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Where to Go in 2026: My Picks
My 2026 picks: Uganda, Kenya, Australia and Zambia, plus Guyana and Northern Albania. Places that cap visitor numbers and still feel wild if you plan them well.
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A guide to luxury travel in Zambia's wilderness.
Zambia has big rivers, quiet national parks, famous guides, and walking safaris that get you closer to wildlife than anywhere else in Africa. It's remote and unpolished in the best sense. Below are the regions, seasons, and experiences that set it apart.
Zambia combines exclusivity with genuine wildness:
Compared with the busier safari countries, Zambia is still untamed and uncrowded.
South Luangwa is one of Africa's great wildlife parks and the birthplace of the walking safari. It's still the best place to do one.
Why go:
Best season:
June–October: dry season, the best visibility, and excellent walking conditions.
Where to stay:
Don't miss:
The Lower Zambezi is shaped by the river itself, with winterthorn forest along the banks and elephants, buffalo, and big cats at the water's edge.
Why go:
Best season:
June–October for clear skies, low water, and active wildlife.
Where to stay:
Don't miss:
Kafue is one of Africa's largest national parks and a good choice if you want real solitude.
Why go:
Best season:
July–October for the Busanga Plains, when the water recedes and wildlife is plentiful.
Where to stay:
Don't miss:
Liuwa Plain is horizon-to-horizon grassland and home to Africa's second-largest wildebeest migration, along with rare predators and excellent birdlife.
Why go:
Best season:
October–December for the migration; May–July for dry, open plains.
Where to stay:
Don't miss:
Victoria Falls, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya ("the smoke that thunders"), is one of the world's great natural landmarks. The Zambian side is quieter and closer to the water than Zimbabwe's.
Why go:
Where to stay:
Don't miss:
Lusaka, the capital, is mostly a transit point to the safari regions, but it's a good place to see contemporary Zambian life.
Why go:
Best season:
All year.
Where to stay:
Don't miss:
Zambia's safaris change a lot with the seasons.
Led by some of Africa's best naturalists, these walks get you closer to wildlife than any vehicle can.
Paddle past elephants feeding at the water's edge and watch animals come down to the river at dusk.
About as peaceful as a safari gets.
Stay in small seasonal camps or sleep under the stars on raised platforms.
Africa's least-crowded migration, in one of its most remote parks.
Walk, fly, raft, or swim (in season) at one of the world's great natural wonders.
Zambia's remoteness and seasonality make planning matter more than usual. The difference between an average safari and a great one comes down to:
I plan Zambia around small camps, excellent guides, and operators who take conservation seriously.
Tell me whether walking in South Luangwa, canoeing the Zambezi, or the Liuwa migration is top of your list, and I'll build the safari around the right season.
Every itinerary begins with a 20-minute planning call. From there, a $250 planning fee, credited in full toward your booked trip and non-refundable if you don’t book. I brief the property before you arrive — that's what the fee funds.
Plan your trip
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