Zambia - considered to be the heart of Africa
19 March 2008
Overview by Suzie Jones
Sharing borders with Angola, the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana, Zambia is often considered the heart of Africa.
It also holds secrets about the history of humankind with stone tools from early man to a complete 100,000 year old Homo sapiens rhodesiensis (“Broken Hill Man”) skull discovered here.
With 17 waterfalls including the wondrous Victoria Falls, almost a third of the country is dedicated to the wilderness. It is an outsize country that is largely accessible only to the intrepid. Distances can be daunting and transport options are often limited to many days in four wheel drive vehicle or a couple of hours in a small aircraft. Due to this remoteness it is one of the few countries on planet earth where travel can actually still feel like a discovery and you can literally be the only human being witnessing something as magnificent as the second largest wildebeest migration!
It is possible to follow in the footsteps of David Livingstone when you walk on Livingstone island right on the edge of Victoria Falls - where you can also swim in the Devils pool with only centimeters of rock face between you and a 100 meter plunge.
The people are very friendly and traditional dancing, drinking and eating can be indulged in throughout the country. It is politically stable and with flights direct from Europe to Lusaka it is also surprisingly accessible. Home to many adventure activities it packs an adrenaline punch to floor every junkie and a view with a sunset that promises to soothe any soul every day of the year.
Don't go home without...
If you are a serious art collector look out for paintings by Enock Ilungu, Geoffrey Seti, Linda Chandia, Mulenga Chafilwa, Stephan Kapata, Sylvia Mwando, Victor Makashi and William Mikko. Sculptures by Flinto Chandia and Friday Tembo are internationally recognisable. It is of course possible to acquire various carvings by lesser known artists at curio shops around the country.
Soapstone is beautiful but is VERY fragile and the chances of getting it home in one piece are small. Doing a bit of homework will go a long way to knowing which pieces are indigenous to Zambia as a lot of the curios are imported from other countries.
Highlights
Kafue National Park
South Luangwa National Park
Victoria Falls