Note: Please read the government advice if you are planning to travel to Zambia and any places during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nestled in the heart of Southern Africa is the landlocked country of Zambia. Filled with luscious vegetation and teeming with wildlife, this country is the home of the Victoria Falls – indigenously called Mosi-oa-Tunya, or ‘Smoke That Thunders’ – one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Visiting new places can be overwhelming especially when there’s so much to see, do and taste so AMAKA caught up with travel blogger Dee Walker a.k.a The Zed Travel Foodie to give us a rundown of a few places one should definitely visit if they ever travel to Zambia.

Walker, who is a partner of an online digital media platform that promotes the beauty and diversity of Zambia called Discover Zambia, describes herself as extremely passionate. She shares that her journey working with Discover Zambia has been a great opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals.

“I’m someone who is extremely energetic, somebody who loves to get out there and see the world, and is extremely spontaneous. I've personally been a part of the company as a partner for three years now. I obviously has [have] my own personal blog that I've started which also showcases Zambia, so it was great to collaborate with someone who also wanted to achieve the same things that I do. It was also a way of utilizing digital media and digital marketing in a way to push Zambia further on the map. 

It’s also been a chance to offer cutting edge marketing solutions to companies with our growing social media presence. I think one of my highlights working with Discover Zambia was doing a campaign for Toyota Zambia where we went to the Kafue National Park and made some really amazing video content for them. It's thing[s] like that that really inspire me to continue with Discover Zambia and to put the best and most into our business.”

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For someone as fun loving as Walker, adventuring comes easy. It’s something that she believes is in her blood and spirit.

“Some of my earliest childhood memories were with my mom, dad, brother and extended family going out on trips to the bush. We used to go every single holiday to some land that the family has on the banks of the Zambezi River. 

So I think because of that foundation and those memories and the kinds of spirits that my mom and dad are and were, especially in the case of my late dad, I think it is something I just really learnt from a young age and I don't really think that there is any other way for me to be. That definitely inspired me to be an adventurer even into adulthood.”

She reveals that when she moved to the UK and was away from Zambia for a good amount of years, she always had a yearning to go back and always missed the river and being out in the bush.

“As soon as I moved back to Zambia, I loved going out just exploring, getting in the car for a nice road trip seeing different views and scenery. I think it is also a great way to refresh and unwind away for [from] the craziness that is city life.”

Food is a big part of her life as her moniker suggests. “Because I am such a foodie, I really do enjoy tasting new foods and experiencing new flavours and just enjoy, [the] experience of going out. If I could say that I enjoy one particular kind of food I would say that I really do like pasta and I eat pasta quite a lot, so probably I would be able to live on pasta in its different forms and varieties but if you ask what is one alcohol that I can't live without then I would definitely say Prosecco,” she reveals.

For someone who travels around the country as much as Walker, she explains her favourite mode of transport is a car as it makes moving around Zambia much easier.

“I love a road trip and the easiest way to get around Zambia is by car. It’s also a fun way of seeing things. Usually I’m not the one driving so it works out that my loved ones enjoy driving but a close second would be a plane. Mostly you need a decent four-wheel drive to get around Zambia but there are amazing place[s] you can see even without that kind of vehicle.”

The Zed Travel Foodie shared with AMAKA her list of top 5 places to visit in Zambia below:

1. Victoria falls

As one of the seven natural wonders of the world, any trip to Zambia wouldn’t be complete without seeing the Victoria Falls. The town of Livingstone is so beautiful with lots of amazing activities and beautiful hotels. 

“I’ve enjoyed white water rafting, and definitely swimming in the Devil’s Pool is something that I think everybody has to do if you are adventurous and brave enough. Plus it’s actually not as bad as people make it out to be. I've done it a couple of times now and I think it's a really fun and really brilliant activity and it's such a great way to see Victoria Falls.

It's a completely different view of anything else you will ever see and the guides and the staff who run the activity are professional, helpful and so kind. Even if you are not a strong swimmer you can still do the activity and they will help you out and really look after you. It's the tourist capital of Zambia after all so it has to be done.” 

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2. Lake Tanganyika 

Situated in Northern Zambia, Lake Tanganyika boasts scenic views and over 350 species of fish.

“It is a long way away from Lusaka (Zambia’s Capital) and I think really the only mode of transportation to get there is to drive unless you charter a plane which can be very expensive. It will take about 10 to 12 hours but there's plenty of things that you can see along the way.

When I went to Lake Tanganyika, we broke off [up] our trip with a night stay in Kasama, and then the next day we went from Kasama to Mpulungu and took a boat to our lodge. We stayed at Isanga Bay Lodge which was stunning and whilst you are there, you can also choose to do a hike to Kalambo Falls which is one of the tallest uninterrupted falls in Africa. That's also a really cool and fun activity to do. It’s well worth it as you literally stay on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It's like a beach holiday destination in Zambia.” 

Lake Tanganyika is a great option for adventure seekers as there are water activities such as snorkelling, scuba diving and kayaking.

3. Kapishya Hot Springs Lodge

Set in Muchinga Province, it is quite the distance away but it's worth the trip.

“If you’re doing a tour of the Northern circuit, maybe stay at Kapishya Hot Springs first and then head on to Mpulungu to go and see Lake Tanganyika or whichever way you want to work it out. But I think Kapishya Hot Springs and Shiwa Ngandu House which is about 10-15 kilometres away from Kapishya is something that will blow your mind. Seeing this old manor house in the middle of nowhere is just a beautiful thing. I was wowed to see Shiwa Ngandu, an old mansion that was built many, many years ago in the 1900's to still be as kept as it would have been at its prime.”

4. Lower Zambezi National Park

This is a great safari destination that isn’t too far away from Zambia’s capital city – about two and a half hours away. 

“There's many options for you to choose from if you want to do a budget trip, and if you want to do a high-end trip there's really sublime lodges and camps. What I love about lower Zambezi National Park is that you are also able to do a canoe Safari. It's the first place I ever did a canoe safari on the Zambezi River. It's really safe and gives you a chance to get to be up close to the water. If you are lucky you see elephants while you're out there and it's just really fun so I would say that's definitely a good trip to do.”

5. South Luangwa National Park 

“Last but not least, I would say a trip to Zambia isn't complete without an experience of going to South Luangwa National Park. For me, it probably has some of the best game viewing I've ever experienced. You can be on a game drive and [you] get [to] see a lion, a leopard, giraffes, zebras all in a short space of time.”

Located in Zambia’s Eastern Province, a trip to South Luangwa poses an amazing opportunity to see wildlife up close. There are walking safaris with many animals milling around camp every day providing a unique travel experience. 

 “I really enjoy South Luangwa and I would recommend anybody to visit it if they can. It's also the home of the walking safari, so if you're really feeling brave you can go out with trained guides who will show you a bit about the flora and fauna. It's lovely with a good selection of camps, both high end and budget lodges as well, so it means that it's accessible for everybody.”  

With such a wonderful selection of places to visit, The Zed Travel Foodie advises to drive where you can. Should you wish to fly, Livingstone, South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi are the best options — be sure to book your flights in advance and you’ll be well on your way to discovering Zambia.