Zambia is the home of the walking safari: it was here, in South Luangwa, that in the 1960s the practice of observing wildlife on foot rather than from a vehicle was born. It is a less-travelled Africa, with few vehicles in the parks and some of the best-trained guides on the continent. And then there is the Zambian side of Victoria Falls.
When to go
The dry season runs from May to October and is safari time: the vegetation thins and animals gather along the rivers. Walking safaris take place mainly from June to October, when the seasonal camps are open.
For Victoria Falls the calendar is reversed: the flow peaks between March and May, just after the rains, but with so much spray that the view is clouded. From September to December the flow drops and Devil’s Pool opens on the Zambian side.
Documents and entry
Italian citizens do not need a visa: on arrival you receive a stamp for 30 days, extendable up to 90. Your passport must be valid for six months and have three blank pages; those arriving by air must hold a return ticket. There is also the KAZA UniVisa, a single US$50 visa valid for 30 days that covers Zambia and Zimbabwe together and also allows day trips into Botswana from Kazungula. It is issued on arrival at the airports of Lusaka and Livingstone, at Harare and Victoria Falls, and at the Kazungula border.
For Italian citizens it is mainly useful if you enter and leave Zimbabwe several times, for example to see the Falls from both sides. FCDO travel advice for Zambia.
Health
Malaria prophylaxis is recommended throughout the country. The Italian Foreign Ministry lists no compulsory vaccinations. Psychotropic medicines may be carried only with a prescription translated into English. The South Luangwa camps are remote: medical evacuation cover is essential.
What to see
South Luangwa: one of the highest densities of leopards in Africa, and walking safaris at dawn. Lower Zambezi: canoe safaris along the river, among hippos and elephants swimming across. Victoria Falls from Livingstone, with the Knife Edge Bridge and, in the right season, Devil’s Pool on the very lip of the Falls. Kafue: the country’s largest park, with almost no visitors.
