Travel and Tourism

WALKING SAFARIS

IMAGINE...waking up at the crack of dawn to the sound of a multitude of birds and a hot cup of coffee to get you going before you set off. Your Game Guide leads you deep into the heart of the bush, carefully making your way through the lush vegetation, pointing out the many signs of wild, - spoor of a lion that passed here in the night, elephant tracks, a herd of 10 or more must have been just here, where are they now? As you move on, you hear the crackle of leaves, and there they are... Grazing under a grove of sausage trees.

This is surely the finest way to experience the "Real" Africa, as it was hundreds of years ago when the first pioneers ventured into the interior. Wild, wild, wild, unspoilt, untouched wilderness. Zambia is one of the few countries left in Africa able to offer this unique experience.

Your safari operator will meet you at the nearest airstrip in an open game-drive vehicle and take you deep into the bush where you will spend a night in a comfortable bush camp. The next morning, just as the sun emerges, you don your good walking shoes, hat, camera and binoculars and set off on an unmarked trail through the bush.

OPEN VEHICLE GAME SAFARIS

Book into an exclusive bush camp, in or adjoining one of the National Parks. Get wined and dined and pampered in tasteful bush style and head out in the early mornings and late afternoons for some spectacular game viewing from the comfort of a well-padded open vehicle. Your game guide and tracker will ensure you do not miss a thing, and will reveal fascinating insights about all you see, from the tiniest insect, the vegetation and the seasons, to the mating behaviour of lions and the thrill of the kill.

BIRDING SAFARIS

Zambia has some of the highest species-concentrations on the continent and some of the most beautiful and wild birding destinations to get your ticks!

One of Africa's most prized birding spots is Lochinvar National Park, a small 450 sq. km. Park on the Kafue flood plains that has 428 known species. Try one of Zambia's legendary Walking Safaris in the main parks. All you take is your binoculars, and your guide will ensure your safety and comfort as you spot many of Zambia's unique species.

NATIONAL PARKS

Experts have dubbed South Luangwa as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and not without reason. The concentration of game around the Luangwa River and its ox bow lagoons is among the most intense in Africa.

The hippopotamus is one animal you won't miss. There is estimated to be at least 50 hippos per kilometer of the Luangwa River! Zebra can be seen running in small herds of about a dozen. Thornicroft's Giraffe, unique to Luangwa Valley should also be easily spotted. The park has 14 different antelope species, most of which are easily seen on game and night drives. Watch out for the elusive bushbuck, the eland, and the most numerous antelope - the impala. These gregarious animals can be seen in herds all over the park. Reedbuck, roan, sable, hartebeest, grysbok, klipspringer and oribi tend to stay deeper in the remote parts towards the Muchinga escarpment. Baboons and velvet monkeys are prolific. Scarcer is Maloney's monkey. Seen on night drives are the night ape, and the nocturnal bushbaby. Hyenas are fairly common and their plaintive, eerie cry, so characteristic of the African bush can be heard on most nights. South Luangwa has a good population of leopard, and lions are as plentiful in the Luangwa as anywhere else in Africa. The Luangwa River also has an extraordinarily high number of crocodiles.

Birdwatching is superb, with about 400 of Zambia's 732 species of birds appearing in the Valley, including 39 birds of prey and 47 migrant species. There is plenty for the birdwatcher to spot, whatever the season.

KAFUE NATIONAL PARK

From the astounding Busanga Plains in the North Western section of the Park to the tree-choked wilderness and the lush bamboos of the south, fed by the emerald green Lunga, Lufupa and Kafue Rivers, the park sustains huge herds of a great diversity of wildlife. From the thousands of red lechwe on the Plains, the ubiquitous puku, the stately sable and roan antelopes in the woodland to the diminutive oribi and duiker. The solid-rumped defassa waterbuck, herds of tsessebe, hartebeest, zebra and buffalo make for a full menu of antelope. Large prides of lion, solitary leopards and cheetahs are the prime predators. There is a host of smaller carnivores from the side-striped jackal, civet, genet and various mongoose.

Birdwatching - especially on the rivers and the dambos is superb. Notables include the wattled crane, purple crested loerie and Pel's fishing owl. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded throughout the park.

The Kafue and Lunga Rivers offer superb fishing opportunities, especially good bream, barbell and fresh water pike. Most lodges have fishing tackle, rods, boats and bait available.

LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK

This is Zambia's newest Park and as such is still relatively undeveloped, but it's beauty lies in its absolute wilderness state. The rivers edge is overhung with a thick riverine fringe, mostly diasporus, ficus and other riverine species. Further inland is a flood plain fringed with mopane forest and interspersed with winter thorn trees Acacia albida. The hills that form the backdrop to the park are covered in broadleaf woodland.

The park covers an area of 4,092 square kilometers, but most of the game is concentrated along the valley floor. Enormous herds of elephant, some up to 100 strong, are often seen at the rivers edge. 'Island hopping' buffalo and waterbuck are common. The park also hosts good populations of lion, leopard and fish eagle.

OTHER PARKS

North Luangwa - Very wild, access with operators only
Nsumbu - On the shores of Lake Tanganyika, excellent fishing
Lochinvar - A wetland birders paradise. Small and accessible boasting huge herds of Kafue Lechwe
Nyika Plateau - A highland park, excellent birds, awesome views, large herds of antelope, notably eland
Sioma Ngwezi - Undeveloped and wild, teak forests, good elephant, roan antelope
Kasanka - Superb birding, fishing and the rare sitatunga antelope
Bangweulu Floodplains - Thousands upon thousands of the endemic black lechwe antelope and the rare Shoebill Stork
Liuwa Plain - Annual wildebeest migration, great predators including wild dog

VICTORIA FALLS

Described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800's as "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - "the Smoke that Thunders" and in more modern terms as "the greatest known curtain of falling water", Victoria Falls are a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, bordering Zambian and Zimbabwe.

Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as 546 million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge (at the height of the flood season) over a width of nearly two kilometers into a deep gorge over 100 meters below. The wide basalt cliff, over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a wide placid river to a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges.

Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor who is prepared to brave the tremendous spray with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls. One special vantage point is across the Knife Edge Bridge, where visitors can have the finest view of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls as well as the Boiling Pot where the river turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the falls bridge and the Lookout Tree that commands a panoramic view across the Main Falls.

SIGHTSEEING

The Victoria Falls Bridge was commissioned by Cecil John Rhodes in 1900, although he never visited the falls and died before construction began, he expressed his wish that the "railway should cross the Zambezi just below the Victoria Falls. I should like to have the spray of the falls over the carriages.

The bridge affords a magnificent view both down the gorge on the one side and through to the falls on the other. The immense depth of the gorge can be fully appreciated from this perspective and combined with the sea green river below, the shiny black rock face and lush green foliage, the 360 degree view from the bridge is breathtaking.

AERIAL VIEW OF THE FALLS

To fully appreciate the incredible size of the Falls, and the awesome power of the water as it carves into the deep zig zagging gorges for eight kilometers, one must see it from the air. Micro-light and fixed wing flights are available. The pilot will take you along the wide tranquil upper Zambezi, and over the huge 2 kilometer rent in the earth. The breathtaking sight of this magnificent natural phenomenon, seen in all its glory from the air, is unforgettable.

WALKS

On the opposite cliff, facing the falls, you can take a well-marked and paved walk through the rain forests. Every so often the path will open out into a clearing for a view of the falls. Further along this path is the Knife Edge Bridge that affords an impressive panorama depending on the time of year. Although less can be seen of the width of the Falls during the wet season, the intense spray provides welcome relief from the heat, but don't carry anything you don't want to get wet!

During the dry season, be sure to take a walk along the lip of the Falls themselves. Sometimes the water is low enough to walk all the way across to Livingstone Island, the place where David Livingstone had his first glimpse of the Falls. This is surely one of the most magnificent views in the area.

Another interesting perspective is deep within the gorge into which the Falls descend. From the parking lot, look for the signs pointing to "The Boiling Pot". It's quite a steep climb, but well-worn steps make it a fairly easy descent. Coming up is of course a little more strenuous, but the view from below of the wide Zambezi thundering over the cliff, then compressed into the deep thin crevice turning into the Batoka Gorge, crashing and swirling over rapids, is quite spectacular. From this vantage point one can also see up to the impressive Victoria Falls Bridge, spanning the gorge over 100 meters above.

The best place for a wide range of crafts and curios is the Mukuni Victoria Falls Craft Village. From intricate animal carvings in stone, wood, or the beautiful green malachite, masks, drums, marimbas, spoons, book ends, walking sticks, jewellery and must more. The vendors can be really pushy however, yelling for your attention from all sides, so be firm. Look at everything before buying as some offer better quality than others. They are usually happy to trade for things like T shirts, batteries, shoes, or anything else hard to come by in Zambia. You will find it in the parking area just above the Falls where most of the walks begin and alongside the Victoria Falls Field Museum. This little museum attempts to explain how the Falls were formed over the millennia. It is built over an actual excavation site that has uncovered evidence of early hominids who lived in the area as far back as 2.5 million years ago.

Mosi O Tunya National Park is situated along the upper Zambezi stretching from and including the Falls for about 12 kilometers up river. It is only 66 square kilometers but provides a home for numerous antelope species, zebra, giraffe and the recently acquired white rhinos, one of whom gave birth in the park in 1994. These are the only rhinos to be seen in Zambia as its previously large population has been completely eliminated through poaching. One can take a pleasant drive around the park in a couple of hours and almost all the species there should be seen at close range. Since there are no predators, they are very relaxed and afford some excellent photo opportunities.

Maramba Cultural Village on the road from Livingstone to the Falls is a project by the community to promote the crafts and culture of the local people. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons they have shows for the public with some outstanding performances in tribal dancing and drumming. Mukuni Village is an authentic tribal village where thousands of people live and work. In July of each year the Leya people partake in the colorful Lwiindi Ceremony. The local people believe the spirits of their ancestors still dwell in the gorges of the Falls and during the Lwiindi, they offer sacrifices to them for rain. Visits are arranged by Mukuni Shungu Mufu.

WHAT TO DO

The Victoria Falls area is rapidly becoming known as the 'Adventure Centre' of southern Africa, with various adrenaline sports, unmatched scenery of breathtaking proportions, and many other leisure options for outdoor lovers.

Whitewater Rafting through Batoka Gorge
Bungi Jumping off the 111m high Victoria Falls Bridge
Canoeing on the upper Zambezi
Horseback Trails along the Zambezi and the surrounding Teak forests
River Boarding mega thrills on the Zambezi rapids
Abseiling off the sheer cliffs of Victoria Falls Gorge
Micro-lighting over the Falls
River Safaris Quiet jet-propelled boats take you into remote parts of the upper Zambezi

CREATION OF THE FALLS

It is thought that earth movement in an earlier geological period diverted the south-easterly flowing upper Zambezi to a general easterly direction and so initiated the development of a waterfall in an area occupied by a massive bed of basalt that is about 305m thick.

The basalt, through which the Zambezi runs for 209 kms in the Livingstone area is characterized by very marked joints or cracks, which may have developed as the molten lava cooled. One dominant series of joints running in an east-west direction is associated with zones of soft material within the basalt.

Since the Zambezi is flowing due south in the Livingstone area, these softer materials are very easily eroded to form the great east-west gorges. Upstream retreat of the Falls is due to a second major series of joints running north-south. Gradual erosion of small joints that run north-south caused the river to be concentrated into a narrow fissure and the broad fall line was abandoned. Once this happened, it was only a question of time before the narrow gorges cut back into another transverse fracture zone of soft material. This gouging out of the soft zone again established a broad fall. This process has been repeated over many years and the zigzag gorges represent seven previous lines of Falls.

The Devil's Cataract, on the Zimbabwe side, which is 21-37 m lower than the rest of the present Falls, shows how the force of water is starting to cut back along such a line of weakness. It will probably erode its way back to another east-west joint where a future line of the Falls will eventually become established.

LIVINGSTONE'S FIRST SIGHTING

In 1851, Dr. David Livingstone, a Scottish Missionary explorer, first heard of the great waterfall, but it was only in 1855 that he set out to visit it. He spent the night on Kalai Island a few kilometers upstream of the Falls, having come down river by foot, and the next morning set off in a small canoe to approach the thundering smoke. He landed on the biggest Island on the lip of the Falls, now called Livingstone Island and from there obtained his first view of the Falls.

"Creeping with awe to the verge, I peered down into a large rent which had been made from bank to bank of the broad Zambezi, and saw that a stream of a thousand yards broad leaped down a hundred feet and then became suddenly compressed into a space of fifteen to twenty yards...the most wonderful sight I had witnessed in Africa".

Of the surrounding area he wrote: "No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight" (Livingstone 1857).