Zambia

Zambia is where the walking safari was born. In the 1950s, legendary guide Norman Carr pioneered the concept of exploring the African bush on foot in the Luangwa Valley, and this tradition of intimate, ground-level wildlife encounters remains the country's defining safari experience.

South Luangwa National Park is the jewel in Zambia's crown — a pristine wilderness along the winding Luangwa River that supports some of Africa's densest wildlife populations. The park is particularly renowned for its leopard sightings (it's been called the leopard capital of Africa), enormous hippo populations, and one of the continent's healthiest wild dog packs. Walking safaris here, led by some of Africa's most experienced guides, offer a raw, adrenaline-tinged immersion in the bush that vehicle-based safari simply cannot match.

The Lower Zambezi National Park provides a completely different experience — canoe safaris drifting silently past elephants and hippos on the mighty Zambezi River, tiger fishing in world-class waters, and game drives along the valley floor with the Zambezi escarpment as a dramatic backdrop.

Kafue National Park, one of Africa's largest protected areas at 22,400 square kilometres, remains one of the continent's least-visited major parks despite supporting excellent wildlife populations. For those seeking genuine off-the-beaten-path wilderness, Kafue delivers an experience of solitude and wildness increasingly rare in modern Africa.