Zambia — The Walking Safari Heartland

Zambia is where the modern walking safari was born, pioneered in South Luangwa National Park by the conservationist Norman Carr in the 1950s, and it remains the best place in Africa to explore the bush on foot with an armed guide, reading tracks and signs at a pace no vehicle allows. South Luangwa is also renowned for its leopard sightings, among the most reliable anywhere on the continent, alongside large prides of lion and huge hippo pods along the Luangwa River.

On the country's southern border, the Zambian side of Victoria Falls near Livingstone offers a quieter, less-developed vantage point on the falls than the Zimbabwean side, along with activities like white-water rafting and bridge walks below the gorge. The Lower Zambezi National Park, across the river from Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, adds canoeing and river-based safaris to the country's range of experiences.

Zambia is a natural add-on for travelers already booking a Zimbabwe or Botswana itinerary with us, and we're happy to build a custom walking-safari extension into South Luangwa on request.