Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya—“The Smoke That Thunders”—Victoria Falls is one of the world’s great natural landmarks. Straddling the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, it forms a vast curtain of water that fills the air with mist and sound. The Zimbabwean side grants the most dramatic views, where mist rises like ghostly curtains and rainbows arc through the spray. Measuring about 1,708 metres across, it is regarded as the largest single continuous sheet of falling water on Earth. The adjacent town of Victoria Falls provides a convenient base for exploring the region, with a wide range of activities from scenic flights and microlight trips to white-water rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, and safaris into Chobe National Park.
Located in western Zambia, Kafue National Park is the country’s largest national park and one of Africa’s largest protected areas. The park covers a vast wilderness of rivers, floodplains, woodlands and open grasslands, providing habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Central Kafue, one of the park’s main regions, features riverine bush, miombo and savannah woodlands, open plains and granite outcrops. The Spinal Road runs through Central Kafue and provides access to some of the more remote areas of the park, with opportunities to see wildlife including puku, impala and bushbuck. Kafue is also home to a diverse range of bird species, making it a popular destination for birdwatching. Game drives and other safari activities offer opportunities to explore the park’s landscapes and observe its wildlife.
Kafue is Zambia’s largest national park, comprising two distinct sections, of which the northern section is the biggest and shelters the highest concentrations of game. Resident species include elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and antelope, while hippos and waterbirds thrive in the wetlands of the Busanga Plains. This marshy wilderness extends across approximately 750 square kilometres which, during the rainy season, becomes a veritable deluge. Once the rains cease and the waters subside, a blanket of lush, grassy vegetation if left behind, attracting vast numbers of antelope and other grazers. Several camps are situated in Northern Kafue, offering a variety of accommodation, ranging from budget to luxury.