17 Pictures To Convince You To Visit Zambia (& Experiences You Want to Have)

17 Pictures That Will Make You Want to Visit Zambia, alternatively, 17 Pictures to Help You See the World While You Are Stuck Inside, or 17 Pictures to Help Get You Through Quarantine. As you can see, I had a lot of ideas for the name of this post. Whether you are planning a trip to Africa and are not sure whether to stop in Zambia, want more travel inspiration, or simply want to see some awesome pictures, this photo essay will help you! Just, make sure to do it when it’s safe for everyone* 🙂

I am working on my post regarding how I got around (overlanding), so you can read more soon!

Are you planning any trips right now? Let me know in the comments!

1. Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park aka Victoria Falls

Mosi-oa-Tunya, “The Smoke Which Thunders,” National Park on the Zambezi River is better known internationally as Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls National Park is located on the Zimbabwe side. It is also located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, so you can pop over to Zimbabwe for a while when you go to the Falls! Pictured is the Zimbabwean side of the Falls from the Zambian side. Keep in mind most of these countries have visas that you must pay for (yes, Zambia too), and you need vaccines for some as well.

2. Bushbuck antelope

Widespread throughout Africa, you will see bushbucks aplenty in Zambia. It is indescribably delightful to come across a herd of them and be able to watch them graze. Even if you think you are content seeing the deer in your country, seeing the bushbucks without the influence of manmade buildings or structures is beautiful.

3. Locals

Not only are locals the best way to learn about a culture, they also love meeting visitors! Many of them are drivers and guides in the parks in Zambia. This man has been a driver for game drives in South Luangwa National Park for most of his life! When you visit Zambia, it’s hard not to talk to the locals because they are quite friendly. Like anywhere, make sure you are careful and conscious of your surroundings and topics.

4. Art (okay, and more locals)

I was scheduled to go on both a morning and evening game drive in South Luangwa, but the prices ended up being much higher than what I found when I was researching. There are local artists selling their creations in most towns, and I was able to join a novel class by one of them. Not everything that people are trying to sell you are made by them, but you can tell with a little investigation (if you want – I normally do not want to investigate or talk, but that was one of my goals this trip!). The artist brought everything we needed, and we got to learn about his town, family, and how he taught himself how to paint. These are fairly rare occurrences, but if you manage to find one, or can have a more intimate class, I highly recommend it.

5 & 6. Sunsets

I took an evening game drive in Zambia, which resulted in some breathtaking sunsets and colors. Many people think of African countries as having barren desert landscapes, but it could not be more different. There are plenty of trees, shrubs, and greenery that lend themselves to shadowy, hazy, and plentiful scenes. I love how mysterious this image appears and going on evening game drives might help you capture one of your own! I encourage you to find a drive that also stops, preferably at water’s edge.

This sunset is over the Zambezi River from the camp I stayed at. You can see how unique the colors are when your surroundings are different. There is a deep red at the base, closest to the earth, like the red sunset I captured in the National Park. It then transitions into nice oranges, yellows, blues, and purples. You can even experience this beauty on the river, like the cruise ship in my picture. I opted not to cruise because I camped and had wildlife come right up to me, but it would be a nice way to see some of the animals and scenery you might not see if you stay in a hotel!

7 – 10. Primates… Allll the primates

Baboons are everywhere near Victoria Falls. Are they cool to see and kinda cute? Of course. But… I learned some things from one of the guides there, and it proved true the more I watched them. They are vicious! The guide is from South Africa, and when she was young baboons would break into her house and take food from the kitchen. They threw things and were generally quite aggressive to get what they wanted! It was mind blowing to learn this fact, but if you watch them enough (I did), you can see that come out. I still think it was cool and funny to see them climbing up huge trucks, stopping traffic, and even trying to climb in cars and tents. Just make sure you are careful!

Some people might have just read that I thought baboons are a little cute and thought I was crazy. But I have a good reason! Do you see the surprise in this image? Be on the lookout for animals to surprise you throughout Zambia 😊

If you stay at the right places, you can have cute vervet monkeys walk around you. These guys were all around the Wildlife Camp I stayed at; I would sit at the bar and they would walk less than three feet behind me. There were no complaints from locals about these primates!

The monkeys also love sitting by the river and watching nature with you! I personally think they make better wistful models than people 😉.

11 – 12. Lodging Options

I camped at this site near Victoria Falls, but this hotel/motel was also an option at the same place. It blends in nicely, but also gives you luxuries and comforts visitors may be more familiar with.

This pool was located at a campsite I stayed at near South Luangwa National Park. To my knowledge, camping was the only option (hence the name Wildlife Camp), but there was a pool next to the bar where you can watch the river and animals, or just have a nice dip (instead of coveting swimming in the river, which you should not do).

13. Unique Animals

African wild dogs, also known as African painted dogs, are one of the most endangered mammals in the world. The guide I was with had been to dozens of parks over her lifetime but had not seen them until our trip. While South Luangwa is not the only protected area these mammals reside in, I think it is one of the best places to have a chance to see them. You certainly will not have a chance to see them in the Serengeti as they disappeared there in the 1990s. We saw tens of bundles of dogs curled up, and I could not have been more excited. We saw many other rare animals, such as genets and servals, so your experience here can be wonderfully diverse.

14. Common? Animals

Okay, I would not call any of the animals you can see throughout Zambia as ordinary, but they are more common than African wild dogs. Zebras abound aplenty, as do elephants, birds, and hippos. Even just traveling through Zambia, not necessarily stopping in any parks, you can see animals welcoming each other. Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch, but how else was I supposed to point out these zebras are basically hugging?!

15. Four of the Big Five

People I have spoken to seem to mainly think of the Serengeti or Kruger National Parks when they think of animals in Africa. However, charismatic megafaunas live all over (as we have definitely seen)! South Luangwa National Park in Zambia was my first safari (read here for the difference between a safari and game drive), and I cannot recommend it enough. Elephants, lions, buffalo, and leopards are all relatively common here, which will help you tick off your goal of seeing all big five mammals. The only animal of the big five that does not reside in Zambia is the rhino due to its extreme endangerment. I want to emphasize, though, that seeing all the other magnificent flora and fauna in Zambia is worth the trip, even if you do not see a rhino. Most lodgings in the area have game drives in the mornings and evenings to increase your chances of seeing more species.

16. Hikes and Flora

This image was taken on one of the many paths at Victoria Falls. I started at the main entrance, then followed a path all the way to the bottom of the falls. It was a true hike to get there, and I felt like I was in a scene of Tarzan. It never occurred to me that such a rainforest-feeling place excited in Africa, but I swear it does. On more than one occasion, I was surrounded by trees, leaves, and flowers. Not to mention, I saw more of those pesky baboons. If you are itching for some green, nature, or alone time after meeting locals, traipsing through the grasslands, and spotting rare species, there are more hikes available than you might think. I just happen to love the walks at Victoria Falls (and they weren’t too crowded!).

17. Giraffes in South Luangwa National Park