Zambia Safaris

Group & Private Tours

The natural beauty and vast landscapes of Zambia lend themselves perfectly for Zambia safaris and tours. Choosing Zambia as your vacation destination ensures you experience an authentic African wilderness trip. Zambia has unbelievable waterways to experience and explore, including the majestic Victoria Falls, which is one of the seven greatest natural wonders of the world. You’ll also get to experience both the North and South Luangwa National Parks – as well as the beautiful Bangweulu Swamps. These parks are famous for their large wildlife population, birdlife and incredible game–viewing safaris.

Discover Zambia when setting foot in one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, South Luangwa National Park. The valley in South Luangwa boasts a wide variety of interesting vegetation with the landscape dotted by trees such as mopane, leadwood, winterthorn, ivory palm, marula, tamarind and baobab. A Zambia wildlife safari in this wilderness will bring sightings galore of leopard, lion, elephant, wild dog, bushbuck and puku as well as more than 400 different birds, including black-headed herons, crowned cranes, bee-eaters and ground hornbills. Enhance your Zambia vacation with the option to visit the Kafue National Park, one of the country’s oldest and largest wildlife areas. Covering more than 22 000 square kilometres, Kafue offers intimate animal encounters and wildlife experiences. The Kafue River is a vital life source, drawing great herds of elephants and buffalo, with sightings of a variety of predator species guaranteed. Bird enthusiasts will have a field day in Kafue, with more than 500 species present.

Include some time in the border town of Livingstone when planning your Zambia safari. Situated a mere 10 kilometres from the spectacular Victoria Falls, an excursion to Livingstone will satisfy historical, cultural and archaeological curiosity. It is also home to the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, a small but vibrant park along the banks of the Zambezi River. The wildlife park includes tall riverine forest with palm trees, miombo woodland and grassland with plenty of birds, and animals including Angolan giraffe, Burchell’s zebra and a variety of antelope. JENMAN African Safaris have popular tour packages that allow you to experience the very best of Africa.

Highlights of Zambia

With a variety of natural wonders, iconic species and endless landscapes, a Zambia safari offers endless opportunities for the most magical of experiences. From the wildlife paradises of South Luangwa to the impressive stature of the Victoria Falls just outside Livingstone, a Zambia holiday is inviting discovery. A Zambia wildlife safari in the world-renowned wilderness that is South Luangwa National Park, is an unrivalled experience. Wildlife concentrations along the meandering Luangwa River and its lagoons are amongst the most intense in Africa. The river teems with hippo and crocodiles and supports more than 60 different mammals and over 400 bird species. It also one of the best-known Zambian parks for walking safaris.

You have the option to include the Kafue National Park on the itinerary of your vacation to Zambia as this gem is a destination not to be missed. This Zambian park boasts an impressive antelope population, from roan and sable, red lechwe and hartebeest to the endemic puku. The Busanga Plains in the far north-west of the park, are one of Zambia’s most significant wetland areas and a haven for birds, with more than 500 species roaming the skies. The bustling town of Livingstone is the perfect springboard to discover Zambia.

It is named after David Livingstone, the Scottish explorer and missionary who was the first European to explore the area. Fulfil your historical and cultural appetite with visits to a variety of museums, local villages and craft markets. Adrenaline-fueled activities like jet boating, bungee jumping and micro lighting await with the mighty Victoria Falls just 10 kilometres away.

Currency

Zambia’s unit of currency is the Kwacha (ZMW). The note denominations are K100, K50, K20, K10, K5 and K2.

However, some prices are quoted in USD. It is, therefore, possible to use USD and Pounds Sterling as well.

Banking

In the cities and larger towns, you can change cash and travellers’ cheques at branches of Barclays Bank and Standard Chartered Bank. Larger branches have ATMs that accept Visa. Visa is more widely accepted than MasterCard and American Express. Foreign exchange offices are easy to find in cities and larger towns.

Banks are generally open on weekdays from 8:00 – 14:30, Monday to Friday. Most banks are closed over weekends except for the first and last Saturday of each month, and are open between 8:15 – 11:00.

Proflight flies from Lusaka to Mfuwe (South Luangwa), to Livingstone and the Copperbelt and also does charters. Various air charter companies will fly to any of the many airstrips around the country and most of the areas worth visiting are accessible by air.

In terms of public transport, taxis and bus services are available. There are good bus services available to Chipata, Livingstone, the Copperbelt, and Harare, although the timetables aren’t always set.

One can hire a car from hire companies in Lusaka, but with only 10% – 20% of the roads being tarred, it is not recommended to drive outside of the city.

Zambia’s native cuisine is based on nshima, a cooked porridge made from ground maize normally accompanied by some tasty relish, perhaps made of meat and tomatoes, or dried fish. Safari camps will often prepare nshima if requested, and it is almost always available in small, local restaurants.

Camps, hotels and lodges that cater to overseas visitors tend to serve a range of international fare, and the quality of food prepared in the most remote bush camps is typically excellent.
Water in the main towns is usually purified. The locals drink it and are used to the relatively innocuous bugs that it may harbour. If you are in the country for a long time, then it may be worth acclimatising yourself to it. However, if you are in Zambia for just a few weeks, then try to drink only bottled water.

Out in the bush, most of the camps and lodges provide bottled water or use water from boreholes which are generally safe to drink.

According to our Zambia travel advice in 2022, a discretionary ten percent tip is typical for restaurant bills, hotels, and taxis. In many places, a service charge is automatically added. It is customary to tip the game guide and lodge staff while on safari.

Rainy season is from November to March though the further north you are, the earlier the rains arrive and the later they leave. Eastern areas and higher areas generally receive more rain than western and lowland areas.

By April and May, most of the rain has faded away, leaving a landscape that’s still green, but starting to dry out. Nighttime temperatures start to drop, especially in higher and more southerly locations. June, July and August nights become much cooler, the days remain clear and warm. Make sure you bring warm clothes to wrap up if you’re out at night, as some nights get very cold! Most of Zambia’s small ‘walking bush camps’ open at the start of June, when the roads have dried out sufficiently to allow access.

This is the start of the ‘peak season’ for these countries – with cloudless days and continually increasing game sightings. In September and October, the temperatures climb: the lower-lying rift valleys – Lower Zambezi, Mana Pools and Luangwa Valley – can get up to 45 degrees. However, you’ll see some superb game as the animals concentrate around the limited water sources.

November is variable; it can be hot and dry like October, or it can see the season’s first downpours.

Zambia has mild winters and the summer days can be scorching hot. Lightweight casual clothes can be worn all year round, with a jacket or jersey for early winter mornings and evenings.

On safari keep clothes to neutral colours – khakis, browns and greens. A sunhat, sunscreen, sunglasses and insect repellent are a must.

Most hotels and lodges offer internet and/or Wi-Fi (free or paid) to their guests. Internet cafes are springing up in Zambia, but connections can be erratic and slow.

Current is 220/240 volts a with a frequency of 50Hz. Types C, D, and G are used.

If your appliance’s plug doesn’t match the shape of these sockets, you will need a travel plug adapter in order to plug in. Travel plug adapters simply change the shape of your appliance’s plug to match whatever type of socket you need to plug into.

Travel plug adapters do not change the voltage, so the electricity coming through the adapter will still be the same 220-240 volts the socket is supplying. If you need to use appliances that are not compatible with 220-240 volt electrical input, you will need a voltage converter.

Best time to visit Zambia

Zambia safaris are centred around wildlife viewing and from September to October offer wilderness experiences without equal.

Dry season in Zambia

The best time for your holiday to Zambia is between May and October, during the dry season. Animals congregate around watering holes, rivers and lakes while the vegetation is starting to thin out, making for easy spotting of a myriad of species. The impressive Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have lower water levels in the dry season in Zambia. You will however still experience the best of this Zambian destination highlight as there will be less spray from Vic Falls, leading to better panoramic views and exploration of the surroundings.

Wet season in Zambia

Planning a Zambia wildlife safari for the wet or green season from November and April has its advantages and disadvantages. The national parks in Zambia are lush and green and the spectacular scenery is teeming with new arrivals to the animal kingdom. Also known as the emerald season, your holiday in Zambia during this time will make for prolific bird viewing.
Between April and May, your safari of a lifetime to Zambia will offer astonishing views of the amazing Victoria Falls. The Falls are their mightiest just as the rainy season is coming to an end.

When considering a Zambia vacation, just be aware that the more remote parks as well as some camps in Lower Zambezi and Kafue shut down during the height of the rainy season.