Top 10 Zambia Activities

There’s a thrill to standing in the very spot where Dr David Livingstone first described the sight that he would name after his distant queen, but the real attraction of Livingstone Island is the stupendous location right at the heart of this wonder of nature. From here, you will stand amidst the accelerating waters as they plunge more than 100m into the gorge below: it’s a heart-thumping, soaking, noisy and powerful place, yet in amongst the rage there are serene rainbows.

From the island, you’ll take a soak in the Devil’s Pool, often described as the world’s best infinity pool, from which you can peer over the very edge of the falls. It may appear to be far from safe but looks can be deceiving and it is undoubtedly the most incredible way to feel the force of one of the world’s greatest landforms.

The seemingly endless golden grasslands stretch to the horizon across the remote and historic Liuwa Plain. It was here in the 1880s that King Lewanika of the Lozi tribe proclaimed a protected area of the place that sees the second largest wildebeest and zebra migration on the continent of Africa. And along with the prey, come the predators, so the Liuwa Plain is also host to a flourishing cheetah population, the famous Lady Liuwa pride of lions, and hyenas that throng in groups of 50 or more.

In the wet season, the grasslands are transformed into a huge watery and verdant wonderland of shallow lagoons, home to abundant fish, reptiles and wading birds. It’s at that time of year, with rumbles from enormous storms in the leaden skies, that the current King and his court move regally along the river to higher grounds during the Kuomboka festival.

The Zambezi is a languidly powerful force of nature and a ribbon of life as it passes through the Lower Zambezi National Park. When you stay on its banks in the unfenced and intimate camp of Old Mondoro, you’ll appreciate the draw of the river, for it’s a place that you literally share with the animals. From your deck overlooking the river, you will see an endless procession weaving through the shade to the lure of the cooling and essential water.

You’ll find that some of the most frequent traffic comes in the form of elephants, keen to slake their thirst and perhaps pick the occasional fallen pod from the roof of your chalet. Some may cross over the islands, past snorting hippos towards the Zimbabwe bank.

The mighty Zambezi flows for 1,600 miles through six countries but is most famous for plunging into a basalt gorge forming the world’s greatest waterfall. It’s a place of boiling, swirling clouds and rainbows from which the river emerges once again to race down some of the most challenging rapids that rafters will ever encounter.

This is an experience not only of white knuckles and a raging pulse, of the buffeting of water and endurance, but also of human connection and teamwork as you play your part in negotiating the churning water under the expert instructions of your guide. The power of the water will put you firmly in your place, but you will learn that you can rise to the challenge and become invigorated by the sheer thrill of navigating the raging torrent.

The most human of gestures is to hold hands, and it is in Tongabezi Lodge Trust’s school that we find out that this is more than just a physical experience. Known by the local Chitonga name of Tujatane – which literally means ‘Let us hold hands together’ – the school is a place where everybody, from teachers to students, to volunteers, donors and guests at the lodge, hold hands metaphorically to empower children.

For more than 25 years, the school has grown and flourished from the select 15 excited children of the first year, to an incredible 280 today. A direct spinoff of Tongabezi Lodge, this is the perfect example for you to witness how you and your fellow travellers are helping the next generation.