Highlights |
Victoria falls & Batoka Gorge - These mesmerising falls will get anyone’s adrenalins pumping as there are many daring activities on the river and Batoka Gorge. |
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Lower Zambezi National Park - The tranquil river is perfect for a paddle past yawning hippos and close up views of animals on the bank. |
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Useful Information |
Visa - Visa required but can be obtained at most borders. US$40 |
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Vaccinations - Yellow fever, Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Malaria, Polio |
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Driving Regulations - International driving permit and a temporary local driving licence. |
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Embassies - 2 Palace Gate, London, W8 5NG, (020) 7589 6655 |
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Country Code - 255 |
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Introduction |
Zambia is located in Southern Africa, with no access to either coast. The country is surrounded by Tanzania to the northeast; Malawi to the east; Mozambique and Zimbabwe to the southeast; Botswana and Namibia to the south, Angola on the west and Zaire to the northwest. |
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Zambia is shaped like a butterfly and is roughly the same size as the UK and France combined together. Most of Zambia is 1400m above sea level, which helps maintain the lush Greenland that makes up for approximately 70% of the country. This rich vegetations and water system supports an impressive array of animals that are now predominately within the numerous national parks. |
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Unlike in the UK, Zambia has 3 seasons. From December to April the weather conditions are hot and wet, with torrential downpours that normally occur in the afternoons, making travelling in the rural areas difficult due to the poor muddy road surface. The ideal time to spend hours driving in a hot, dusty land rover is from May to August; it is generally dry and getting cooler over the season. From September to November the conditions are dry but get warmer as the season progresses, which can make driving difficult due to heat and dehydration factor. |
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People |
Approximately 14 people live per sq km in Zambia, making it one of the most thinly populated countries in Africa. Most of the people live around the main towns, which leaves miles and miles of rural driving without seeing anyone. The driving therefore can be more relaxed without having children running with you asking for pen, pen, pen, sweet, sweet, sweet….. Zambia has around 73 officially ethnic groups and intermarriage is common between the tribes. Leading to a justifiably proud low rate of tribal problems. The main tribes in size order from largest to smallest are; the Bemba originally from Congo and the Copperbelt (northern Zambia), the Tonga (now live in southern Zimbabwe.) |
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Food |
The main source of food in Zambia is Nshima, which is made from maize and is a similar consistency to porridge. The Nshmia is eaten twice a day; rolled thin with added sugar in the morning and thicker for the evening meal with maybe fish or vegetables for dinner. Other foods include Rice, Potatoes, Cassava (tapioca) and Yam. |
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Fruit is also a key part of Zambians diet which consists of Paw-paw, Mango, Lemon and Bananas. |
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A delicacy of Zambia happens at the beginning of November with the start of the rainy season. The rains bring out swarms of termites to reproduce. The locals have two ways of catching them. Either when the sun starts to set they fly out of their nest to mate, so catch them in a net or your hands and drop them into a bowl of water so they can not fly away. Alternately, wait till morning when their wings have fallen off and they are on the ground, which also means you don’t need to pull the wings off. To cook simply pull of any wings, wash them in running water and fry in a pan with a little oil until golden brown. |