What to do in Zambia

Literally meaning "to get out of water" in the Lozi language, the Kuomboka is the traditional ceremony held annually to mark the movement of the king to higher ground at the beginning of the rains. It’s a time of great celebration, and the ceremony is conducted to the pounding of drums, while the paddlers, resplendent in animal skins, dance and sing. For a chance to catch sight of the king’s barge, complete with a life-sized replica of an elephant (the king's symbol), book your safari for March/April. The ceremony is, however, dependent on the floods and dates cannot be guaranteed.

Unlike the Luangwa in the dry season, the 'Emerald Season' - December to April - is a whole new world of water-logged ebony groves and hippo-filled lagoons. It's home to some of the largest pods in Africa! The wonderful river, fringed by huge fig and sausage trees, rises dramatically, and floating along the water on a boat safari is one of the best ways to view game. The birding scene really comes into its own, in full colourful plumage, and you could see up to 100 species in a single day. Time it just right and you'll be clinking G&Ts as the sun sets over the river. Even better, only a handful of camps are open, so the watery wilderness is all yours.

Both long and short microlight flights offer jaw-dropping views of the mighty Victoria Falls, unique and unhindered by windows and wings. Once you’ve taken off from the Batoka Sky Aerodrome in your craft, it’s a mere 30-seconds until you’re gliding over the plunging waterfall. In the short, 15-minute ‘Flight of the Angels’ trip, you’ll fly over the Falls themselves, zoom over the nearby islands and take in the views of the thundering Zambezi River before coming back in to land. The longer, 30-minute flight adds on a game-viewing experience, and you’ll continue upstream along the Zambezi for a low-level swoop over Mosi-oa-Tunya Zoological Park to see what you can spot below…

Night time safaris aren’t available just anywhere in Africa, but the good news is, they are a certainty in the Lower Zambezi. Leave camp after a sumptuous Afternoon Tea and when the sun goes down, your night drive begins, along with the chance to see a whole new cast of wildlife including the ever-elusive civet and serval. Let your spotter pick out the nocturnal animals with a powerful lamp, from bushbabies, whose eyes shine brightly in the darkness, foraging hippos and hunting lion, and leopard lurking shyly on the banks of the river.

A vast and highly productive wildlife area, Liuwa Plains is a crucial large-carnivore conservation area. Join the researchers of the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP), a non-profit team dedicated to conserving large carnivores and the ecosystems they reside in, and spend the morning tracking wild dog, cheetah, hyena and lion. Learn about the behaviours of the different species, how the various prides and packs interact, and get some interesting insights into the fantastic work the team does.

The South Luangwa may have made its fame with the walking safari, thanks to its vast (mostly flat) terrain, exquisite wildlife and powerhouse river. Happily, these traits also make it the place for an epic biking safari. They’re certainly fun and a brilliant way to keep active in the bush, covering more ground than on foot but keeping a lower profile than a 4x4. Plot your course along the rushing Luangwa River where elephant gather to drink and splash, hippo glisten in giant pods and the flicking tail of a leopard is enough to stop your heart. You'll park in a scenic spot along the way to sip on something cool before cycling on. In the South Luangwa, these cycling safaris are only offered by a select few lodges, so choose carefully.

If you've ever dreamt of a heart-soaring and adrenaline-rushing leap, there's no better place for it than Victoria Fall's famous bridge. At 111m, it is one of the tallest in the world and bungee jumping off it is an unforgettable experience. After being strapped in, take a leap of faith and freefall before swinging high above Batoka Gorge with Victoria Falls gushing down behind you. This experience firmly cements Vic Falls as Africa's Adventure Capital.

We know what’s it like when you just want to do your own thing on safari, whether that’s heading into the bush at sunrise and not returning until sunset, or spending a few hours on that once-in-a-lifetime photo. If that describes you to a 'T', then book a private guide and vehicle for the duration of your trip in the South Luangwa, or a couple of days here and there, and create your dream safari, totally on your own terms. When it comes down to it, the wildlife and wistful river views make the chance to take it all in at your leisure more than worth it.

If you're longing to capture that safari-defining moment on camera, why not get the expertise of someone who has made their home in the bush and spends their days doing just that? Book a day (or more) in the company of a specialist photographic guide and discover exactly what your camera is capable of. Remote, breathtaking and very photogenic, South Luangwa has become a sanctuary for wildlife including the Thornicroft's giraffe, which is only found here. Whatever the season, you'll learn the art of reading animal's movements, finding the perfect light and clicking just at the right moment. Photographing a leopard on the hunt and lying flat on the plains to snap a herd of elephant only metres away, it's all in a day...

The rushing Zambezi River just begs to be explored and on a scenic boating safari, you'll see it in all its glory. With a seasoned skipper at the helm, you'll get the 411 on the wildlife who reside in the water and drink on its shores. The boat is specially designed and propeller-free so you'll have no problem gliding over the rapids and meandering into the near-unaccessible coves. Keep your eyes wide open to see wallowing hippos and beady-eyed crocodile, while games plain line the river bank. In between snapping pics, enjoy light refreshments!

If you like your safaris rustic and robust, a mobile walking safari is for you. Usually lasting 5 or 6 nights, you’ll cover roughly 10km on foot during the day, walking through some of Zambia’s most remote and jaw-droppingly beautiful landscapes. And scanning the landscape for its cast of incredible wildlife every step of the way. At night, you’ll be sleeping in simple fly camps (complete with hot showers, stand up tents and hearty food nonetheless!). The camp won’t move every day – sometimes you’ll return to the same spot to spend the night – but when it does, the well-practised team will have everything taken care of. Blink and you’ll miss it!

You don’t even need to be creative to take part in an Art Safari – the talented artists at Tribal Textiles spend their days producing unique, hand-painted textiles in the heart of the bush and, on an Art Safari, they’ll show you exactly how it’s done. Spend a morning or a day with them and paint a cushion cover or design a wall hanging and take home your very own piece of African tribal art.

Just upstream from the Falls themselves is the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, a hotspot for herbivores big and small as well as endangered white rhino. On this experience, you’ll enter the park by vehicle and drive through the rugged terrain to the last known location of the rhino. After a rigorous safety briefing, you’ll set out on foot toward the magnificent creatures with your guide and spend some quality time interacting with (at a suitably safe distance) and photographing them. When it’s time to say goodbye, you’ll head back through the park on foot learning about the different flora and spoor as you go, before ending with a picnic lunch in the shade of the trees.

A mere hop, skip and a jump from Livingstone is the spectacular Chobe National Park. It’s famed for magnificent elephant sightings, but there’s plenty more in the way of wildlife to spot, making for a wonderful day of game-viewing. In the morning, you’ll head for the border and meet your Botswana guide for the day. Then, it’s straight to the river for a morning boat cruise and eye-level encounters with the watery wildlife and of course, the iconic herds of ellies that line the banks. You’ll enjoy lunch in a nearby hotel before hopping on a vehicle for an afternoon game drive and (hopefully) some predator action, before returning to the border and crossing back into Zambia.

Learn what it takes to help conservation efforts in the remote North-Eastern Kafue National Park, from anti-poaching to wildlife research – There are several conservation organisations working within the Kafue landscape due to its size. What makes Musekese Conservation so unique is that it was founded thanks to tourism. The operations of Classic Zambia (previously Jeffery & McKeith Safaris) enabled in 2017, the establishment of a dedicated NGO non-profit, working to help fill what was a growing void in the protection of wildlife in this vast sector of the park, some 2 600 square kilometers!