Any Advice On Zambia
Discussion
trevvy said:
I am off to Zambia in a few weeks and I haven't a clue about the place (wifes idea).
Has anyone any ideas about power points, bottled water availabilty, currency etc.
Or anything that might be useful
Thanks
Have you had your shots?Has anyone any ideas about power points, bottled water availabilty, currency etc.
Or anything that might be useful
Thanks
http://www.nathnac.org/ds/c_pages/country_page_zm....
Here's what the FCO have to say.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/...
anyway, bottled water will be available everywhere apart from the ABSOLUTE middle of nowhere which i assume you won't be going to.
Plug sockets... take a couple of adapters - one for european stye 2 prong round sockets (like spain, france etc) and one for south african style 3 prong round sockets. in zambia and nearby countries, they use a handful of different plug sockets but you'll be able to buy adapters out there for next to no money. Of course I cannot answer what sockets they'll have in every place you go.
currency is the zambian kwacha. biggest note is 50,000 kwacha worth about a fiver so expect a huge wad of cash to be worth nowt
will probably spark the age old where to get currency from and what to pay with debate.
Just register your debit and credit cards for use abroad and check what the providers charge for ATM withdrawals.
I'm with Halifax and used my visa debit everywhere (rwanda, malawi blah blah) to withdraw from ATMs and it charges a flat rate of something like £2.50 per transaction. Obviously loads if you take out just a fiver but i never did. Is perfect for withdrawing about £100+ at a time.
No idea about travelers cheques as I've never used them and never will. Would say they are completely unneccessary though.
One great thing to have is USD. Will be accepted everywhere. Take as many as you feel comfortable taking - perhaps 300USD. Accepted everywhere. Don't take $100 bills as zim counterfeits them and it's a PITA to get rid. So 50's and 20's are good.
HTH.
Plug sockets... take a couple of adapters - one for european stye 2 prong round sockets (like spain, france etc) and one for south african style 3 prong round sockets. in zambia and nearby countries, they use a handful of different plug sockets but you'll be able to buy adapters out there for next to no money. Of course I cannot answer what sockets they'll have in every place you go.
currency is the zambian kwacha. biggest note is 50,000 kwacha worth about a fiver so expect a huge wad of cash to be worth nowt
will probably spark the age old where to get currency from and what to pay with debate.Just register your debit and credit cards for use abroad and check what the providers charge for ATM withdrawals.
I'm with Halifax and used my visa debit everywhere (rwanda, malawi blah blah) to withdraw from ATMs and it charges a flat rate of something like £2.50 per transaction. Obviously loads if you take out just a fiver but i never did. Is perfect for withdrawing about £100+ at a time.
No idea about travelers cheques as I've never used them and never will. Would say they are completely unneccessary though.
One great thing to have is USD. Will be accepted everywhere. Take as many as you feel comfortable taking - perhaps 300USD. Accepted everywhere. Don't take $100 bills as zim counterfeits them and it's a PITA to get rid. So 50's and 20's are good.
HTH.
Just got back from Livingstone this morning. Still recovering from Sunday night at the Pub and Grill.
Some great advice above. You can only get Kwacha in Zambia (ATMs/banks etc everywhere), as it's not on the open exchange market, but we also used US$ in Livingstone. Credit cards are a bit hit and miss - we used some taht worked in some places, not in others. Power is 240v and the most used pin shape is as per SA - three-point round. You will be surprised how much of the basics they have even in the poorest areas.
I'm sure you'll be going to Livingstone, and if so, here's a taster. We stayed in the Royal Livingstone Hotel (highly recommended!) which you can see to the right of the falls -the white buildings just up-stream. I loved the place and will be going back soon.
Some great advice above. You can only get Kwacha in Zambia (ATMs/banks etc everywhere), as it's not on the open exchange market, but we also used US$ in Livingstone. Credit cards are a bit hit and miss - we used some taht worked in some places, not in others. Power is 240v and the most used pin shape is as per SA - three-point round. You will be surprised how much of the basics they have even in the poorest areas.
I'm sure you'll be going to Livingstone, and if so, here's a taster. We stayed in the Royal Livingstone Hotel (highly recommended!) which you can see to the right of the falls -the white buildings just up-stream. I loved the place and will be going back soon.
Thanks for the info and advice everyone.
We are staying next to the Royal Livingstone for 3 of the nights and will try and upgrade to it as it has very good reviews.
One more question? is how much money would you recommend to take for a 14 day visit 1/2 board and is there much to buy there.
Thanks
We are staying next to the Royal Livingstone for 3 of the nights and will try and upgrade to it as it has very good reviews.
One more question? is how much money would you recommend to take for a 14 day visit 1/2 board and is there much to buy there.
Thanks
So you'll be staying at the Zambezi Sun, which is really nice too - you can use either hotel's facilities irrespective of which one you stay at. The Sun has more eating options and a more relaxed feel, the RL slightly more refined. Do take an opportunity to explore both in full - a sundowner on the decking over the Zambezi at the RL is quite something.
Both hotels give you free entrance into the falls, and a good explore round there is a must. It's high-water at the moment, so we got very very wet, despite our rain coats, and it's worthwhile sorting something out to keep your camera dry, as you will want to take many pictures as it's simply amazing.
Take the chance to try a helicopter or micro-light flight over the falls - we used Batoka ( http://www.livingstonesadventure.com/#/Victoria-Fa... ) which were brilliant - not too pricey either.
We also headed over to Botswana to the Chobe game reserve - easy to do and only an hour and a half away. Border crossing very interesting! Saw lions, elephants, hippos and lots more besides.
How much you spend is up to you -but I promise you will spend more than you budget for as there is sooooooo much to do.
Beers are $3, a meal $10~15 but obviously can be bought for less, heli ride and micro-lite were $130pp each, boat rides $60, elephant riding $80, etc, etc.
I really wouldn't worry too much about taking too much money with you as there are ATMs everywhere.
I would perhaps suggest you take $500pp per week depending on how much you want to do..
I'm already saving to get back there in the dry season..
Both hotels give you free entrance into the falls, and a good explore round there is a must. It's high-water at the moment, so we got very very wet, despite our rain coats, and it's worthwhile sorting something out to keep your camera dry, as you will want to take many pictures as it's simply amazing.
Take the chance to try a helicopter or micro-light flight over the falls - we used Batoka ( http://www.livingstonesadventure.com/#/Victoria-Fa... ) which were brilliant - not too pricey either.
We also headed over to Botswana to the Chobe game reserve - easy to do and only an hour and a half away. Border crossing very interesting! Saw lions, elephants, hippos and lots more besides.
How much you spend is up to you -but I promise you will spend more than you budget for as there is sooooooo much to do.
Beers are $3, a meal $10~15 but obviously can be bought for less, heli ride and micro-lite were $130pp each, boat rides $60, elephant riding $80, etc, etc.
I really wouldn't worry too much about taking too much money with you as there are ATMs everywhere.
I would perhaps suggest you take $500pp per week depending on how much you want to do..
I'm already saving to get back there in the dry season..
I was there a couple of years ago and can only add a couple of bits to the excellent advice above.
There is an ATM in your hotel so no worries there. I know because I went to use it, only to find I'd left my card back in my room Livingstone.
Trips are quite expensive (most day trips seemed to be around $100USD) but some are really unique and well worth doing if this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. We did walking with lions which was rather scary, but it was brilliant.
Be wary of the non-official taxis as you'll get plenty of people offering. The proper ones are blue and usually have at least one space-saver on
Also be wary of the baboons within the Falls NP. These aren't your Gibraltar monkeys; they're three times the size and have teeth as long as your fingers. They didn't seem interested generally but if they think you've got food you'll have their full attention.
We had a plastic bag over the camera to keep the rain off, and my wife momentarily moved it down to her side so it looked like a carrier bag. A big baboon was behind us, it grabbed the bag and sprinted off with her camera. I chased it and it thankfully dropped it just before the bridge (broke the lens).
Depending on how adventurous you're feeling, heading out to one of the local villages might be worth doing. There's one called Mukuni (I think) and there are tours there but if you want to get away from all the tourists, you can probably get somebody to show you round any of the local villages. We went up to a place called Mchenje where we were shown round by a fella who lived there. You have to throw in a few quid for the head of the village and we bought some of the guy's craft stuff but it was nothing really.
We went on the local bus (you can pick them up at the market) rather than getting a taxi and that was good fun too. It's an experience in itself
Oh, the museum is quite good too if you want to learn a bit about the country and Livingstone's adventures.
Finally, have a good time and give us some photos when you get back
There is an ATM in your hotel so no worries there. I know because I went to use it, only to find I'd left my card back in my room Livingstone.
Trips are quite expensive (most day trips seemed to be around $100USD) but some are really unique and well worth doing if this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. We did walking with lions which was rather scary, but it was brilliant.
Be wary of the non-official taxis as you'll get plenty of people offering. The proper ones are blue and usually have at least one space-saver on
Also be wary of the baboons within the Falls NP. These aren't your Gibraltar monkeys; they're three times the size and have teeth as long as your fingers. They didn't seem interested generally but if they think you've got food you'll have their full attention.
We had a plastic bag over the camera to keep the rain off, and my wife momentarily moved it down to her side so it looked like a carrier bag. A big baboon was behind us, it grabbed the bag and sprinted off with her camera. I chased it and it thankfully dropped it just before the bridge (broke the lens).
Depending on how adventurous you're feeling, heading out to one of the local villages might be worth doing. There's one called Mukuni (I think) and there are tours there but if you want to get away from all the tourists, you can probably get somebody to show you round any of the local villages. We went up to a place called Mchenje where we were shown round by a fella who lived there. You have to throw in a few quid for the head of the village and we bought some of the guy's craft stuff but it was nothing really.
We went on the local bus (you can pick them up at the market) rather than getting a taxi and that was good fun too. It's an experience in itself
Oh, the museum is quite good too if you want to learn a bit about the country and Livingstone's adventures.
Finally, have a good time and give us some photos when you get back
Trev, I did try and reply to your hotmail, but it kept bouncing back - if you want any more info, PM me again.
Some excellent advice above - I really would encourage you to try and get away from the guided tourist activities if you can, even for a short while. A visit to a village is a must - you will be surprised at just how tidy and well kept even the most basic of mud huts are.
The best night for me was when we took a taxi into Livingstone and stopped at some random pub - the Pub and Grill. Of course we were the only white faces in there but made to feel very welcome. Huge amount of ice cold Mosi beer, a band and singer, and a brilliant night/early morning!
On reflection, perhaps not wise to do it the night before flying out. Unfortunately we got to Livingstone 'airport' and joined the back of the queue which took an hour or so of shuffling in the hot sun just to get into the building - not great when you've got a touch of the morning-afters.... That was the BA/Comiair 737 flight to Jo'burg mind, so probably peak time.
Anyway, have a great trip and I'll leave you with a couple of shots from the RL.
Pool/Zambezi...
And there are lots of Monkeys (DO NOT leave your doors/windows open in either hotel as the monkeys will ransack your room - some even know how to open the mini-bar!), Zebra, and best of all, Giraffe wandering around the hotel grounds (it is built in a National Park) - so you can often leave your hotel room to immediately come across something like this....
Some excellent advice above - I really would encourage you to try and get away from the guided tourist activities if you can, even for a short while. A visit to a village is a must - you will be surprised at just how tidy and well kept even the most basic of mud huts are.
The best night for me was when we took a taxi into Livingstone and stopped at some random pub - the Pub and Grill. Of course we were the only white faces in there but made to feel very welcome. Huge amount of ice cold Mosi beer, a band and singer, and a brilliant night/early morning!
On reflection, perhaps not wise to do it the night before flying out. Unfortunately we got to Livingstone 'airport' and joined the back of the queue which took an hour or so of shuffling in the hot sun just to get into the building - not great when you've got a touch of the morning-afters.... That was the BA/Comiair 737 flight to Jo'burg mind, so probably peak time.
Anyway, have a great trip and I'll leave you with a couple of shots from the RL.
Pool/Zambezi...
And there are lots of Monkeys (DO NOT leave your doors/windows open in either hotel as the monkeys will ransack your room - some even know how to open the mini-bar!), Zebra, and best of all, Giraffe wandering around the hotel grounds (it is built in a National Park) - so you can often leave your hotel room to immediately come across something like this....
Andy and Kev
Thanks for the info you have both been very helpful.
You have given me some great ideas there, and to be honest it was my wifes idea to go to Zambia I was a bit apprehensive about it.
I am now looking forward to going! so thanks again and if there is anything else you can tell me please let me know.
Andy my email is ok now so sorry about it not working.
Cheers
Trev
Thanks for the info you have both been very helpful.
You have given me some great ideas there, and to be honest it was my wifes idea to go to Zambia I was a bit apprehensive about it.
I am now looking forward to going! so thanks again and if there is anything else you can tell me please let me know.
Andy my email is ok now so sorry about it not working.
Cheers
Trev
You really won't regret it, wonderful place, wonderful people and so many amazing sights. I've travelled a fair bit over the years and Livingstone is now up there in the top 1 or 2, for all sorts of reasons.
Have a great time, and as said above, don't forget to share your experiences and photos when you get back!
Have a great time, and as said above, don't forget to share your experiences and photos when you get back!
I went quite a few years ago. Pay in dollars for big touristy things and kwacha for smaller things. In Livingstone they will probably take SA Rand, Namibian dollars or Zimbabwean dollars if they are out of rizlas. I got a visa on arrival at the Tanzanian border, was $25 for most western nationalities, free if you are Irish or Australian, or $65 if you are British. The falls were good, I did the microlight at sunrise, which was a good start for the day.
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