FROM FOOTPATHS TO FLOODPLAINS

Zambia has earned a reputation as the birthplace of the walking safari, but it is equally rewarding from the seat of an open safari vehicle or aboard a boat on one of its great rivers. However you choose to explore, the emphasis is less on rushing between sightings than on experiencing the bush in all its richness.

On foot with an expert guide, every sound suddenly matters. Fresh tracks tell stories that would pass unnoticed from a vehicle, while the alarm call of a squirrel may reveal a leopard resting ahead. Even the scent of crushed wild sage hints at animals that have passed by only moments before. Walking through country shared with lions surprises many first-time visitors, not because it demands courage, but because every step is guided by observation, patience, and experience.

It is a slower, more absorbing way to experience Africa, and one that began here.

Zambia’s slow and rhythmic pace is also written by its rivers. The Zambezi may be the best known, but the Kafue, Luangwa, and Luambe continually reshape the country throughout the seasons with their regular ebb and flow.  Canoes and motorboats drift through flooded forests, elephants browse along the banks, and flashes of bee-eaters and kingfishers animate the reeds. Pick up a rod and test your mettle against the legendary tigerfish or, for the ultimate river experience, soar above the "Smoke That Thunders" at Victoria Falls by microlight.

In the dry season or the wet, on foot, on horseback, by boat, safari vehicle, or by air, Zambia rewards every visit with a different perspective—and another reason to return