Zambia, like an uncut diamond in a series of perfectly cut diamonds, is a real, rough, wild, animal Africa .Here there are not only some of the best national parks on the whole continent - unique wildlife sanctuaries, but also the main sights of this region: Victoria Falls, Kariba Lake, Zambezi Park .In addition, this country is the dream of every angler: thousands of fishing enthusiasts from all over the world are flocking to the mighty Zambezi River every year to try their luck in search of toothy African tiger fish or a rare giant soma-vound..Vigorous birdwatchers also aspire to Zambia to catch the incredible variety of birds in the camera's sight, the most coveted prey is the African bearded $ ±.

The mandatory point of the visit can be called Lusaka (because you are 99% there), and Livingstone - real Africa, so rare among the increasingly developing and oriented to Western tourists of other countries of the continent.

The capital is Lusaka.

For a complete list of cities and interesting places of the country, search on the city page and the resorts of Zambia.

How to get to Zambia

Direct flights from Russia to Zambia do not, you need to dock in one of the European cities: for example, with British Airways in London or with KLM in Amsterdam. The approximate cost of the Moscow-Lusaka flight in both directions is $ 1,200-1,400.

Zambia's main international airport is in the capital Lusaka, although some international airlines also land at Livingstone Airport (near Victoria Falls), Mfuwe (near South Luangwa National Park) and Ndola.

Air Zimbabwe flies to Lusaka (US $ 150/295) from Harare (Kenya) every Thursday. Air Malawi connects Lusaka with Lilongwe (Malawi) three times a week (US $ 150/200) and Blantyre (Malawi, US $ 185/299) twice a week. Comair (branch of British Airways) and South African Airways fly daily from Lusaka to Johannesburg (South Africa) for about US $ 200/295, and also offer flights to the Victoria Falls in Livingstone.

Visa to Zambia

To visit the country, Russian citizens need a visa to Zambia, which can be obtained at the consulate in Moscow, or at the border.

Customs

Import of foreign currency is not limited, but the declaration is obligatory. Export of imported foreign currency is not limited. You can import duty-free: 200 cigarettes or 450 g of tobacco, 1 uncorked bottle of alcoholic beverages, food within personal needs.

Firearms and drugs are not allowed to be imported.

You can not export raw precious and ornamental stones (emerald, aquamarine, tourmaline, malachite, amethyst), ivory products (maximum - 1 product for which authorization is needed), wild animal skins, souvenir coins (only with a special authorized account ).

Where to call, if that is

Embassy of Zambia in Moscow: Prospekt Mira, 52a; (495) 688-50-01, 688-50-83

The Russian Embassy in Lusaka: Plot 6407, Diplomatic Triangle, Longacres P.O.Box 32355; (211) 252-120, 252-183; website

Safety of tourists

In general, Zambia is a very safe country, although in cities and tourist areas there is always a chance to become a victim of robbers or scammers. Reduce the risk can, without forgetting the reasonable precautions: leave a passport and large money in the hotel safe, for example.

In addition, do not drink tap water, have sex without a condom, wear sleeveless undershirts under the scorching sun or leave open windows at night - there is a risk of being bitten by a malarial mosquito. It is worth taking anti-malarial pills, get vaccinated against yellow fever.

Zebras in Zambia

Giraffe in the prairie

Beauty of Zambia

Banks, exchange offices and tips

The country has a high level of inflation; some prices are quoted in US dollars and US dollars. In large cities, you can exchange cash and traveler's checks at the offices of Barclays Bank and Standard Chartered Bank. Large branches have ATMs accepting Visa cards. Points of exchange - often called bureau de changex - are easy to find in all major cities.

The climate of Zambia is

In Zambia, three seasons: dry (from mid-April to August), when the temperature falls strongly at night, but the landscape is very green and lush; A hot season (from September to mid-November) is the best time to enjoy wildlife species, as the flora has withered and does not interfere with observing nature with the naked eye; and the rainy season (from mid-November to mid-April) is an ideal period for bird watching in natural habitats. See also the current weather forecast for the capital of Zambia for 10 days.

Transport

The main domestic airports are in Lusaka, Livingston, Ndola, Kitwe, Mfuwe, Kasama and Kasaba Bay, dozens of minor runways are scattered all over the country and serve charter flights. Regular internal flights are made by Proflight Air Services and sometimes by South African Airlink. Tickets can be ordered through any travel agent in Zambia.

By train

Trains run between Lusaka and Kitwe through Kapiri Mposhi and Ndola, "expresses" are between Lusaka and Livingston. On the "express train" there are different classes: a coupe for two people; 1st class (coupe for four passengers), 2nd (or standard) class - coupe for 6 people, 3rd class (economy) - sedentary car. On an ordinary train between Lusaka and Kitwe, the standard class is the only one - it means only a seat.

By bus

The distances in the country are big, the buses are often late, the roads are rutted, so traveling around Zambia by bus or minivan can exhaust the strength of even the most hardy traveler.

All major routes throughout the country are served by regular buses that pick up passengers on the road, "fill in and go" or depart at the exact time specified .Express buses are faster, stop less often, but cost about 15% more than .In addition, there are private companies operating convenient European express buses on the most popular routes .In many areas, minibuses that go only when filled with passengers .In remote areas, the only public transport is often a lorry or a pickup .

By car

The car can be rented, both in international and Zambian companies in Lusaka, Livingstone, Kitwe and Ndola, but rent is expensive. For example, Voyagers / Imperial Car Rental offers from 51 US $ the smallest car, plus 0, 38 US $ per kilometer (a little cheaper if rented for a long period). Other companies such as 4x4 Hire Africa offer old LandRover Discovery, fully equipped with everything you need, from 120 US $ per day. Car with driver will cost an additional 100 US $ per day.

Most companies insist that the age of drivers is at least 23 years old, and driving experience - at least 5 years.

The quality of the roads is generally good, the main stretches are comfortable, but there can also be impressive potholes. Gravel road sections are also of acceptable quality, but they also suffer from ruts. It is better to move around in the country on jeeps 4WD.

International routes

Tanzania: the Tazara railway company sends several trains a week from Kapiri-Mposhi (207 km north of Lusaka) to Dar es Salaam .Express (en route 42-45 hours) leaves Kapiri-Mposhi at 16:00 on Tuesday and Friday, while the "interstate train" (50-52 hours enroute) leaves the city at noon on Friday ±​​$ br >.The fare on both trains is 60/50/35 USD in the 1st / 2nd / 3rd class (1st and 2nd class - coupe) .Discount of 50% is possible with a student card .In addition, in Dar es Salaam from Lusaka (35 USD, 24 hours) the bus runs a few times a week, but the schedule is very unreliable .

Botswana: you can get from Livingston to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, where you can catch a bus to Kasane. From the Lusaka bus station (address: Dedan Kimathi Rd) Sibelo express trains go to Gaborone (70 US $, 22 hours), via Kasane and Francistown, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Namibia: every day one bus and several minibuses depart from Livingston in Szekek (7 USD, six hours). Some flights go further, to the pontoon (5 km, car ferry). From the pontoon ferries with motorcycles, cars or four-wheel-drive jeeps for 10, 20 or 30 USD, respectively, are sent, passengers travel free of charge. If the pontoon does not work, passengers pay about 1, 50 USD to get to the other shore by canoe.

Zambia hotels

There is no official certification of hotels in the country, all the stars were appropriated personally by hoteliers or tour operators. So you should read the hotel reviews in advance before booking. Hotels of level 4-5 * are only available in Lusaka and Livingston, as well as in national parks. But outside the big cities or popular tourist areas, tourists have little to choose from, so prices per night compared to the capital can grow at times.

Shopping and shopping in Zambia

Store owners claim that they have fixed prices and bargaining is not appropriate, which, however, does not always correspond to reality (the attempt is not torture). You can bargain freely in souvenir shops, with taxi drivers. In addition, Zambians have a cute "embassail" custom - a small gift to anyone who buys a few items in one shop.

Kitchen and restaurants

Traditional Zambian cuisine revolves around one main product - corn, served in one form, nsima (nsi-i-ima). Nshima is like a thick oatmeal, which was rolled into balls and added to stew - relishes. Relishes are in the form of beef, chicken or fish. In addition, beans, tiny dried fish (kapenta), peanuts, pumpkin leaves (chibwabwa) and other vegetables such as okle (ndelele), cabbage are added to the nshime. Local restaurants offer dishes of Nshima and relishes for less than 5 thousand kvach ($ 1).

A few words about hygiene: outside the main cities to find a cafe with a normal toilet with running water is unlikely. As a rule, tourists are served a bowl of water, a piece of soap and a damp towel. Some prefer to carry small bottles of water and antibacterial gel with them.

Drinks are traditional: juices, mineral water, Coca-Cola, but the latter is for the most part sold in a glass container, which must be returned. The most popular beer in Zambia is Mosi, a light 4% camp, available everywhere. Also known Eagle (5.5%), Zambezi Lager, meets and Castle from South Africa. All this can be found for about $ 1 in the store or for $ 1-2 in the bar. Near the borders, good Carlsberg from Malawi, Simba (excellent from the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Kilimanjaro (the camp from Tanzania) and Tusker (Kenya) meet.

Zambia Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions

The best thing for which they go to Zambia is, of course, the legendary Victoria Falls: huge, frightening, noisy, 120 m high and 2 km wide .There is a waterfall near the border with Zimbabwe, so you can enjoy the types of falling water equally from the two countries .However (not in Zambia's example), the advertised Zimbabwe offers, in addition to the amazing species, a crowd of people with cameras at a margin of .The best place for falls watching is the point Knife Edge Point ("Knife Edge"), you can get to it on a thin, but safe pedestrian bridge .In addition, helicopter tours, paragliders, rafting, canoes and even bungee jumping with the Victoria Falls Bridge (111 m high) are popular here..

There is another worthy waterfall in Zambia, about which everyone for some reason is forgotten, despite the assurances of experienced that the species there are not worse. It is located 300 km downstream of the Zambezi River, the Ngonje waterfalls. Nearby - Sioma Ngvezi National Park.

It is worth to visit the popular resort of Siavonga, which is located on the Caribbean lake (100 km from the capital). In addition, arriving in Lusaka, it's a sin not to go to the amazing forest of fossils of Chirundu located under the nose (40 km to the north). Here you can see the rarest prints of 150-million-year-old trees.

A few words about the capital itself. Lusaka is not the most interesting city on the African continent, but here you can easily spend a couple of entertaining days. Walking through the noisy bazaars, looking into the pretty art galleries, enjoying the measured and colorful life of Zambians.

But, of course, the country's main wealth is hidden in its sultry national parks.

National Parks of Zambia

In total there are about 20 national parks in Zambia, the most popular are Kafue, Sioma Ngwezi, North and South Luangwa .One of the most visited is South Luangwa, which is relatively close to the capital, only 250 km to the northeast .A diverse local flora consists of dense wooded terrain, grassy plains and water lagoons .There are lions, buffaloes, zebras and gorods of Tornikroft, as well as elephants, because this park is home to one of the largest populations of elephants in Africa..In addition, you can see leopards and birds .The park is closed during the rainy season, from December to April .

In the Kafue National Park, 200 km to the west of the capital, you can see lions, leopards, elephants, antelopes, zebras and even the rarest yellow inch (South African antelope) in the territory of hundreds of square kilometers of forest, shallows and sand banks with the same name.

Finally, it is worth highlighting one more reserve, popular among bird lovers - Itezhi-Tezhi Lake (Itezhi-Tezhi). There are herons, ducks, other waterfowl, which are nesting here and bring out chicks. Photo of Zambia (25)