Zambia is a favourite destination of the Mud Hut Tribe - it is the land of the legendary African walking safari, shared home of the Victoria Falls, the wild Zambezi River, breath-taking lakes and wetlands, a profusion of birds, abundant wildlife, and raw, pulsating wilderness.......all in one friendly country. The wildlife and fauna are superb and provide the backdrop and cast for some of the finest safaris on the planet. Zambia presents opportunities to spot plentiful and rare birdlife - one 450km2 park holds 428 known species!

Zambia escaped the worst of the ravages of civil war, colonisation and oppression that plagued many of its neighbouring countries. The hand over of power from the colonial administrators to the people of then Northern Rhodesia happened relatively peacefully. For this reason, there is none of the bitterness between tribes, government and the west that is prevalent in some neighbouring countries and Zambia has also had three elected presidents since gaining independence. Zambia is acknowledged as one of the safest countries in the world to visit, and its welcoming people live in peace and harmony. Zambia attracts visitors to the remote undeveloped rural areas where you can get a glimpse of village life.

Blessed with 18 magnificent waterfalls spread from border to border, Zambia has the largest water resources in the whole of southern Africa with 5 massive lakes and plentiful rivers offering excellent fishing. You can visit Livingstone's final resting place, the Benguela Swamps - nearby is where he believed the source of the Nile lay, not realising that the water actually flows into the Congo River, and out towards the west coast of Africa. He died never knowing where the true source was.

Historically, Zambia was heavily reliant on copper, and a crash in the commodity's price shortly after independence had a devastating impact on its economic prospects. Zambia is a very poor country, with very basic infrastructure away from the main cities of Lusaka, Livingstone and those on the Copper Belt. Travelling can be time consuming, but the low tourist numbers, the safety and the wonderfully friendly people make a trip to Zambia worthwhile.

Recently an economic diversification programme has been initiated and parastatals have been privatised. It is a country that is on the rebound and is looking to the future and not dwelling on past hardships and mistakes.

For those who have travelled to other parts of Africa, and have a taste for a more rustic, rural experience, then Zambia is your destination.

Reading:
To find out more about Zambia or to bag some books, dvd's or music for your trip, please take a look at the Mud Hut's Reading List!