What journey to Africa would be complete without a safari?  Lucky for the traveler looking for such an adventure in Zambia, safari season lasts all year long.  And there’s a style of safari to suit all fancies.

Try walking a Zambia safari trek out into the bush at the crack of down or as the sun sinks low over the horizon at the end of a perfect day.  Most game ranches and national parks offer walking safaris, complete with guide, to take you (and your camera!) face to face with any number of the fascinating animals found in the African bush – elephants, lions, baboons, who knows.  A walking safari is an excellent way to discover the diversity of African flora and fauna found in a small, walkable, area.

Because birdlife is dramatically abundant in Zambia, safari guides are available at most game ranches to lead the bird-watching tourist to rare habitats and exciting nesting and feeding grounds.  With more than 740 species of birds sighted in Zambia during the year, it is one of the most densely populated bird migration routes through Africa.

For tourists who enjoy the water in Zambia, safari treks by canoe down the country’s major rivers is both relaxing and exciting at the same time.  The peacefulness of drifting along a serene river listening to birds cheerfully calling in the distance, basking in the sunshine above, can be interrupted in a heartbeat just as soon as a crocodile makes his presence known or a hippo comes charging toward your canoe.  Who wouldn’t marvel at the sight of zebras, waterbucks, and impala coming right down to the water’s edge to enjoy a drink of water with you?

For those of us raised on Hemingway’s forays into Africa and movies such as “The African Queen,” wanting to explore the bush for days at a time in Zambia, safari by truck is the only way to travel.  There are a multitude of outfitters available to make this dream come true – game ranches, national parks, tourist bureaus. 

Of course, every safari enjoyed in Zambia is a photographic safari.  Don’t forget to pack your camera.