Great Adventure Trips

Zambia Safaris and Tours

Robin Pope's Luangwa / Zambian Spice / Tongabezi and Sausage Tree / Victoria Falls
South Luangwa Walking Safari / Real Zambia / African Expedition / Capricorn Safari

Land of the legendary Zambia African walking safari, home of the Victoria Falls, the wild Zambezi River, breath-taking lakes and wetlands, a profusion of birds, abundant wildlife, and raw, pulsating wilderness, .......all in one friendly country. Acknowledged as one of the safest countries in the world to visit, Zambia's welcoming people live in peace and harmony. The Wildlife is superb and some of the finest Zambia Safaris on the planet are available from our fine lodges and safari companies. Blessed with 17 magnificent waterfalls apart from the spectacular Victoria Falls, Zambia offers tours to 'cascade followers' into the remote undeveloped rural areas where you can get a glimpse of village life. Zambia has the largest water resources in the whole of southern Africa with 5 massive lakes and plentiful rivers offering excellent fishing..

Map

Climate Zambia has three distinct seasons. December to April: warm and wet, May to August: cool and dry. September to November: hot and dry. Average temperatures in Summer range from 25° C to 35° C and in winter from 6° C to 24° C.
Visas - All bonafide tourists shall be issued with visas at any port of entry to Zambia or at Zambian Missions abroad. THE PREVIOUS VISA FEE WAIVER IS NO LONGER VALID
Currency - The Kwacha has denominations of 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10 000, 20 000 and 50 000 kwacha notes. As of October 2006 US$1 = K3845 but this rate fluctuates regularly and sometimes quite dramatically.
Credit Cards - Most hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and the bigger shops will take credit cards. Most of the bigger banks will advance local currency against a credit card. Standard Chartered, Stanbic and Barclays Banks have ATM's which accept Visa cards for cash.
Communications - Postal services are fairly well organised in Zambia and you should have no problem sending or receiving letters. There are several Internet Cafes in Livingstone and Lusaka and time on line is very reasonable. Public telephones are available in most public buildings, ie. post offices, and most use tokens. International calls can also be made from a private home or large hotel. (Note the surcharge at hotels is quite high). Direct dialling to neighbouring countries requires 4 sets of numbers: first the international prefix 00, then the country code, the city code, then the number. Incoming calls usually cost less than outgoing calls from Zambia. To book an operator assisted international call, dial 090 or 093. Local directory assistance is 103.
Customs - Travellers may, for their own consumption, import 2.5 litres of duty free beer, wine or spirits and 400 cigarettes or 500gms of tobacco.
Departure Tax - Departure tax is at airports is US$25 (international) and $8 (domestic), payable in hard currency. Travellers cheques are not acceptable. Most tickets issued are now inclusive of departure tax. You should check this when buying your ticket.
Electricity - Local current is 220v, 50 cycle AC
Health Requirements - Visitors from or passing through a yellow fever and cholera zone (most of tropical Africa and South America) must be able to produce a valid International Certificate of Vaccination. Air travellers who only pass through the airports of such a zone are exempt from the requirement. .
Language - There are over 73 dialects spoken in Zambia, but the official language is English. All media and business is in English and most Zambians speak it fairly well.
Medical services - Medical services are underdeveloped and only in Lusaka, Ndola and Livingstone can you find anything resembling western standards. There are a number of small clinics in Lusaka which are better than the general hospitals, but the clinics in the rural areas have little more than quinine, aspirin and band aids.
Medical Insurance - Medical insurance should be purchased before you leave your own country and should include emergency air evacuation coverage if you’re spending any time in remote parts of the country.
Security - Petty theft is as common as any major city where unemployment is high. Be very awake when walking around carrying anything of value, there are master pickpockets here and there. Never leave your vehicle unlocked and never change money on the streets. For the most part, however, Zambians are very friendly and helpful.
Time - Zambia is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, one hour ahead of Central European Time, seven hours ahead of Eastern USA time and ten hours ahead of Western USA time.
Tipping - Tipping is discouraged as it is included as service charge on your bill.