Go on a 14-Day Adventure-Filled Safari in Zambia

If you're longing for Africa's wide-open spaces and wildlife but worried about the hassle (these days) of multiple border-crossing protocols, pick a single country. Peaceful and stable Zambia, at the crossroads of Central, Southern, and East Africa, has 1) one of the richest and most diverse wildlife concentrations on the continent; 2) the great (and thrillingly canoeable) Zambezi River; and 3) a Wonder of the World—Victoria Falls. All that in the palm of your hand (plus few tourists). When can you go? Zambian borders are open to travelers, but you do need a visa in advance. For more, see "How to Book It" at the end of this article.

Days 1-3: WALK WITH WILD THINGS–IN SOUTH LUANGWA.

Where South Luangwa National Park. Why The valley of the meandering Luangwa River, tail end of the Great Rift Valley, is known for the richness of its wildlife. Its riverbanks and lagoons teem with more than 60 species of mammals, including the Big Five, and 400 species of birds. It is also the birthplace of conservation-based tourism, where people were first encouraged to shoot with cameras, not guns, and of the walking safari. How After arrival in Lusaka, you’ll board a private charter flight to Mfuwe, near the park entrance. Your next three nights will be at Mfuwe Lodge’s private Director’s House (2+ bedrooms, fenced garden, private dining deck, swimming pool, and more). On the menu: twice daily game drives—think elephants, Cape buffalo, hippos, antelopes, lions, and Thornicraft's giraffes, among many others; evening game drives—it is thrilling to hear a leopard’s growl, and his eyes in a flashlight beam; and walking safaris—a chance to see elephants, hippos, even lions up close—with the supervision, of course, of your armed private guide.

DAYS 4-6: SPY ON ELEPHANTS DURING SIESTA—IN REMOTE SOUTH LUANGWA.

Where The remotest southern reaches of South Luangwa National Park Why Its intimate Chamilandu Bushcamp has just three thatch-and-reed houses on stilts in an ebony grove on the banks of the Luangwa River—authentic African wilderness magic. How You’ll leave Mfuwe in a game-drive vehicle after breakfast, arrive at Chamilandu for lunch, and spend the next two days on drives, walks, or just watching the abundant wildlife pass by from the camp’s many lounge chairs. At siesta time, move into the photographic hide overlooking a waterhole frequented by wart hogs, hippos, and elephants; they’ll be so close you can almost touch them. The camp's dining area and bar are just a few feet from the riverbank, and there are views of the distant Chindeni Hills. Take your sundowner barefoot, in chairs set up for you in the warm, shallow water. Life rarely feels more peaceful and truly luxurious than this.

DAYS 7-10: GO WAY OFF THE GRID-–IN LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK

Where Lower Zambezi National Park. Why The newest of Zambia’s exceptional and undeveloped wildlife areas, on the north bank of the Zambezi River, was until 1983 a private game reserve of Zambia’s president—and thus protected from mass tourism. On the opposite bank lies Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park and together they form a massive trans-frontier wildlife sanctuary where you are unlikely to encounter any other tourists—there are no paved roads, and you can get here only by boat or light aircraft. Which is how you’ll arrive from South Luangwa, in time for lunch on the Zambezi. How Your home for the next four nights is Sausage Tree Camp and its private tented Kigelia House—two ensuite bedrooms, open living area, private deck, pool, and views of the Zambezi escarpment. Aside from game drives and wilderness walks, you have the river to play with: There are canoe trips (with seasoned guides, as you’ll be passing in close proximity to herds of elephants on the banks and pods of hippos in the water), boating safaris, and some of the finest tiger fishing in the world (all catch-and-release of course).

DAYS 11-13: FLY OVER THE FALLS –IN LIVINGSTONE.

Where Livingstone. Why Because it’s the access point to Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi plummets over a single vertical drop into a chasm; the adrenaline capital of Africa (bungee jumping, white-water rafting, and more); and a historic Edwardian-era town, established in 1905 as a tribute to the missionary Dr. David Livingstone (1813-1862) and with an enduring, sepia-colored charm—the first traffic light arrived here in 2011. How After your morning safari activity in the Lower Zambezi, you’ll be transferred to a bush airstrip for the scheduled light aircraft flight to Livingstone and the Tongabezi lodge—luxurious, multi-room cottages above the banks of the river just upstream from the falls. Activities include game drives, boating trips, fishing, shopping with a guide in local markets, sunrise and sunset river cruises, a visit to Livingstone Island, and, depending on distancing measures in place, a visit to a local community. And, of course, Victoria Falls: Transferring across the bridge to the Zimbabwean side, a traditional vantage point, is currently not recommended. Instead, you will board a helicopter in Livingstone for a private fly-over above the world’s largest sheet of falling water (Victoria Falls is aptly called “The Smoke That Thunders” in the Sotho language). On the morning of Day 14, you will depart from Livingstone Airport for home.

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