The most beautiful natural sites to discover Zambia

Like Nairobi, the Zambian capital now has its own "national park," a little Thoiry in fact, for those who would not have the chance to see the animals in the bush. Created in 2008, it was only opened to the public in June 2015. It covers about 67 km² in a vast industrial complex, which does not give it a very pleasant environment. Nevertheless, this protected and fenced area has been the subject of reintroduction of many herbivores: eland, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, warthog, etc., and even a white rhino donated by South Africa named Thabo. There are plans to reintroduce other species. The park can be visited by car - a 4x4 or at least a car with a fairly high ground clearance is preferable, given the many rocks that protrude from the track. There is even a picnic area and it is very popular with locals on weekends.

Wildlife Discovery Center. In August 2022, this center was inaugurated, consisting of three huts that serve as an exhibition hall on biodiversity and the preservation of Zambian species. The Exploratorium will teach you about the country's different landscapes and ecosystems and the various initiatives to preserve them. It features a 360-degree mural.

Elephant Sanctuary. You can observe the orphaned elephant calf sanctuary that has been moved from Liyali Lodge to Lusaka NP also in 2022 via a platform and watch them being fed between 11:45 and 13:00.

In a lush park with a children's playground, swimming pool, miniature golf course and restaurant, an impressive collection of snakes, crocodiles, turtles and chameleons can be seen through the windows of beautiful vivariums. The star of the show is the Nile crocodile, the most common in Africa and also the largest. You can buy crocodile skin items from the breeding farm located there. It is located about ten kilometers from the city, in the direction of the airport, the route is signposted.

Olympia Park and Roma are located behind the shopping centre of Manda Hill and opposite the Arcades shopping centre. There are some restaurants, backpackers and guest houses.

Rhodes Park and Fairview combine the entire area from the roundabout of Independence avenue (where the French embassy is located) to the west of Addis Ababa Drive. From these very central districts, you can reach all parts of Lusaka in 10 minutes by car. There are many restaurants and backpackers. Opposite Rhodes Park, on the other side of the Great East Road, lies the Northmead district, renowned for its bustling nightlife and charming market.

The Chutes falls are located on the river Lufubu 85 km northeast of Kawambwa along the road linking Kawambwa and Luwingu.

Kapishya Hot Springs Lodge, in the same property as Shiwaa N'gandu Manor, is open to non-guests for the day. First for the bathing in the hot springs, but also for the activities proposed: visit of the manor, safaris, horse riding, discovery of rock paintings, hiking, rafting, mountain biking... Charming spa with view on the river. You can get there by car from the Great North Road, or by air charter to the property.

Lake Kashiba, with its crystal clear turquoise waters, is the most famous of a group of small lakes near Ndola, known as the "sunken lakes", which mysteriously means "sunken lakes". These little-known lakes offer a perfect vacation setting for swimming and wilderness camping. The lakes were formed by the erosion oflimestone several million years ago, as a result of a water current that literally collapsed part of the rocks, leaving a large lake surrounded by high rocks. These high rocks prevent wildlife from inhabiting the lake, so there is no risk of encountering crocodiles or hippos, and you can swim in peace and watch the fish in the crystal clear water. They are also perfect promontories to jump into the water after swinging on a liana. There are spots set up by the locals all around.

A mysterious depth. The lake is 800 meters wide and its depth is about 100 meters on the sides, while its depth in the center remains a mystery: the many divers and researchers who have tried have never managed to measure the bottom but it is estimated to be about 100 meters deep: nobody has ever been able to go down there for the moment.

Legends. This unknown depth of the abyss has fueled mystical beliefs surrounding the lake, including the presence of a monster called "Ichitapa" or "lsoka lkulu" or the myth that leaves and boats floating on the surface of the lake would be sucked to the bottom at night. A monster that captures the shadows of people standing next to the lake, paralyzing them until they fall into the water where they are devoured.

To get there. Lake Kashiba is about 330 km from Lusaka just past Luanshya, in the Mpongwe area, when you take the Great North Road towards the Copperbelt (about an hour's drive past Kapiri Mposhi). Turn left onto the road towards Mpongwe until the road becomes a track and continue for about 15 km. At the sign for Saint Anthony's mission, turn right. Continue to the right on a very bad road for about 500 m. Only accessible by 4x4 and in the dry season. The site has two sheltered areas, but no infrastructure has been built, so the site is reserved for wilderness camping. A camping fee is required.

This is one of the most spectacular sites in Zambia, about 80 km east of Kabwe. Where the two rivers Lunsemfwa and Mkushi meet, they have carved narrow gorges more than 300 m deep into the sedimentary rocks of the Karoo Age. The best viewpoint in the canyon is Bell Point (GPS: 14°38.500'S; 29°08.600'E). To get there, head south of town towards Chisama, then Mulungushi and Lunsemfwa. A good 4WD and a detailed map of the area are essential.

Kundalila Falls is located about 60 km north of Serenje (13°09.260'S, 30°42.119'E) by a 15 km dirt road from the Great North Road. They are among the most beautiful in Zambia. At the edge of the Muchinga escarpment, the Kaombe River plunges 70 m high, spreading out in a veil of mist before reaching a pool of crystal clear water. It is possible to swim at the foot of the falls in a natural pool. The site, classified as a national heritage, has a basic campsite, with a kitchenette and recent sanitary facilities.

This semicircular cave cut into the Nsalu hill (12°43.202'S, 30°40.952'E) features some African rock paintings of the San, ancestors of the Bushmen. Archaeological excavations conducted in the 1940s showed that the site was occupied as early as the Stone Age and for at least 20,000 years. The meaning of the colored drawings and abstract figures is still a mystery, but scholars believe they refer to initiation ceremonies. Although it is a national monument, the site has suffered from numerous degradations.

This pretty little waterfall gushing through the ochre rocks is about a 2 hour drive from Mkushi and about 40 km, by a track that crosses the forest, close to the Congolese border. It is located just off the track and easy to find. It consists of a few small rapids and natural pools where you can swim. Camping is allowed here but there is really nothing, not even running water. So it is only possible if you are totally self-sufficient in drinking water, food, etc.

If you're not there, you can spend a pleasant day in this 700 ha private reserve. By car, on foot or on horseback, you will be able to observe many bird species and antelopes, but also giraffes, zebras and many other animals, except predators. Safaris on foot or by car, $ 10; on horseback, $ 30.

One of the favourite places for families to go out in Lusaka, who like to come for a picnic and relax. Like yet another zoo, there is also a botanical garden and feline feeding (call for schedules). Nothing wild, the interview is questionable, as for the felines we would prefer to see them in freedom.

Twelve kilometers from the main road and 90 kilometers north of Mansa on the Luapula River, this 5-kilometer series of rapids, also known as Johnstone Falls, lies on the border between Zambia and the DRC. From these falls, the lush and densely populated Luapula Valley opens up into a vast area of floodplains and lagoons south of Lake Mweru. Traditionally, fishermen near the falls used weirs and traps to catch as many fish as possible before the flood waters receded.

Certainly, the most spectacular falls in the region; a miniature version of Victoria Falls, with a rainbow that forms on a sunny day. Located 9 km from the road between Kawambwa and Mporokoso, near the Chimpembe ferry, they are worth a visit. They are 100 m wide and 30 m high and feed a small tropical forest on the banks of the Kalungwishi River. The site also shelters some rock paintings, do not hesitate to ask the inhabitants. A basic campsite with sanitary block is available on site.

On the Ng'ona River, between Kazembe and Kawambwa, 18 km away, these waterfalls are composed of pools, rapids and waterfalls that fall 40 m high. They would shelter spirits according to the local beliefs. Before ascending to the throne, the chiefs of the region used to come there to make their ablutions, in order to protect themselves from the evil eye and misfortune. It is an ideal site for camping, which, like Lumangwe Falls, has some rock paintings that can be discovered with the help of local people.

Below Lake Bangweulu, the Luapula is a huge swamp that flows south and then west before descending to Mambatuta Falls and then Mambilima Falls. The former are located 32 km north of Mansa and 8 km to the left. They flow, in 30 m and in series of rapids, in a wide and deep pool where you can swim. The site is really beautiful. There is also a temple dedicated to the protective spirits Makumba and their sister Ngosa, in which a fire burns that is said to never go out.

Kundabwika Falls is the last major waterfall on the Kalungwishi River, 95 km from Mporokoso, before it flows into Lake Mweru. It consists of two separate waterfalls, the larger of which drops 25 m in height and reaches 70 m in width during the rainy season. The falls are accessible from the south between Kawambwa and Mporokoso or from the north via Nchelengue and Mununga. A guardian watches over this sacred sanctuary among local people who believe that ignoring the ancestral rituals and prayers at the falls brings bad luck.

Fibwe Observatory is a good place to observe the migration of bats, as it is located next to the forest where they shelter in season. It is also a popular spot to try to spot the sitatunga. You have to climb a ladder to reach a platform located at 18 m high in a large mahogany tree (red mahogany). It allows to overhang the marshes of Kabapi where the sitatungas come to feed early in the morning and late in the afternoon. We often see more than 20 in one visit and the record is 94!