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young elephant blocking the road in Zambia Africa

Where’s Wendy: Exploring the Next Great African Safari Spot

If you’re like me, you like to travel to places at that optimal moment when there’s enough touristic infrastructure for a unique adventure with all the creature comforts, but not so much yet that the tourist masses and chain hotels have arrived. Zambia is on the verge of that moment. Which is why I’m there right now, doing reconnaissance for you.

I brought along my advance team—my kids, Charlie (15) and Doug (13), and my husband, Tim. We heard from Cherri Briggs, who is one of the African safari travel specialists on my WOW List and who lives in Zambia part of the year (she has a house on the Zambezi river), that because Zambia is still under the radar, you can enjoy a high-value-for-your-dollar safari there that will have you alone amid sweeping landscapes, just you and the animals, no other Land Rovers or camera-clicking tourists in sight. It sounded like a great August vacation for the family, so Cherri designed an awesome two-week itinerary for us—which we’re now halfway through.

Most people thinking about an African safari choose between the two regions that are best known for it because they’ve been doing it the longest—southern Africa (e.g., South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe) and East Africa (e.g., Kenya, Tanzania). Zambia sits smack in between those two regions and, I’m finding, combines some of the best characteristics of each. I’ll be writing in detail about the pros and cons of Zambia soon—who should go, who shouldn’t, what’s the smartest itinerary, etc.—so stay tuned. In the meantime, here are a few snapshots from Week 1.

Pretty vegetables, eh? The ladies sell these in the village near Mfuwe Lodge. #Zambia #southluangwa

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Kids I met in the village yesterday. They’re 6, 10, 11, and 12. #Zambia #southluangwa

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Like father like son. #Zambia #SouthLuangwa

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Greetings from Chamilandu, a remote 6-guest bush camp in #Zambia. #SouthLuangwa @bushcampcompany

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Zambian roadblock. #SouthLuangwa

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Why we look forward to sundown. It’s when our car turns into a bar. @bushcampcompany

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Sundowners with a view. #Zambia #SouthLuangwa #hippos

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A parade of elephants. #Zambia #southluangwa

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Shower with a view. At Chamilandu Bush Camp, the chalets have three walls. @bushcampcompany #Zambia #southluangwa

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Lunchtime surprise in the bush: Make your own pizzas! @bushcampcompany #zambia

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Can you believe this is in the remote bush? #makeyourownpizza #middleofnowhere #Zambia

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#onthetable #inthebush #Zambia

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Bush brunch. #Zambia

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“Hold still, Doug!”

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You never know what’s around the corner in the bush.

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Inspired to start your own safari vacation?

 

Browse our Insider’s Guides to Africa’s best safari destinations, and reach out to the rigorously vetted and superbly well-connected safari travel specialists whom I recommend most highly—those on my WOW List. Reach out to them via the links below to be marked as a WendyPerrin.com VIP traveler and get priority attention and special benefits.

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Botswana

The Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania

South Africa

East Africa Safaris in Kenya and Tanzania

Africa Cruises

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