(Article by Zambia’s High Commission in Malaysia)
KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (NNN-Bernama) — In the last three years or so, the world has experienced one of the worst global health crises that saw the closure of borders and restrictions on travel. It is against this background that the average traveller is planning their next trip. They are most likely looking for a place where they not only feel physically protected, but also safe from a health point of view.
Zambia is such a place, a must-visit country, largely untapped and offering a blend of scenic beauty and a rich culture, promising a warm experience in a special brand of hospitality spanning over 73 ethnic groups living in harmony and peace.
This is a demonstration of cultural heritage in diversity like no other place on the planet. Located right in the centre of Southern Africa and shaped like a beautiful butterfly with wings spread on a bright African sky, Zambia stretches over 752,000-kilometre square, with a third of the country occupied by its 20 national parks and 36 game management areas.
The natural wild is like no other in Africa, offering untampered and unexploited authentic experiences of many options to give you best views including game drives, boat cruise safari, hot air balloon and walking safari in some selected areas.
The story of Zambia would not be complete if there was no mention of the mighty Victoria Falls – one of the seven natural wonders of the world spanning 1.7 kilometres wide as the world’s widest curtain of falling water plunging 105 metres on the Zambezi River, which river is the source of the country’s name.
Locally known as the Mosi-oa-Tunya to mean the smoke that thunders, the Victoria Falls is truly just that. One would have to conquer it in many and intimate ways including – but not limited to – walking on the knife edge bridge while experiencing the sprinkle of the thundering smoke, taking a swim in the Devil’s pool right at the edge of the Victoria Falls, for that edgy experience.
It is no wonder it was voted as one of the top 10 best natural pools in the world by Tripadvisor in 2014. There is much more to Zambia that makes it most attractive for visits, but also for investment, especially in the tourism sector.
The endowments are too numerous to mention, with over 40 per cent of Southern Africa’s fresh waters, boasting of over 1,800 animal species including the big five, over 470 bird species and host to the world’s largest mammalian migration of over 10 million bats in search of fruits in the Kasanka National Park.
If it is water bodies one seeks to experience or invest around, Zambia has the world’s largest man-made lake, over 200 waterfalls and rapids, with Lake Tanganyika as the world’s second largest fresh water lake by volume, second deepest fresh water lake and world’s longest fresh water lake.
The country enjoys other records including the world’s largest hippo population, Africa’s second largest Wildebeest migration, and close to 4,000 national heritage sites.
So, explore and experience the magnificence that is Zambia, a thrill-seeker’s paradise with many reasons to visit Zambia. Come, let’s explore.
— NNN-BERNAMA
