Taking a Look at Zambia

Zambia is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, East, and South Africa. It is a country of rugged terrain and diverse wildlife offering many national parks.

Zambia’s Capital

Lusaka the capital of Zambia has a lot to offer visitors.

Lusaka National Park is a great place to see rhinos in the wild just 15 km from the capital. The park stretches for 46 sq. km. and is also home to elephants, elands, zebras, giraffes and wildebeests among other wildlife.

What interests visitors the most is seeing the white rhinos. These were imported from South Africa then dehorned for anti-poaching purposes and guarded 24 hours a day. These animals spend their days roaming but are fed in their pen.

Lilaya Elephant Nursery sits on the southern outskirts of town. This elephant nursery works with rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned elephants. Visitors can see them being fed. You can take wildlife drives. On the premises are a restaurant and a lodge.

Presidential Burial Site National Monument is a mausoleum where the late Zambian presidents - Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, Frederick Chiluba and Michael Sata were laid to rest. A guided tour is available.

The Zambia National Museum is a big square box-like building. It has upstairs galleries displaying exhibits on urban culture and Zambian history. There are also cultural, ethnographic and archeological displays. Downstairs you can see Zambian paintings and sculptures. There is a cafeteria, souvenir shop and kids' corner.

Around the corner from the museum, you’ll find the Freedom Statue which is dedicated to freedom fighters and all who lost their lives in the struggle for Zambia’s independence. A depiction of a man breaking his chains symbolizes the country’s break with colonial bondage and was erected to celebrate Zambia’s independence in 1964. This is the place for Africa Freedom Day celebrations on May 25.

Namwandwe Gallery features an impressive private collection of businessman and patron of the arts John Kapowe Namwandwe contemporary Zambian art. The gallery space is in his private home featuring paintings, sculptures, masks and fabrics by established and new artists.

Lusaka City Market by the bus station is an active area with sidewalk vendors lined up right at the entrance of the market. Here you can find everything from clothing to housewares.

Munda Wanga Environmental Park is a kind of rescue center. Here you can see a variety of animals among them pangolins and owls. Families enjoy coming here for animal viewing. A popular time to visit is when the animals are being fed.

There are also lovely botanical gardens with almost 500 species of plants and is a great place for a picnic.

Traveling About Zambia

Siavonga is a lovely town on the banks of Lake Kariba where you can see acacia trees, palms, rosewoods and forest figs. The town is known as one of the top holiday spots in Zambia. You can find great hotels with sunny terraces and cafes overlooking the lake. This is the largest reservoir in the world and visitors can enjoy lots of water sports and recreational activities. The town is fringed by beautiful beaches and walking trails.

The legendary “Smoke which Thunders”, Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is the home to some of the most amazing sections of Victoria Falls. It is a UNESCO heritage site.

Here you can find white rhinos, Angolan giraffes, zebras and elephants. You can take many interesting walks here including walking on the narrow platforms of the Knife-Edge Bridge arching over the falls.

Kasanka National Park is a small park in the middle of Zambia. Here you can see pangolins and mongoose as well as sable antelopes and hartebeest. There are also many fruit bats here.

Visitors enjoy boat journeys and fishing on the Luwombwa River.

Livingstone was once the capital of Zambia. It was named after the most famous explorer of the African continent David Livingstone. Livingstone is the gateway to the roaring cataracts of Victoria Falls and apparently, the explorer was the first explorer to see the falls.

Explorers, adventure seekers and safari goers really enjoy this place as they head for Central Africa and the whitewater rapids of the Zambezi River.

The South Luangwa National Park is one of the homes of the celebrated walking safari. Here you can see elephant herds and hippos, numerous buffalos and long-necked giraffes. There are miombo woods and savannah plains. Pastoralist guides inform visitors about animal tracking, anti-poaching and conservation.