3 Best Sights in Zambia

Kafue is Zambia's oldest and largest national park, covering a massive 2,240,000 hectares (about the size of Wales in the United Kingdom), which also makes it one of the largest parks in Africa and, for that matter, the world. Thanks to its size, variety of ecosystems, and the beautiful Kafue River, this park is absolutely teeming with game, from crowd-pleasers like lions, elephants, and leopards to one of Africa's largest wild dog populations—right through to rare species such as lechwe and yellow-backed duiker and more than 400 types of bird. The park is an easy few hours' drive from Livingstone and Lusaka. Despite all its highlights, it remains largely wild and unexplored, particularly the northern reaches. But this may be its number one draw. There are a handful of first-rate campsites and luxury lodges dotted in and around the edges of the park, almost all of which offer typically Zambian attention to detail in terms of service and providing the real bush experience.

Lower Zambezi National Park may not be Zambia's biggest or best-known national park, but these are two of the main reasons it's so worth a visit. The whole park retains a unique feeling of untouched African wilderness, and you certainly wouldn't think you were just a few hours from the urban hub of Lusaka. When on game drives or guided bush walks through the park, you can go for miles without seeing another car, but the density of big game is astonishing. The vegetation and landscapes are spectacularly diverse, too, ranging from rugged, forested mountain escarpments to wide-open plains punctuated only by the occasional lonely baobab or palm tree. The park's handful of luxury and secluded camps are all situated along the lush banks of the mighty Zambezi River, which serves as the natural southern border to the park as well as between Zambia and Zimbabwe's Mana Pools on the other side. Lower Zambezi is a particularly special place for canoeing safaris and boat cruises, and is also a favorite with fishing aficionados. The quickest and easiest way to get there is to fly from Livingstone to Lusaka and then take a short chartered flight to Jeki Airstrip within the park. If you leave Livingstone in the late morning, you'll arrive at your accommodation in time for high tea. 

This park is a quick and easy option for viewing plains game. In fact, you are almost guaranteed to spy white rhinos. You can also visit the Old Drift graveyard, as the park marks the location of the original settlement of Livingstone. The park's guides are very knowledgeable, and while you're free to explore on your own, the roads do get seriously muddy in the rainy season, and a guide who knows where to drive becomes a near-necessity. It's best to find out about park entry details from your accommodations or a local tour operator, as park management can be less than helpful.