Zambia is quickly being recognised as a rising star of the African tourist industry. Less development and commercial assimilation allows the country to retain a real sense of identity, asserting Zambia safaris and holidays as one of the most authentic and memorable African experiences.
Zambia offers an incredible natural diversity and splendid geography despite being a fraction of the size of neighbours Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. First and foremost a peaceful people whilst other African nations warred throughout the 1960s and 70s Zambia’s overriding problem was the influx of immigrants who sought the country out as a safe haven from civil war and strife.
Today, Zambia is recognised by the World Bank as one of the fastest economically reforming nations in the world, and this is in no small part due to an increasingly expansive tourist influx; more and more people are beginning to discover the wonder and warmth of this once forgotten land.
Zambia has a long history with the British and in the 1960s there were over 70,000 British citizens living within the country and English remains Zambia’s official language, making a holiday experience in Zambia even easier and more accessible.
Of course though as well as the catalogue of wildlife that exists within Zambia, one of the country’s biggest draws is Victoria Falls, the largest (in some criteria) waterfall in the world. The natural phenomenon is formed when the vast Zambezi River meets a transverse cavern, a fracture in the basalt plateau which descends at its deepest to 108 metres. Also known by its indigenous name Mosi oa Tunya or ‘The Smoke that Thunders’, the falls represent a hugely popular tourist attraction both geographically and historically.
The iconic Dr. David Livingstone is said to be the first white man to see the falls during is expedition deep into the heart of Africa to discover the source of the River Nile. The Scottish adventurer named the falls after his Queen, Victoria, and consequentially a rocky outcrop on the lip of the water fall was named Livingstone Island. It is from this island that during the dry season when the Zambezi’s flow is less fierce that one of the most spectacular features of the Victoria Falls can be accessed. Dubbed the Devil’s Pool this small rock basin quite literally overlooks the lip of the gorge and has become famous for amongst daredevils as the most impressive way to view the falls.
Several bridges and observation decks have been established to provide tourists with the best possible panorama of Victoria Falls, so where you go is entirely up to you. A unique way to experience it is by taking a boat tour up the gorge to gain a perspective from beneath the cascading wall of water; the gorge immediately beneath the falls is known as the boiling pot. Alternatively for a more panoramic vantage and those with a steely constitution, you can also enjoy a micro-light aircraft flight over the falls offering superb views across the Zimbabwean border and of the Zambezi River to the north.