Zambia

Zambia is a country of great rivers and quiet wilderness. Victoria Falls on the Zambezi, Mosi-oa-Tunya or “the smoke that thunders”, is one of the world’s great waterfalls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with Zimbabwe. Its spray is visible from afar; full moons bring lunar rainbows. Upstream, Livingstone’s riverside lodges offer sunset cruises, canoeing, helicopter flights over the Falls and, in low water, Livingstone Island and its rock pools.

In Lower Zambezi, beneath a wooded escarpment, elephants and hippos graze the floodplain, canoes and boats drift through channels, with Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools across the river. South Luangwa, on the Luangwa River, is one of Africa’s great leopard parks, known for walking safaris with expert guides, night drives and carmine bee-eater colonies. Kafue, among Africa’s largest parks, is wild and uncrowded along its river.

In the dry season, roughly May–October, game gathers by the rivers; many bush camps open only then. The Falls peak around February–May; Livingstone Island visits run as the water drops. The green season, about November–April, brings rain, lush landscapes, birdlife and boat safaris. Zambia suits those seeking a quieter, wilder safari, on foot or a second time, honeymooners at the Falls and families at lodges that welcome children; it pairs well with Botswana’s Chobe and Okavango Delta, Cape Town and the Winelands, Mauritius or the Seychelles.