Zambia is stunning and tourism is increasing. Despite this many would prefer Zambia to stay exactly as it is - a place that is fascinating, a rich resource of natural habitat and animals that few other people visit.

Zambia is a country located in Central Africa. It is bordered by Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Its a landlocked country is famous for the adventures experience coming from wildlife activities and the striking river coasts adding a flavor of romance in the life of people visiting the place. This amazing country shares it's borders with Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola.. The fascinating capital Lusaka is located in the south-central part of the Zambia.

Best Time To Visit Zambia

Mostly in the dry season or hot weather when animals are more concentrated around rivers, is the best time to visit the place. Thus June to November is perfect period.

Rich Cultural Heritage

With a population of only 10 million people in a country of 753,614 sq km Zambia is large country. It's larger than Texas in the USA and has one of the lowest populations to land ratio in Africa. The high urbanisation has resulted in massive tracts of uninhabited land across the country. But, however, many of the rural inhabitants have retained their indigenous and traditional customs and values.

The government recognizes this and has set up institutions to protect and promote Zambian culture. The National Heritage Conservation Commission is one. Government and private museums and cultural villages promote the expression of artistic talents.

Over 73 dialects are spoken in Zambia but the official language is English and most Zambians speak it fairly well. All media and business is in English. Bemba is the next most commonly spoken language, followed by Nyanja. Other large languages are Tonga, Luvale, Lozi. Being a haven of peaceful Zambia has hosted many refuges from the neighbouring countries in the past and still do today. It's an epitome of unity in diversity.

Traditional Ceremonies

Would you have known it? Zambia has numerous traditional ceremonies. But a word of advice! They generally do not follow the normal calendar. The weather elements and a bit of "sniffing around" or such related matters bring things to bear on the date... if you get the drift...

But seriously, the timing of most traditional ceremonies depend more on natural factors such as rainfall, the season, the position of the moon, the month, etc. If you happen to be around when one of these ceremonies is on don't miss the opportunity. Just ask your tour operators they'll advise you.

There are more than 21 annual traditional ceremonies cerebrated in Zambia. They generally manifest customs, social life, rituals, oral history, material and spiritual culture. They provide a valuable insight to a traditional culture that has been passed down from generation to generation.

CAPITAL: Lusaka

CLIMATE: There are three distinct seasons: Aug-Oct is warm to hot and dry offering the best time for game viewing as water is scarce; Nov-Mar is hot with thundershowers, but excellent bird watching season as migrants come from the north; and Apr-Jul when days are dry and warm and evenings and early mornings are cold - also good for game viewing.

CURRENCY: 1 Kwacha = 100 Ngwee. Foreign exchange is at authorized banks and bureaux de change. American Express is widely used, with more limited use of Access/MasterCard, Diners Club and Visa. US dollar traveller's cheques are recommended.

ELECTRICITY: 220volts, 50Hz. Plugs are 3-pin square.

HEALTH:

You are advised to take pre-arrival precautions against hepatitis A, polio, typhoid, malaria (risk throughout the year in the whole country) and yellow fever. Other health concerns are dysentery, diarrhoeal diseases, cholera (avoid street vendors; filter and boil water), influenza (risk extends throughout year), limited medical facilities and AIDS. The climate aggravates chronic sinusitis. Dust in the dry season, molds in the rainy season and pollens much of the year can affect allergies.

Typically, the WHO (World Health Organization) will certify a doctor whom will be located within the airport terminal (in Zambia). He/she will be issuing a WHO certified Yellow-Fever vaccine and give you a yellow vaccination book that may/may-not be required for additional border crossings within Africa. Your return destination may also request proof of your vaccination.

LANGUAGE:

English is the official language and all media and business is conducted in it. There are over 73 tribal dialects of which the main languages are Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, Luvale, Lozi, Mambwe and Tumbuka.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

New Years' Day (1 Jan); Youth Day (12 Mar); Good Friday (9Apr); Easter Monday (12 Apr); Labour Day (1 May); Africa Day (25 May); Heroes Day (5 Jul); Unity Day (6 Jul); Farmers' Day (2 Aug); Defence Day (12 Aug); Independence Day (24 Oct); All Saint's Day (1 Nov); Christmas Day (25 Dec)

SHOPPING:

ebony carvings; woven baskets; copper, brass and malachite objets d'art; printed cloth; masks; drums; thumb pianos; xylophones; conical fishtraps; clay pots. Souvenirs may be exported without restriction, but game trophies e.g. tooth, bone, skin, feather, etc. are subject to export permits.

SOCIAL CONVENTIONS:

The majority follow traditional animist beliefs and this is reflected in their social culture and customs. Hand shaking is the common form of greeting.

TIME DIFFERENCE: GMT+2