Lower Zambezi National Park

Lower Zambezi National Park is a landscape of immense beauty and quiet power, where the wide Zambezi River flows past the dramatic escarpment of the Rift Valley. This is one of the few parks where you can experience a safari from the water, canoeing silently past elephants drinking at the riverbank and hippos yawning in the sun. The park’s floodplains are dotted with leadwood trees and lush vegetation, providing a home to large prides of lions and herds of buffalo that move between the river and the hills. The atmosphere here is one of peaceful isolation, offering a more exclusive and private safari experience than the busier parks. Watching the sunset turn the river into a sheet of orange and gold is a moment of pure African magic that stays with you long after you leave.

• Where it is: Southeastern Zambia.
• What you can expect to see: Elephants crossing the river, leopards, and herds seen from a canoe.
• How much it is to get in: ~$25 USD for non-residents.
• What people say: Canoeing past hippos and watching elephants drink is ‘the most peaceful safari experience’.
• Interesting fact: The park was once the private game reserve of Zambia’s president.