Looking out over Victoria Falls is an incredible experience. The rainbow constantly appears in the cloud of water drops, and settles like a colorful footbridge of the water cascades. The deafening rumble propagates in the body like millions of trucks on an eight-lane highway. But there are no cars here. The Kololo people, who lived in the area in the 19th century, aptly called the waterfall “the smoke that rumbles”. So does water that flows down over a 1.7 km wide slope, and 110 meters into the depths, with over 500 million cubic meters of water per minute.
Population: 16 million
Capital: Lusaka
Language: English and Bantu language
- termites can even chew their way through asphalt? In Zambia, there are so many termites that they have asked researchers to investigate whether it is possible to mix empty termite nests with asphalt and thus get more hardy roads.
- at Zambia’s annual festival Kuomboka do you celebrate the Zambezi River flooding its banks? Thus, the soil is nourished and gives new life to the area again.
Zambian nature
The Zambezi River flows through western Zambia, marking part of the border with Zimbabwe. During its journey, it flows through countless beautiful natural landscapes and national parks, with a rich and varied wildlife. A popular activity among travelers in Zambia is a canoe trip along the elongated river on the stretch from the dam and all the way to Mozambique. Here you can get close to all the animals that are attracted to the river water. The elephants kindly watch the canoes gliding past in silence, and the obstacle in the water turns out to be a hippopotamus. Crocodiles and buffalo flocks are other zoological obstacles. Victoria Falls is located on the part of the river that forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Here the river plunges more than 100 meters down, forming a haze that can be seen at a distance of 20 km. Vattenfall’s unique position in the middle of the dense rainforest does not detract from the experience. Visit printerhall for Zambia Houseboat Safari on the Zambezi.
Zambia National Parks
Three major rivers flow through Zambia; Zambezi, Luangwa and Kafue. All are surrounded by large national parks that are named after the rivers. The Lower Zambezi and Kafue National Parks are both well worth a visit for their rich wildlife. The more experienced safari traveler should also spend part of their holiday in 9,000 km2 of South Luangwa, one of the world’s largest national parks, where most of the safari takes place on foot, in what the true connoisseur considers “the real Africa”. Untouched, in many places impassable, with one leopard per 2.5 square kilometers (unofficial world record), Luangwa Park is one of the country’s most special attractions.
Zambia’s Attractions
There was no one in our part of the world who knew about Victoria Falls until 1855, when Dr. David Livingstone happened to pass by in the hope of finding a route to the east coast of Africa. Once you have seen yourself measured on the waterfalls, you can very aptly visit the Livingstone Museum, which is located in the city of the same name. The location provides a good insight into what Livingstone and his assistants had to get through, before they reached Victoria Falls. Livingstone died 18 years later in Zambia, due to malaria and dysentery.
In the town of Ilala, near the fascinating Bangweulu swamps, where he succumbed and his aides buried his heart under a pound tree, a memorial stone has later been erected. The city of Livingstone was previously the country’s capital, but is today located in Lusaka, a busier and more modern city, where just over two million of Zambia’s 16 million inhabitants live. With a size of 753,000 km2, Zambia is almost twice as big as Sweden, and there is plenty of space. Not far from the beautiful Lake Kariba, where you can vacation by houseboat, is also Wildlives Game Farm, where several old ranch families have put on entertaining ranch shows. The place has a campsite and huts, which makes it easy to spend a few days of the holiday here.
Facts Zambia
Below you will find practical information in connection with trips to Zambia. Read about tips, electricity and the internet, among other things.
- Language: English and Bantu language
- Capital: Lusaka
- Population: 16 million
- Religion: Christianity and folk religions
- Currency: Kwacha
- Surface: 752 618 km2
Worth knowing
Time difference
The time difference between Sweden and Zambia varies according to whether it is summer or winter time.
Summer time 0 hours
Winter time + 1 hour
Electricity
220/240 volts. Feel free to bring an adapter.
Transport in Zambia
The buses in Zambia do not quite meet the same standard as in Europe . We have of course chosen the best category of air conditioning where possible.
Currency and credit cards
The currency in Zambia is the kwacha (ZMK).
It is possible to exchange most currencies in Zambia, but in many places the exchange rate is bad for the Swedish krona. Therefore, it is better to exchange money at home or bring currency in US dollars. It can be difficult to withdraw money with a credit card, but the conditions are constantly changing and credit cards are becoming more widespread. They are accepted in most hotels, larger restaurants and souvenir shops.
Tip
They usually give about 10 percent in tips in Zambia.
Telephone and internet
Zambia’s international country code is +260. It is expensive to call home, so you may inquire with your mobile operator about coverage and price for calls from Zambia.
There are very few internet cafes in Zambia. Most are located in Lusaka and Livingstone, and the larger hotels pay to access the internet.
Drinks and hygiene
Hotels and larger restaurants have modern toilets on the same level as those in the west. Out in the city and in the country, toilet conditions can be primitive. Bring your own toilet paper or a package of wet wipes and possibly. hand disinfection. Then you can do without water if there is no such thing.
You should not drink tap water. Instead, buy bottled water.
Smoking
Smoking is of course prohibited during all transport. In addition, smoking in public places in Zambia is prohibited.
Tact and tone
Zambia’s residents are generally open and hospitable. When visiting the church, we recommend that you wear clothes that cover the knees and shoulders.
Climate and weather in Zambia
Here you can read about the climate and weather in Zambia. Get an overview of the weather in the capital Lusaka.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | CHRISTMAS | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | |
| Lusaka | ||||||||||||
| Daytime temperature | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 27 |
| Night temperature | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
| Precipitation (mm) | 219 | 186 | 111 | 40 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 15 |
Zambia’s high elevation above sea level provides a predominantly subtropical climate, while areas in the lowlands are tropical. Along the Zambezi Valley in the southwest there is a steppe climate. At the beginning of the rainy season (Oct-Apr) it is warmest in Zambia, while you experience the coldest months during the dry season (May-Oct). It rains most in the northern parts of the country.
