbathing crocs,
thirsty elephants and hippo pods on a leisurely paddle
along the lower Zambezi River. With Zimbabwe’s
sandy shores on one side, a 1200m-high escarpment
creating a rift valley on the other, and a continually
shifting landscape of midstream islands, there’s hardly
an un-picturesque direction to turn. Trips are generally
upwards of two nights, but with a bit of preplanning
and strong triceps you can spend a week sleeping in
wilderness camps all the way downstream to the dramatically beautiful Mpata Gorge.
3. Bushcamping
Something of a misnomer and far from roughing it, the
bushcamps in Zambia’s national parks will fulfil
any Out of Africa safari fantasies. Ranging from uberstylish chalets primed for a Vogue photo shoot to
more rustic bamboo and thatch affairs, bushcamps
tend to be remotely situated and intimate, with no
more than half a dozen rooms. Sitting down to a candlelit dinner of expertly prepared haute cuisine with
the rustling of a curious hippo nearby is an unforgettable experience.
4. Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall on the planet –
one million litres plunges down the Zambezi gorge
every second – and a trip to Zambia would not be
complete without visiting this sublime natural wonder.
Livingstone, on the Zambian side, is now a tourism
mecca catering to backpackers and luxury-seekers
alike, and adventure seekers can choose from a menu
of options to get their hearts pumping including a
bridge bungee jump, ‘swing’ and ‘slide’, whitewater
rafting, abseiling and riverboarding. If you’re after
something gentler, an easy walk from the park entrance brings you close enough to be awed by the
thunder and soaking spray of the falls.
5. Rare species & migrations
After the de riguer mammals are ticked off your checklist, Zambia’s rare species and migrations are sure to
excite even the most jaded safari-goer. In Kasanka National Park in the northeast, eight million fruit bats
darken the sky in November and December, and sitatungas, a semi-aquatic and highly elusive antelope,