How to Enjoy a DIY Safari to Explore its Wild Side - For the adventurous souls!

 Setting off on an incredible self-drive road trip across Zambia's vast open spaces will be an unforgettable journey. You will spend your days wandering amid big game and your nights pitching under the starlit skies, before setting off in a canoe into the brilliant blue waters! Here is a guide taking you through a DIY safari in order to expose you to the wild side of Zambia.

Geoff Gallice, Luangwa River crossing, CC BY 2.0

The Great East Road of Zambia

The Great East Road is a must to explore! You must treat yourself to this rare opportunity especially if you're going to journey to the South Luangwa National Park's wilderness. The hectic traffic congestion of Lusaka's metropolis will soon ebb away. Beware of the potholes on the road, which are large craters that shock the automobile. These will scatter loose goods and smash any eggs kept in the onboard refrigerator. When you are mesmerised by a panorama of amazing beauty, avoiding potholes becomes much more difficult. Low wooded hills rise on both sides initially, becoming higher as the road approaches the Mozambican border, before vanishing into endless green plains on the outskirts of the Luangwa Valley. Schoolchildren move over the route, heading towards villages whose thatched houses are surrounded by bonfire smoke. Groundnuts are sold via the vehicle window in Chipata, which is a market town here. When on a DIY safari tour, you are bound to get exhausted. Always make sure to give yourself plenty of rest whenever time permits you. When passing through Livingstone, a popular region among tourists and a place where you are bound to pass through, you can seek accommodation at a Livingstone hotel. You can check out properties like Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara for the services and amenities they offer. 

South Luangwa of Zambia

The bush trails of South Luangwa National Park, like any roadway, are governed by a set of laws that are unique to the park. When performing a 3-point turn on riverbanks, keep an eye out for incoming hippos in order to avoid being hit. You must also be considerate of other road users, which is one of the most important things when going on a safari. Sometimes, after reaching the park, tourists might be forced to make an emergency stop due to the presence of young bull elephants who have barged onto the road. So, you always have to keep an eye out!

Lower Zambezi of Zambia

Despite Land Cruiser's off-road capability, certain Zambian jungle roadways are inaccessible even in a 4x4. These are all the Lower Zambezi National Park's sandy lagoons and tributaries, which serve as a passageway for crocodiles, hippos, and elephants, during specific times of the year. Here you will be able to float along with the river, enjoying the gentle slope of the paddles and the cries of fish eagles from the trees as you make your way to the Indian Ocean. For each mile you pass, the Zambezi takes on a new personality. At first glance, it seems to be as vast and tranquil as the Thames, with winter thorn and acacia woodlands separating water and sky. Then it becomes a jumble of channels, including crocodiles lazing on sandbanks as well as herds of hippos obstructing the path with their massive bodies. There's nothing quite like witnessing a herd of wild elephants from your kayak. And that's the sort of experience you will be able to witness when in this national park. Your body is barely 2 or 3 feet tall above the water line, staring up into a grove of legs, to reestablish a childish sensation of smallness. You will see young elephants spitting water at one another playfully. And that memory will be etched in your mind forever.