Travel guide Zambia

This expression, originally used by hunters to define the most dangerous animals, has become synonymous with a successful safari. The 5 nominees are: the elephant, the buffalo, the rhinoceros, the lion and the leopard. Victims of poaching, rhinos are rare, but in Zambia can be observed while walking safari in Mosi-oa-Thunya NP.

This is the nautical version of the game drive to observe wildlife by boat. On the Zambezi River in the Lower Zambezi NP and on the Victoria Falls side, on the Kafue River in the eponymous park or on Lake Kariba. A way to get closer to crocodiles and hippos, to observe birds and elephants without fear (or almost).

The bush refers to a landscape of thorny shrubs and scattered acacia trees. The bush camp is in the heart of a national park: safari tents or reed and straw huts, where all around the safaris are incredible. During the day we contemplate the plain where the herbivores drink, at night we discuss around the fire in the boma.

In Zambia, village chiefs retain a major influence throughout the country and are highly respected. They regulate the daily life of the villages and exercise the decisions of justice. They are the spokespersons and advisors of the community to the government and have the right to decide on projects planned on their land.

Zambia is one of the world's largest producers of copper, located mainly in the Copperbelt region. It is the country's primary industrial asset and its primary export revenue. World copper prices partly determine the country's economy and the value of the national currency.

Of course, there are the Victoria Falls, a 1.7 km wide and 100 meters high cataract where the powerful waters of the Zambezi River rush down with great noise. But there are also other lesser known falls, such as the magnificent Lumangwe and Ntumbachushi Falls, close to rock paintings (to the north) or Ngonye Falls (to the west).

A game drive is a classic safari aboard a huge, fully open 4x4 with three raised benches above the driver-guide, who tracks the animals and gives explanations on the wildlife. We do two per day: 5am to 9am and from 4pm to 8pm, when the animals are most active, with a coffee break in the morning and a drink in the evening.

Zambia's most famous ceremony takes place when the Barotseland plains are flooded by the Zambezi in March-April. King Lozi leaves his winter palace to reach his summer residence. During the 6-hour journey, the king and queen are escorted by the locals on boats, with musicians playing drums and xylophones.

The sausage tree (Kigelia africana) is the most curious tree of the African savannah. It can be recognized by its very hard oblong fruits, similar to giant sausages that can measure more than 50 cm long, 115 cm in diameter and weigh up to 5 kg. It is better not to linger underneath! The wildlife loves them, especially the hippos.

This walking safari in the middle of a national park, supervised by armed rangers, consists in criss-crossing the bush to observe the animals and their tracks. Elephants, buffalos and other herbivores, but not the big cats that flee at our approach. You have to wear neutral colors, walk in single file and remain silent. The big thrill!

Sometimes called the wild dog (Lycaon pictus), the African wild dog is also an endangered animal. There are only 6,000 of them left on the continent. Zambia boasts a successful reintroduction program and you may be lucky enough to see a group of wild dogs on your South Luangwa safari.

The fourth largest river in Africa gave its name to the country in which it originates in the west. The Zambezi River crosses the southern part of the country from west to east, forming the border with Namibia and Zimbabwe. It offers magnificent landscapes and exceptional safaris, from the Victoria Falls to the Lower Zambezi NP, via Lake Kariba.