A Zambia Safari

Besides game drives the Zambezi Valley is renowned for its walking safaris. Blend this with Africa’s best walking guides, and you have an experience that exceeds the wildest imaginations.

Zambia is legendary for its walking safaris and, having been pioneered in the great tributary of the Zambezi, the Luangwa Valley and in the Zambezi Valley, the legend lives on.

But it’s the canoe safaris that attract many visitors to this wild corner of Africa. The canoeing can last from a one-day lodge outing to 9 days spent camping out on the islands and riverbanks of the Zambezi. Lodges offer canoeing as an activity during a guest’s stay but the real deal is a full canoe safari lasting from 3 to 9 days.

There are many companies that offer canoe safaris and the level of comfort varies from company to company. Some safaris offer fully serviced overnight stops while others pitch camp on a sandbank, but whatever the comfort level the experience is sure to be a lifetime memory.

Ten years ago most people in this area would have told you that it would take a long time for the Zambian side to come right. Today one gets the feeling that the long time has come: the Lower Zambezi National Park has arrived to stake its claim to the region’s safari crown.

Lodges are springing up on the Zambian side of the river to cater for the ever-growing interest in the Lower Zambezi National Park, and although the game is not yet at its peak, there’s enough to excite even the most jaded safari traveller.

The park, or the valley in particular, is home to the largest concentrations of hippo and crocodile on the African continent and during the day both species can be found in their thousands lolling on the sandbanks of the Zambezi River. Add elephant, buffalo and lion to the mix and an Africa of yesteryear comes to mind.