Travel Zambia

Vakacha

Travel tips, reviews and charity projects.

Issue 5 (May 2009) Islands of Siankaba (www.siankaba.net), near Livingstone, have unveiled an innovative new treatment room, the Ukuchina boma. Here, alongside more conventional treatments, guests can enjoy a selection of Zambian stress-relief treatments that use traditional ingredients from local natural products.
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Driving kids wild

Issue 5 (May 2009) Children growing up in South Luangwa might watch tourists coming and going from the national park, but few ever get to experience the thrill of a game drive. Christina Carr, from Kapani Lodge, explains how Norman Carr Safaris are working to put that right.
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Jumbo journeys

Issue 5 (May 2009) Asian elephants have been part of the working culture on that continent for centuries. African elephants, by contrast, have always been considered untameable. So are elephant-back safaris in Zambia really a good idea? And what’s in it for the elephants? Philip Dickson clambered up to find out for himself.
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Zambia by water

Issue 4 (November 2008) Zambia may not be able to boast an ocean, but many of its most impressive natural attractions are of the watery variety. These include southern Africa’s greatest river, one of the world’s largest man-made lakes and the most impressive waterfall on the planet.
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Luangwa by wheelchair

Issue 4 (November 2008) Zambia is a thrilling destination for the able-bodied. But what if you have more difficulty getting around? Ron Crittall and his wife Penny went on safari to South Luangwa to find out for themselves.
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Raising the roof for orphans

Issue 4 (November 2008) Orphans in Zambia are traditionally supported by the extended family network. However, the sheer number of orphans left by the HIV pandemic is making this increasingly difficult. A group of respected women from the Mfuwe community founded the Hanada Orphanage charity to address this problem.
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Volunteers get stuck in at Kawaza

Issue 4 (November 2008) In July 2008 Robin Pope Safaris successfully hosted the first participant on their new teacher volunteer programme. This is the latest project from their award-winning Kawaza Village School Fund, which also saw the recent completion of a small two-bedroomed house for volunteer teachers.
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Lodge Spotlight: Shoebill Island

Issue 3 (May 2008) Shoebill Island Camp stands on the edge of the Bangweulu Wetlands in northern Zambia. This is a vast flooded wilderness of lagoons and islands, surrounded by wide floodplains, where the main attraction is the prolific birdlife – notably the huge, prehistoric-looking shoebill, from which the camp gets its name.
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Mkasanga forges ahead

Issue 3 (May 2008) Remote Africa Safaris in South Luangwa (www.remoteafrica.com) helps support education and healthcare in the local community. The Tafika Fund, established with donations from guests and tour operators, supports a local school, Mkasanga. Carol Coppinger reports on a year of progress.
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All power to Mukwashi

Issue 3 (May 2008) The pupils at Mukwashi Trust Primary School, just west of Lusaka, are excited to learn that electricity will soon be coming their way, reports Laura Manni. Thanks to the hugely successful fundraising drive by the students from Cardinal Carter High School in Richmond Hill, Canada, Mukwashi is at last about to secure electricity.
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A helping hand

Issue 3 (May 2008) Simonga donations The River Club (Livingstone) has been involved with nearby Simonga Village for eight years. In March, a group from Norwich Union, hosted by Green Route, toured the village and donated an amazing US$10,000 towards future projects.
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Community welcome in N. Luangwa

Issue 3 (May 2008) North Luangwa is one of Zambia’s wildest wildlife destinations. There is no permanent accommodation inside the park, with just a handful of temporary camps open in the dry season.
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Downstream with the lion man

Issue 3 (May 2008) Looking for something different on safari? Philip Dickson ventures out on the Kafue River with Chris McBride, Africa’s legendary ‘white lion’ man.
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Know your National Parks

Issue 3 (May 2008) Did you know that Zambia has 19 National Parks? Most visitors head for at least one of the ‘big three’ – South Luangwa, Kafue and Lower Zambezi – while a few smaller parks, such as Kasanka, receive a regular trickle. But many others hardly see a visitor from one year to the next. In some cases this is because they are virtually inaccessible, or so badly neglected that little wildlife remains. But there are also many hidden gems awaiting the discerning traveller.