Country Information
Zambia is known as the Land of the legendary African walking safari, one of Earth's biggest waterfalls, the wild Zambezi River, breath-taking lakes and wetlands, an abundance of wildlife and vast expanses of wilderness. Zambia's people live in peace and harmony, despite being bordered by turbulent countries: to the south Zimbabwe and to the north the Democratic Republic of Congo. Zambia also borders Botswana, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia and Mozambique.
Zambia’s wildlife is superb and you will find some of the finest Safaris on offer available from the many safari companies. Zambia has some of the most beautiful national parks in Africa and is encouraging conservation of the wildlife. Blessed with 17 waterfalls, including the spectacular Victoria Falls, Zambia is a luscious country and full of a wide variety of life.
Zambia has over 73 different tribes, with a population of about 11 million people, most of whom live in and around the urban centres. The population growth, at 3.7 % per annum is among the highest in the world.
Although a peaceful country, Zambia faces serious economic problems. A once prosperous country, Zambia’s resources have been exploited and stretched to their limit. This has been augmented by the recent influx of refugees from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. Zambia is one of the least developed countries in the world, with roughly 86% of people living below the World Bank poverty line. The HIV/AIDS endemic has very high prevalence rates, with roughly 26% of pregnant women in urban areas suffering from the disease. Life expectancy is roughly 38 years old for men and women. Attendance at secondary school is only 17%.
Time
Zambia is two hours ahead of GMT and does not have daylight savings.
In Africa, time is not a priority like it is in much of the western world – there is a saying that Africa works to ‘Africa Time’, which basically means you must exercise a lot of patience! If a boat is due to leave at 12pm, don’t be surprised if it still hasn’t a couple of hours later… keep an open mind, and arrive ‘expecting the unexpected’.
Getting There
You will need to arrange your international flights to arrive into Livingstone, Zambia. It is possible to fly with Zambia Airways to the capital Lusaka first, before connecting to Livingstone. Alternatively, you can fly to Livingstone via Johannesburg with South African Airways.
Climate
Conditions across Zambia are fairly consistent. One moderate to heavy rainy season can dominate the skies from December to March, but there is still some sunshine. Temperatures climb up to 29 to 30°C (84-86°F) during the day with quite cold nights throughout the year. Overall temperatures are slightly cooler in the middle of the year, which, along with sparse rainfall, make things very pleasant and warm. September to November is hot and dry.
Please take note of the winter months and pack accordingly to these temperatures, which could drop to below zero at times.
