Discovering Zambia

Senior Editor Elizabeth Harvey is just back from scouting in Zambia earlier this summer. Read her dispatch from this special safari destination—and find out why it should be on your wishlist—below.

In the mornings I take my coffee black, no sugar, and this early June morning was no different—except, this morning, I was blowing the hot steam off the surface of my cup when I suddenly met the softly fringed eyes of a zebra. I gave him a nod of greeting, as I would on any other morning commute, and took care to give his hindquarters (and their hooves) a wide berth as I continued on my way. Zebra traffic jams are a common occurrence at the Royal Livingstone Hotel, as the property sits right within Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River. And just as the park’s (herbivore) residents are fond of wandering on-property for their breakfast buffet, so too can the human guests avail themselves of the free range. In my case, I was opting to start the day with a Zambian coffee, black, and a side of the world’s Seven Natural Wonders.

To take a sunrise stroll to Victoria Falls is an experience unique to the Royal Livingstone Hotel, and it’s an experience I’m unlikely to forget. Arriving upon the world’s largest curtain of falling water is like getting caught in an IMAX-level sunshower: under a perfectly bright, blue sky, I found myself in a thick swirling cloud of soft but steady droplets, rising and falling from all directions and twinkling in the golden light. Double and triple rainbows danced overhead in celebration—and buttercup-yellow flowers turned their heads to wave hello from the long grasses fluttering along the roaring chasm. There was no one else in sight. As I lifted my face to be doused by the rains of the falls, I was struck with a bolt of pure wonder and childlike joy. Of the many highlights I was looking forward to on my Zambian safari, I hadn’t expected its most famous and most touristed monument to be quite so moving. But it was.

Zambia is full of surprises. For the seasoned safari-goer, it presents the opportunity to go deeper into the wild, in search of southern Africa’s rarer animals and ecosystems, on more adventurous excursions like bush walks and boating trips—across a range of national park and game management areas that cover 30 percent of the country (making Zambia’s one of the largest park systems on the continent). Did you know that the forests of the Lower Zambezi are considered the leopard capital of the world? I didn’t, but I saw several while staying at Anabezi Camp in the heart of the park. For the observant listener, Zambia also offers a study of a nation growing in global significance. Sharing a table with locals at the foodie-focused Zambezi Grande, I noticed political eddies swirling along the safari-talk surface, like pods of hippos moving in the current: negotiating conservation initiatives with ancient land ownership; evolving social views and gender norms within one of Africa’s most Christian countries; developing both infrastructure and luxury tourism under the eyes of international powers—and their lithium interests. For the pioneering traveler, Zambia represents the chance to be your own naturalist, your own journalist, your own scout, before the narrative is complete.

Among these discoveries both tangible and tangled, I was happiest to find that this land of Ana trees and easy smiles is one of those precious portals back to the roots of things, for when life at your own home may seem to have drifted away from them. The more I learned about the dances of the species from our guides, the more clarity I gained on my own existence. Lazily floating down the Zambezi, with South African wine and conversation with my fellow travelers flowing freely, I wondered: was the Nyami Nyami river god whispering in our ears, or did we realize on our own that we’ve strayed a bit too far from Mother Nature? Back on land, when I stepped out of the 4x4 to watch darkness fall over the edge of the forest, something deeper reverberated into the ground, beyond the thrill of first steps truly in the bush. Was it contact alone? It’s not often that we tread upon something that hasn’t been paved, plowed, groomed, filled in.

If the sunrise in Zambia is unforgettable, the sunset in Zambia is holy. As the sky’s fire lays its last burning claim of the day upon the landscape, and utter blackness makes way for the sparkling of the stars, we pack up our sundowners and go back to camp. Will you take a coffee in the morning? The orblike retina of a leopard catches the beam of a flashlight. In the brush, a chorus of rustling leaves—hippos. Measured, gentler steps—a bachelor bull elephant. And with them, in the dark, human hearts beating, eyes blinking—small and fragile sounds, in the wilderness.

Trip Overview:

In the heart of Southern Africa, wedged between Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe (the country Zambia is most often paired with—and compared to), Zambia dazzles with wild and varied landscapes and many unexpected (and unadvertised) treasures.

I spent six nights in Zambia over the first week of June, with nearly 24 hours of travel time on both the front and back end. (There are currently no non-stop flights from the New York area to Zambia, so I flew from JFK to Doha to Lusaka, on Qatar Airways. You can also connect through Dubai, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam or Kigali (and others); many of these connections will also require a transfer or forced overnight in Europe on the way over.) While six nights is plenty of time to get a taste of Zambia's beauty, I would recommend staying for at least eight nights if possible, given the travel time and diversity of experiences.

My itinerary began at the Royal Livingstone Hotel, which is one of the only properties in the area that provides guests with direct, practically private access to Victoria Falls—as the resort sits on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River, within Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park itself. From here, a two-and-a-half-hour domestic flight from Livingstone back up to Lusaka, followed by a thirty-minute flight transfer, brought me to Anabezi, tucked into the eastern end of Lower Zambezi National Park—still on the banks of the Zambezi (both scheduled and chartered departures are available). A two-hour boat transfer back down the river concluded the trip at Zambezi Grande, which occupies a prime stretch of private land on the waterfront (though it also provides access into the Lower Zambezi National Park, nearby).

Itinerary Highlights: Daily morning, afternoon and night game drives; a guided walking safari to learn the secrets—and survival skills—of the bush; boating and sunset cruising on the Zambezi; riverfront massages and sun lounger naps; boma barbecues to taste typical Zambian dishes like nshima, okra and impala stew (and I tried both grilled and ceviche-style crocodile—and it was absolutely delicious); campfires under the stars and learning traditional Zambian songs and dances; a glamorous dinner aboard the historic Royal Livingstone Express, at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe; heli-touring around Victoria Falls, and a trip to Angel's Pool; sundowners in the winter thorn forest; deep sleeps in pillowy beds, surrounded by the night sounds of the bush.

Favorite Discovery:

In the Lusaka Airport, we stumbled upon Collective Zambia, a well curated boutique that works with over 150 artisans to empower local communities and raise global awareness of southern African crafts. Find lovely gifts here, like soaps wrapped in Zambian fabrics and other textiles, beaded jewelry, woven baskets, bathrobes and totes, and prints like these playful creations by Christie Lindsay. I couldn't go home without this leopard.

I learned that... Elephants have four modes of communication: Visual, Acoustic, Chemical and Tactile. They send signals with their postures and movements; they trumpet, rumble and snort; they can send chemical signals through secretions from their glands; and they can communicate via seismic vibrations (if you see an elephant dragging its trunk on the ground, it's likely picking up a message through the earth).

Packing Tips:

I did not pack shorts on my last safari, to Kenya, and I regretted it in the hot afternoon sun. A high-waisted, belted, paper bag-style fit is still comfortable on game drives, and fabrics like linen keep you cool. Lululemon, Zara and Banana Republic often have good options, and I like this pair from Reformation (available in both green and khaki).

I also loved having this bright silicone phone case with an adjustable lanyard, which made it so easy to keep my phone handy for a quick photo-opp—and also switch between it and my larger Sony digital camera. (Plus, after losing—and recovering—my phone while horseback riding in Kenya, I was grateful for the extra security. While bright colors are not generally recommended in the bush, I opted for something that would be easy to spot, just in case.)

What to Read & Watch:

The following books and documentaries were recommended to me while in Zambia:

• Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa by Zambian author Dambisa Moyo, a 2010 New York Times bestseller that picks apart the financial relationship between the West and Africa—and reveals why it's not working.
• The Ivory Game is a 2016 documentary inspired by a book of the same name. Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, the documentary exposes the underworld of ivory trafficking and details the battle to protect Africa's elephants.
• The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell is a novel that starts in 1904 at a hotel on the banks of the Zambezi and continues through generations.