Victoria Falls, Livingstone

Best time to travel: Feb-May
Walk difficulty: Easy
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Waterfall on the Zambezi River, which provides habitat for several unique species of plants and animals
  • It is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe and is one of the world’s largest waterfalls, with a width of 5604 ft

South Luangwa National Park

Best time to travel: July-Oct
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia, it is a world-renowned wildlife haven
  • It supports large populations of Thornicroft’s giraffe, and herds of elephants and Cape buffaloes often several hundred strong
  • It is one of the best-known national parks in Africa for walking safaris

Lower Zambezi National Park

Best time to travel: July-Oct
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • National Park that lies on the north bank of the Zambezi River
  • Until 1983 when the area was declared a national park, the area was the private game reserve of Zambia’s president
  • It remains one of the few pristine wilderness areas left in Africa
  • The park sits on the Zambezi flood plain ringed by mountains
  • Most large mammals in the national park congregate on the floodplain, including the Cape buffalo, a large elephant population, lion, leopard, many antelope species, crocodile and hippopotamus

Devil’s Pool, Livingstone

Best time to travel: Oct-Nov
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$

  • Naturally formed “Armchair” (now called “Devil’s Pool”), near the edge of the falls on the Zambian side, along the western tip of Livingstone Island
  • When the river flow is at a certain level, usually between September and December, a rock barrier forms an eddy with minimal current, allowing adventurous swimmers to splash around in relative safety in front of the point where the water cascades over the falls

Liuwa Plain National Park

Best time to travel: June-Nov
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • National park in Zambia’s Western Province, the plains originally served as a hunting ground for Lubosi Lewanika, the Litunga (king or paramount chief) of the Lozi people
  • The park’s grasslands support a variety of large mammals, including tens of thousands of blue wildebeest, whose annual migration is Africa’s second-largest
  • Frequently sighted large predators include the cheetah, spotted hyena, and lions
  • More than 300 bird species have been recorded in Liuwa, which has experienced limited tourism until recently
  • Animal populations have since stabilized, despite declines and local extinctions during the 1990s–2000s

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park

Best time to travel: July-Sept
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Park that is home to one half of the Mosi-oa-Tunya — ‘The Smoke Which Thunders’ — known worldwide as Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River
  • The river forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, so the falls are shared by the two countries, and the park is ‘twin’ to the Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwean side
  • The park is land adjacent to the immense and awe-inspiring Victoria Falls, which in the rainy season is the world’s largest curtain of falling water

Kafue National Park

Best time to travel: July-Oct
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • Largest national park in Zambia, similar in size to Wales or Massachusetts, and it is home to 152 different species of mammals
  • It’s known for its abundant wildlife and the Kafue River
  • In the north, the fertile Busanga Plains are home to lions, zebras, abundant birdlife and the sycamore fig trees of Busanga Swamps
  • In the more remote south, elephants and antelopes roam the Nanzhila Plains, and hippos swim in the waters of Lake Itezhi-Tezhi