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getting around in zambia
Hello everybody,
I'm planning a 4 week visit to botswana and zambia next summer. 2 weeks will be spend on an organised campingtrip through botswana from livingstone. This leaves me approx. 12 days to explore zambia on my own. 2 days in livingstone to visit the falls and to do some rafting,...). I also want to visit South Luangwa NP and do a canoe trip on the Lower Zambezi. As this will be quite a tight schedule I will have to rush from oner place to another and maybe I will have to make a choice between these 2. To save some time I'm looking to fly from Livingstone to Mfuwe or Livingstone-Lusaka-Mfuwe. I found the names of some companies in the bradt travelguide, but I can't find any price indications on the internet. Is there somebody out there who can give me some more info (prices) on this or who has some other getting-around on a tight schedule tips? Chachacha-backpackers seems to offer pretty good value trips to lower zambezi and south luangwa. Anyone who has done these trips? Thanks a lot. Jan |
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getting around in zambia
On 17 Jan 2004 23:52:06 -0800, (Chessie)
wrote: Hi Jan, There are more transport options from Livingstone to Lusaka than Lusaka-Mfuwe. The roads are pretty good between L and L, and there is a rail line. I haven't taken either, but talked to locals about them, and this seems to be a viable option. I've taken express busses between Livingstone and Lusaka. These are indeed a viable option although some busses are better than others. The trip took about 6 hours if I remember correctly including one rest/lunch stop. (This was also the only bathroom stop, although on one bus the driver stopped to let two women pay a visit to a nearby field.) The roads are pretty good in a relative sense, which means that there are some pretty huge potholes. One bus I took seemed a bit reckless with these potholes, while the other was rather more prudent. It wasn't easy to get information about the busses, especially in Livingstone. We went to the departure point and milled around with lots of other prospective passengers until everything became clear. From Lusaka to Mfuwe however is problematic. The road between Chipata to Mfuwe is horrible and time consuming. The "buses" are really transport trucks-- you ride on the back, with the cargo, and put up with both the rough ride, the dust, and likely long delays in traffic. One Zambia guide said it would take 3 hours to drive from Chipata to Mfuwe, but I talked to several travelers who spent 10 to 12 hours on the bus/truck and they planned to 2 days to do Mfuwe to Lusaka by road, just to allow for mishaps, so they don't miss their return flights home! Zambia Air flies Lusaka to Mfuwe several days a week, and Airwaves flys every day. I think Proflight flys every day as well. Airwaves rates last year were $160 each way, and They fly a 12 seater, and are very reliable. I've flown them several times. I expect Proflight is the same price, but they fly a 6 seater…I've had them for a couple flights too—also reliable. I can't find much info about Zambia Air flights or prices, but the "Discover Zambia" guide from 2003 lists an email address for them: . I only have phone numbers for Airwaves and Proflight...and during the high season it is important to have a reservation. When I tried to change my flight back to Lusaka from Mfuwe, I was told that all the flights were sold out! (I went to the airport to go standby, and did get a seat.) Migration Air also arranges flights Livingstone to Mfuwe, but I believe these will all go through Lusaka. I think this is about $420 one way—so pretty pricey. It would be worth checking Zambia Airways, to see if they now fly Livingstone to Lusaka. Or check out the rail to Lusaka, or possibly any express bus services. But I would recommend flying Lusaka to Mfuwe and back if you can afford the $300 or so round-trip. Sounds like you have about 10 days to divide between the lower Zambezi and South Luangwa. If you can afford to fly between these areas, you could divide the time. The lower Zambezi is great, but if you are in Zambia, South Luangwa is the must-see (especially since you are spending time around the Zambezi at Livingstone/Vic Fall). I could happily spend 2 weeks around South Luangwa (and I've done this before), but if you can find transportation that allows at least 5 days in Luangwa, then the using the remaining time on the lower Zambezi might make sense. BTW, I found another possible walking option for you: Haven't been there, but another traveler recommended Shenton Safaris, which has 2 camps inside SLNP—they stayed at Mwamba Bush Camp and loved it. I got the impression that this was moderately priced—more than Flatdogs and Wildlife Camp, but less than RPS and the other high end camps and lodges. You might email them at . Here are some other places that have bits of info about airtravel in Zambia: http://www.star-of-africa.com/pdffiles/soachart.pdf http://www.zambiatourism.com/travel/...ce/gethere.htm http://www.zambiatourism.com/travel/...e/getround.htm Good luck organizing this trip: Zambia is a great holiday!! -------- Barbara Vaughan My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it. |
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