We don’t like to have star pupils, but Zambia is quite possibly our favourite destination on the continent. Subject to a whole host of (unfair) rumours, we’re here to dispel every single one of them and impart some of our pearls of wisdom for planning a Zambia safari whilst we’re at it. If you haven’t yet decided what time of the year or where to go in Zambia, have a peek at our mini-guides first, and with our Zambia Travel Guide you are fully equipped to ready, set, BOOK!
International flights
For you to get the most out of our Zambia travel guide, we best start with the flights. To start your adventure, you’ll need to fly to the capital Lusaka, arrival and departure point of all long-haul flights. The ever-wonderful Emirates have one flight a day from Dubai, which connects nicely with flights to the major safari destinations on national airline Proflight Zambia. They’ll also allow you a larger luggage limit if you book on the same ticket (win!) and they’ll help you if any flights are delayed (win win!). Other options are to fly to Nairobi on Kenya Airways, or Johannesburg on BA or South African Airways, and connect up to Lusaka.
Internal flights
The good news is that national (and only) airline Proflight Zambia flies to every major safari park, so combining different destinations in Zambia really couldn’t be easier. The catch is that most flights arrive and depart from Lusaka, so you’ll fly back to the capital and swap planes on almost every journey. That said, Proflight recently introduced direct flights from the South Luangwa (Mfuwe airstrip) to the Lower Zambezi (Royal or Jeki) so change is in the air. If you do however have to connect in Lusaka, it’s a simple process and the wait time is short.
Private charter flights
Scheduled flights full? Timings not working out? Make like Beyonce and hire a plane! And no, we don’t think you’re a millionaire – chartering a plane isn’t as expensive as you might think and can often save a lot of time and hassle. Ask the lodge which other guests they have coming in around your dates too – you never know, there might be other people in the same situation who would be willing to share the cost.
Driving
Unless you have months to spare and are looking for a real adventure, we wouldn’t recommend driving in Zambia. Distances between the safari destinations are enormously long, hire car companies are difficult to come by and there’s little to nothing in the way of facilities, even on major roads. If you do have months to spare, and like the sound of a real adventure, give us a call…
Families
Over the last few years, some truly fantastic private houses have popped up in Zambia that cater brilliantly to families of all ages – Flatdogs Crocodile Nest in the South Luangwa and Chongwe River House in the Lower Zambezi to name a couple. Lodges in Zambia don’t necessarily have ‘Kids Programmes’ but the majority of guides are family men (and belly-achingly funny) and have a knack of making the bush come alive for children. The only rule to note is that officially, children under the age of 12 cannot go on a walking safari.
How long should I go for?
Within our Zambia travel guide it is important to mention that there’s such a wide variety of camps and lodges, safari styles and activities that the longer you can go for, the better. In the South Luangwa alone, you would perhaps want to settle in with a couple of nights in a lodge before heading to a tiny bush camp in the wild, maybe with a night fly camping. If you add on stops in the Lower Zambezi and Vic Falls, you could fill two weeks at the drop of a hat. But if five days is all you have, you can make that work too, by simply doing what’s most important to you.
The shoulder season
The main parks in Zambia have a very distinct safari season (see our ‘best time to visit’ guide if you need some help), which means there’s also a very distinct shoulder season alongside it, usually the month before and after. And the best thing about that? Game viewing is phenomenal, the parks are quiet and the chances of finding an extremely good deal price-wise are very, very high.
Save some pennies
If you’re fairly relaxed about when and where to go in Zambia, there are some very exciting offers to be sniffed out. Proflight release their ‘firecracker’ fares four to six weeks before travel, which are almost half the price of regular flights (a special Zambia travel guide tip). Combine this with one of the ‘Stay for 3, pay for 2’ offers on accommodation, which can be booked further in advance, and you’ve already saved money.
