Zambia
Zambia5 guides across 1 destination — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.
Destinations in Zambia
Practical essentials for Zambia
Zambian kwacha (ZMW)
English is the official language, alongside Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga and others
Type C/D/G, 230V 50Hz
There is no public network aimed at visitors — around Livingstone and Victoria Falls it is lodge transfers, taxis with the fare agreed in advance, and shared minibuses.
About 10% in restaurants and lodges where no service charge is added; safari guides and trackers are tipped separately at the end of a stay.
Tap water is not recommended for drinking; use bottled or filtered water.
Left-hand side; a national licence covers visits of up to 90 days, after which an International Driving Permit or a Zambian licence is required.
999 (police), 993 (fire), 992 (ambulance); 112 works from a mobile
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Recent stories from Zambia
What to Eat at Victoria Falls: A Zambezi Food Guide
Nshima and river bream, peanut-buttered greens, and high tea above the gorge — eating well on the Zambian side of the world's greatest waterfall.
Let the Zambezi Set the Running Order: Four Days on the Zambian Bank of Victoria Falls
The Zambian bank is worth four days, but the river's water level decides what order they go in, which days swap, and what is simply closed when you arrive.
When to See Victoria Falls: An Honest Month-by-Month Guide
The world's most famous curtain of water is two different spectacles depending on the month. Here is what the Zambezi actually does across the year — and how to pick your moment.
Market Tastes on the Zambezi: Eating Like a Local Around Victoria Falls
Away from the lodge buffets, the towns beside the falls eat vividly and seasonally — river fish, maize-meal comfort food and rainy-season delicacies. Here is what to try, and when.
The Quiet Seasons of Victoria Falls: When Insiders Choose to Go
The dry-season consensus has Victoria Falls backwards: from the Zambian side, the months most travellers are told to avoid are the ones that open the gorge, the island and the wildest water on the Zambezi.