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Zambia |
Facts about country
| Capital | Lusaka |
|
Population |
10 Million |
|
Main Languages |
English, + 70 Indigenous Languages |
|
Electricity |
3 Plug System (Rectangular) 220/240 Volts 50Hz |
|
Currency |
Kwacha |
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Exchange Rate for US $ as of July 2001 |
3800 Kwacha per 1 US$ |
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Safe to Drink Tap Water |
No |
|
Size |
752600 sq km |
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Transport |
Train, bus, minibus, planes |
| Cash Machines (ATMS) | Yes but mostly at Barclays |
| Credit Card Usage | Yes but not wide spread |
| Weather |
Minimum 300 Days sunshine a year. For the most part dry and warm. |
| Religion | Christian + Indigenous Religions |
| Measurement System | Metric System |
Recommended Budget per Day in US $
| Total Budget per Person | Accommodation | Meals | Transportation | Other |
| 25 $ | 3 $ (Camping) | 4 $ (Self) | 8$ | 8$ |
Main things to See (we give descriptions only on places we visited)
| Things to See | Visited | Brief Description | Recommend (10 is best 1 is don't bother) |
|
Lusaka |
Y |
We visited this city only for an overnight sleep in a bus, so we cannot say much about it. |
5 |
|
Livingstone |
Y |
Not much of a town, but the best place to stay if visiting the Victoria Falls, which are only 10 km away. You can also change money here on the black market. Much better rates than in the bank for Zimbabwe Dollars and Zambia Kwacha. There are a few hostels and campsites to choose from. |
7 |
|
Victoria Falls |
Y |
This 2 km wide falls are where the Zambezi drops around 100 meters down. You can get really close to the falls where you might need a rain jacket. Also a population of baboons live near the falls, |
9.5 |
|
South Luangwa National Park |
Y |
The park is really nice with a wide range of vegetation. From wooded areas to open plains. The Luangwa River you will see populations of hippos and some crocodiles along with elephants crossing the river twice a day. Hard to get to by public transport, would recommend a car. But it is doable on public transport and a little luck. Camping outside the park is recommended. We stayed at Flatdogs and saw almost more animals in our camp than in the park. |
10 |
| Kafue National Park | N | ||
Ngonye Falls |
N | ||
| Siavonga & Kariba Dam | N | ||
Popular activities and Tours (Being not included does not mean they do not exist)
| Hiking / Trekking | x |
| Scuba Diving | |
| Historical Sites | |
| Sightseeing tours | x |
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Ballooning |
x |
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Bungy Jumping |
x |
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Safaris |
x |
| Boat tours | x |
| Fishing | x |
| Horseback riding | x |
| Canoeing | x |
| Camping | x |
| River Rafting | x |
| Sky Diving | |
| Abseiling | |
| Surfing | |
| Windsurfing | |
| Kayaking | |
| Sailing | |
| Mountain biking | |
| Rollerblading | |
| Motorbike | |
| Sand boarding | |
| Airplane Rides over Victoria Falls | x |
| Others (Booze Cruise on Zambezi) | x |
Feeling and Opinions on Zambia
Zambia was a pleasant surprise. We had a great time there. First South Luangwa National Park is a major highlight of ours. Actually the highlight is camping outside the park where one gets wild visitors all night and elephants feeding outside your tent in the morning. Also Victoria Falls from the Zambian side is just as impressive as the view from the Zimbabwe side, just different. Zambia offers a lot and we would highly recommend a visit. The transport system can be great in certain areas, and very hard and rough in others. But this comes with the territory and are well worth the hassles.
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Maren & Kirk