Zambia may be home to Victoria Falls, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a vast country, as large as France, Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary combined, with a rich history for conservation and responsible tourism that continues to thrive today.
It’s also culturally diverse, with more than 70 tribes living seamlessly side by side.
Many, including Zambians themselves, have called Zambia authentic Africa. Whatever title you choose, no one can argue that it’s real and it harkens back to another era on the continent. If you decide to go, here are but a few of the many things to tick off your list—from safaris to sleeping under the stars.
See Victoria Falls and the Devil’s Pool
As one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, this World Heritage site is the largest waterfall in the world, with a width of 5,604 feet and a height of 354 feet. Known locally as as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or the “smoke that thunders,” Vic Falls is located on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe. You can buy day visas for either country the day that you are there to get a view from both sides of the fall.
A heli ride over the falls is the best way to fully grasp the scale of it all. Second to the aerial view is an adventurous dip into the Devil’s Pool, which has you jumping into a deep pool at the edge of the fall. Images are Instagram gold.
Village Visits
Legendary guide and cutting-edge conservationist Norman Carr was a trailblazer on the tourism front, setting up the first public game viewing camp in the ’50s in Zambia. He was also instrumental in setting up Zambia’s national parks in the ’50s and ’60s. He believed that locals should benefit financially from tourism, a precedent that his protégé Robin Pope adhered to, as did other tour operators in Zambia and several others since, throughout Africa. You can go from safari camp to village visit, see firsthand where your dollars are being spent, be it schools, wells, or computers.
Robin Pope takes it a step further with Kawaza on the outskirts of Luangwa National Park. It’s an immersive travel experience where you live like a villager for a day and a night. Visits start with a village tour where a growing band of kids follow along, giddy to have their picture taken. Cocktail hour consists of hooch served from the wheel of a tire. Then it’s dinner and dancing around a fire with a village band playing instruments made from what was found, as in wheels, wood, and shoes. Accommodations are single, mud-thatched huts and an elephant shower, which is a bucket of water you throw on yourself. A walk to the well with the women in the morning makes for pure travel magic.
Stay in an African Castle and Have the Wildlife All to Yourself
Kick off your Zambia trip with a stay at Luangwa Safari House. After several flights and what seems like several days it is surreal to arrive to what looks like a rugged African Castle with a herd of elephants gracefully passing by us and our deck upon arrival. Unlike Kenya, Tanzania, or Botswana, Zambia tends to have less-to-no crowds and is far less expensive than East Africa and its Southern African neighbors. And the bonus is that you just might see the big five before breakfast.
Take a Walking Safari With Norman Carr’s Protégés
When on safari anywhere in Zambia, you’re literally walking in Norman Carr’s footsteps. A formidable hunter working for the government in his 20s, Carr’s aha moment changed Zambia and all of Africa as he proposed protecting versus shooting animals and charging the public to see the wildlife. It was an unthinkable concept in the ’50s, one that the government reluctantly went along with. He had guests shoot behind a lens, versus a rifle, with his then-photography tours and gave portions of his fees to locals. The rest is eco- and responsible-tourism history.
Carr started with walking safaris, as he felt you never know a country unless you walk it. He and his guides since have taken many a guest on walking safaris, a powerful thing to do in Carr’s footsteps, on his land, in his country with his guides, many who have walked with him. There’s nothing quite like coming face-to-face with a herd of charging buffalo. It’s exciting but not scary if in the right hands.
Sleep Under the Stars
This is bush luxury at it’s best. The Nsolo Camp has Norman Carr’s stamp all over it, as he discovered the idyllic spot in 1987. Set in a dry river bed in a bend in the Luwi Sand River in South Luangwa National Park, Nsolo Bush Camp has five chic chalets on raised wooden decks. After a torchlit dinner, take it one safari step further and opt for sleeping under the stars in a bed with nothing but a mosquito net between you and the wild.
Expect plenty of activity throughout the night as the water hole in front of the camp is a hot spot for wildlife and pride seeking prey and staking their territory. An iconic bush walk before breakfast is the best way to wake up at camp.
Explore the Riverbanks of the Zambezi
They may not have 60-plus years under their bush belt like Norman Carr’s crew, but Tongabezi is nearing its 30th year and is equally iconic in the region as it is one of the most sought-after luxury camps in all of Zambia. Nestled on the riverbanks of the Zambezi, it’s a mere 12 miles upstream from Victoria Falls.
There’s plenty of adventure activity on hand, from the falls to bush walks. You can also opt to dial it down with village visits or simply soak up the seductive ambiance of the recently renovated property with their new fire pits, surrounding decks, and renovated cottages. Plates and pours can be arranged almost anywhere on site. Personal bush butlers will arrange sunrise and sunset boat tours, sundowners on sandbars, and candlelit dinners on private decks and floating docks. If dining indoors in your tree house–like cottage, you’ll feel like you’re still on safari with the hippo pods and crocs right outside your door.