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Listly
27-06-2025
- Listly
How to Experience the Soul of Zambia Through Its Time-Honoured Festivals
REPORT Listly by Joanna James Zambia, a country in the southern part of Africa, is a magical place and should be next on your bucket list. This land-locked country borders on Zimbabwe and has much to offer travellers in terms of safaris, wildlife, and nature in general. While Zambia's natural beauty may attract more of the first-time travellers, the country's cultural depth truly captivates those who are able to see past the superficial layers. With over 70 ethnic groups and a history that includes ancient customs, royal legacies, and spiritual practices, Zambia offers a cultural journey like no other in southern Africa. From dynamic public festivals to deeply spiritual masked dances, experiencing this living heritage is one of the most rewarding things to do in Zambia. Zambia's Culture Unveiled While wildlife safaris and visits to Victoria Falls dominate many itineraries, the nation's festivals offer something less expected and far more intimate. These ceremonies provide priceless insight into the values, ancestry as well as communal traditions of Zambia's people. The important thing to note is that the ceremonies performed aren't meant to be tourist attractions or entertainment in any way. They are authentic celebrations that carry a lot of meaning to the local population. Enjoying Culture in Comfort For those looking to experience the traditions and cultural ceremonies of Zambia, while enjoying world-class accommodation, staying in Livingstone offers the perfect location to be in proximity to them. The Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara, located on the banks of the Zambezi River and just minutes from Victoria Falls, provides a sophisticated base for cultural and natural exploration alike. The Spectacle of Kuomboka Perhaps the most well-known traditional ceremony is Kuomboka, which is held each year by the Lozi people of Western Province. The ceremony's name translates to 'getting out of water,' and it commemorates the annual move of the Litunga, the Lozi king, from his palace in the Barotse floodplains to higher ground. When water levels rise during the rainy season, a grand procession sets out: the king aboard the royal barge Nalikwanda, decorated with a black-and-white elephant and paddled by oarsmen dressed in traditional scarlet and white. Thousands of spectators gather along the Zambezi River's edge to watch this journey unfold to the sound of ancient drums and royal pageantry. Mutomboko: A Celebration of Legacy In the north-eastern Luapula Province, the Mutomboko Festival offers quite a contrasting but equally spectacular insight into Zambia's traditional leadership and warrior history. Held in the month of July, the ceremony celebrates the historic migration and triumph of the Lunda people, which the legendary Mwata Kazembe leads. The festival is locally referred to as the 'Dance of Victory.' Visitors can expect dance performances, battle reenactments, and a rare public appearance by the current Mwata Kazembe as well. Shimunenga and the Spirit of the South Further south in the Namwala District, the Shimunenga Ceremony of the Ba-Ila people showcases Zambia's pastoralist roots. Taking place during the full moon in either the months of September or October, Shimunenga is steeped in ancestral respect and community solidarity. Usually beginning at dawn with traditional hymns being sung at a shrine, the ceremony is then followed by a parade of decorated cattle, symbolising wealth and social status. Participants then engage in rituals and communal activities ranging from mock lion hunts to fishing expeditions and feasting on traditional dishes. Gule Wamkulu: Dance of the Ancestors Among the Chewa people in the Eastern Province, the Gule Wamkulu, also known as the 'Great Dance', offers one of Zambia's most unique cultural experiences. This sacred masked performance is conducted by members of the Nyau secret society, whose dancers wear elaborate costumes representing spirits, animals, and mythical beings. Performed during funerals, initiations, and public holidays, the Gule Wamkulu blends moral storytelling with spiritual reverence. Dancers often move in trance-like states, embodying their characters as they weave between rhythm and ritual. Though traditionally restricted, some performances are now included in national cultural events, allowing outsiders to observe respectfully. Recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, this dance is a vivid reminder of the enduring connection between Zambians and their ancestors.
Daily Maverick
25-04-2025
- Daily Maverick
Wild show-stoppers — baby beasts and birdlife in breathtaking Chobe
Though the green season in northern Botswana means having to deal with tall grass and fewer waterhole sightings, it also means all manner of baby animals are being born. Cue cuteness overload. It almost started in disaster. My Proflight Zambia plane from Cape Town was landing in Livingstone and going on to Lusaka. This I did not realise, and I sat blissfully ignorant in my seat, headphones on, while the flight attendants, and all the other passengers, waited for me to get off – the only person disembarking. They eventually tapped me on the shoulder and turfed me out. Just in time. Bags collected, I was off to The David Livingstone, my lodgings on the banks of the Zambezi River. Confession time: the Zambezi, at any point from start to Mana Pools, is one of my favourite places in the world. So I was as happy as a clam when my cruise on the Lady Livingstone set off that afternoon. Nothing like jumping in immediately, almost as you hit the airport. River cruise We dawdled along the river towards Mosi-oa-Tunya, as the Victoria Falls are known in the local languages of Leya and Lozi. I sipped on a Mosi, as one must in these parts, and watched elephants, hippos, crocs and plenty of beautiful birds. Later that night, I was struck down with an unwelcome virus and I took to my bed for two days. It was not an auspicious start to my month-long wander through the massive Kaza region, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the largest conservation area in the world. It stretches from Angola and Namibia in a wide band all the way through Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It's a marvellous project that is opening up ancient animal migration routes, boosting conservation through community participation and working to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. The Botswana leg My next stop was delayed a day, but eventually I set off for Chobe in Botswana, across the Kazangula Bridge. It has knocked several hours off the journey, and the one-stop border crossing has made it all even easier. Although the bridge was only opened in 2021 to replace the Kazungula ferry, there are several potholes forming already and banks of tar growing ever-larger as the huge, overloaded trucks barrel along in temperatures so high you could fry an egg on the pavement. If you have not been – and you should go – be prepared to walk through the disease control trays or disinfection mats as part of Botswana's biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, with all your shoes in your bags, before you're allowed into the country. Vehicles have to drive across a similar mat or dip. They take this seriously. Foot-and-mouth affects cloven-hoofed animals and it can wipe out bovine populations, including buffaloes, which are a virus reservoir. Chobe is one of those bucket-list places if safaris are your thing. And it has been ever since Liz and Dick (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) got married in the magistrate's office in Kasane, the local frontier town, half a century ago. It was the second time they married, and they honeymooned in the national park, putting the month-old Chobe Game Lodge on the world map. It was not my intention to visit Chobe on the legendary lovers' golden anniversary; indeed, I was entirely ignorant of this historical fact when I made my plans. But it made me happy when I learnt of it. Chobe sightings The animal sightings in Chobe National Park are show-stopping, and I was prepared to be wowed, even if it was green season. For those not in the know, green season is the wet season, when the grass is high and sweet, the trees filled with leaves and buds and water is everywhere. The Zambezi teak are in bloom, their pink-purple flowers strewn across the landscape. Animals can be more difficult to spot, because they don't need to come to waterholes and they can browse deep in the bush. But – and this is a big one – babies are also being dropped and the birdlife is fantastic. I saw a baby hippo trotting after its mom, so newly born it was the size of my small dog. Still wobbly on its legs, all rotund belly and cuteness. Sure-footed little impalas bounced after their mothers while their older brothers practised their fighting skills. The afternoon air rang with the million-strong cicada choir, also looking for mates, and everywhere was the sound of birds. Baby elephants also made my heart sing, just discovering their trunks and not quite sure what to do with them. (Did you know infant ellies suck their trunks like infant humans suck their thumbs?) They mock charge, their little ears flapping madly, and play happily in the mud. Elephants are truly awe-inspiring. The entire herd raises the babies, protecting them and helping the mothers. Babies are precious and adored. We could learn a thing or two from elephants. Messing about in boats The Chobe River flows year round from its source in the Angolan Highlands all the way to the Zambezi. And it makes for some fantastic safari adventures. Many lodges have their own river boats, but there are also independent boats you can hop on. A small boat is best for a sunset cruise. It's peaceful, quiet and gives you the best animal sightings. I went twice, because if you can, you should. Every trip on a safari is different. I've seen the Big Five in the first 10 minutes, and no mammals at all in four hours. There are, however, always birds and bugs, two of my favourite things. My first river cruise was washed out by an epic thunderstorm. We were not 15 minutes down the river from our mooring when the sky opened and water sluiced down in sheets. We'd forgotten to pack the rain ponchos (who would remember them on a clear and sunny day?) and there was much frantic covering of cameras with whatever could be found. An elderly English gentleman, unperturbed, sipped on his gin and tonic under the flimsy tarpaulin and toasted the 'jolly adventure'. He was a tonic himself. We saw nothing but raced back to the shore, to try again another time. I was back the next day, this time an altogether more successful safari. Crocodiles lolled in the sunshine along the banks, or floated menacingly on the water. We tootled around Sedudu Island, watching the herons, African fish eagles, kingfishers, carmine bee-eaters and African darters drying their feathers on their perches. There are more than 450 bird species on the river. On the river banks, hippos lumbered around. They come out of the water during the day here, although they don't ever wander far and are quick to splash back in if they feel threatened. And elephants. I saw hundreds of elephants, next to the river, in the river, browsing on the trees, grazing on the grasses. All fat and looking happy. Big cats In the green season there are also fewer people to clutter up sightings. Even so, at a lion sighting one early morning, my game driver was joined by eight others. I get it; lions are the king of the jungle for good reason. Their low growl hits you with a primal fear. Bone-chilling. Freeze or flee. But still, I felt claustrophobic and a bit cheated. But we're on a game drive and all is calm and fascinating. I've tracked lions on foot in the Waterberg in South Africa and it's an entirely different affair. As you can imagine. There are also cheetahs and leopards, and smaller cats like caracal, but they are tricky to spot. You can do a Chobe day trip from Livingstone or Victoria Falls, and busloads do. To be clear, buses do not ply the bumpy dirt roads of the national park. Everyone gets off at Kazungula Bridge or at the entrance, and on safari game vehicles. Or you can opt for several days in the area; there are plenty of lodges inside the park's borders, and even more around Chobe. I stayed at Elephant Valley Lodge in Lesomo Valley and at Jackalberry Chobe on the beautiful river bank. Botswana is a unique place. IYKYK (if you know you know), as the kids say. DM The writer was hosted by Africa's Eden and her flights were courtesy of Proflight Zambia. Accommodation was courtesy of The David Livingstone Safari Lodge, Elephant Valley Lodge and Jackalberry Chobe. This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
A horseback safari in the wilds of Zambia
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The sight of lions "lurking" in the grass lends a certain edge to most African riding safaris – but there are places where you can take in the continent's magnificent landscapes on horseback "without feeling like prey". One such is Simalaha, said Sophy Roberts in the Financial Times. This roadless, 18,000sq km community conservancy on the banks of the Zambezi River in Zambia was founded in 2012 by two local Lozi chieftains, in collaboration with the Peace Parks Foundation, which works to rewild ecosystems stretching across national borders in southern Africa. Many species have been reintroduced, including roan antelope, eland, sable and giraffe. So far, however, there are no big cats, and recently a Zambian couple, Gail Kleinschmidt and Doug Evans, launched riding safaris here – the only tourism operation in the area. Most guests of Zambian Horseback Safaris fly into Livingstone, next to the Victoria Falls, and travel to Simalaha by boat – a glorious journey along the "colossal, swirling" Zambezi, past "belching" hippos and "fat" crocodiles "basking on bone- white sands". The accommodation consists of four tented guest rooms on wooden stilts, each with a terrace facing a waterhole, and a kitchen hidden in a copse, where a Lozi chef, Henry Mununga, cooks up "spectacularly good" food (including flame-seared steaks, nasturtium and green leaf salads, and homemade ice cream). The 25 horses graze freely as a herd, and guests ride out twice a day – morning and evening – to beat the "sizzling" midday heat. Simalaha is on the Zambezi's flood plain – this is "big sky country" – and when I was there, shortly before the rains, the light was often magical. There was lots of wildlife to see, including galloping herds of wildebeest; and plenty of time to chat with local villagers and cattle herders, or just to take in the heart-stopping views across the landscape, punctuated with "islands of waxen baobabs" and "lines of grazing game". Safarious ( has a seven-night trip from £3,270pp, excluding flights.
