Young Elephant chasing away a lion! Captured by Journey to Africa Guest and Photographer, Alex Fine

August 12th is World Elephant Day.
Elephants are very special to me. They’re wise, social, playful, sometimes a little mischievous, and always utterly spellbinding. Every Safari I design is a chance to help guests connect with elephants in fresh, memorable ways – and each story and encounter shared with me leaves a mark on my heart.

Today, I want to do more than share facts. I want to bring you into the moments: the sights, sounds, and even late-night rumblings that define what it’s like to meet elephants in the wild. And, as always, I can’t resist weaving in stories from dear guests and the special places where these encounters unfold.

Fascinating facts about African elephants

No two Safari days are the same, but elephants make sure every day is extraordinary. They’re full of surprises – here are some that never fail to amaze me (and my guests, too!):

Did you know elephants can “speak” without a sound? Using deep rumbles and even seismic vibrations through the earth, they can send messages over distances of around six miles.
Elephants literally shape the regions they live in! Their powerful trunks dig for water, creating life-saving wells in the dry season. They also knock down trees and spread seeds in their dung, keeping the whole ecosystem humming.
Elephants grieve. They linger by the body, cover it with leaves, and seem to mourn together. Our guests Talia and James witnessed a herd gently touching the bones of a fallen matriarch.
If you watch closely, you’ll notice those trunks have two finger-like tips – way more dexterous than we imagine!
Each elephant’s tusks are as unique as fingerprints. Researchers use them to identify individuals.
Ever seen an elephant use its trunk as a snorkel while swimming across a river? Or watched them slap their giant ears to stay cool? Africa is hot, but elephants know how to beat the heat with a good mud bath and an ear-fanning session.
Not all African elephants are the same! Forest elephants, now considered a separate species, are shy, smaller, and built for dense rainforests. When you see them as I did in Republic of the the Congo, you cherish the moment. They’re rare and absolutely captivating.

Guest encounters to get you excited for your own Safari

Young Elephant up close captured by Journey to Africa guests, Gary and Karen Simmons

Captured by Journey to Africa Guests, Joshua and Terri Galvan

Safari isn’t just my story; it’s yours, too. Ken and Nan went on an epic journey across East Africa. Their tales say it all:

“We woke to an elephant eating leaves just five feet from our heads – felt his movement through the canvas! Another day we watched a line of elephants marching across the Amboseli flats towards water, so close you could hear their feet crunch on the dust.”

— Journey to Africa Guests, Ken & Nan

From sharing bush breakfasts to listening to thunderous midnight footsteps, every day was filled with elephants, laughter, and wonder.

Then there’s George – photographer, adventurer, and forever a city boy at heart. In Ngorongoro Crater, he watched an old bull elephant meander to within 12 feet of his group, calmly dust-bathing and unperturbed by their presence. Later, he arrived at a camp just as staff finished clearing up after a family of elephants had wandered straight through the kitchen tent the night before! That’s the thing about elephants: they’re always writing their own story, and if you’re lucky, you get to be a part of it.

And I’ll never forget listening to Angela’s tales, who brought her crew of energetic kids to Tanzania. The whole family still laughs about the day a sassy female elephant decided to scratch her behind on a mud pile right in front of them. And when they came across the biggest group of dung beetles their guide John had ever seen, he slammed the brakes, jumped out of the truck, and was off inspecting before anyone else could even unbuckle. A testament to the fact that there’s excitement in spotting ALL creatures on Safari – great and small.

No matter where your Safari takes you, seeing elephants – and wildlife in general – is a privilege and a reminder: true Africa is raw, surprising, and beautiful in ways words can rarely capture.

If you’re dreaming of an elephant encounter, you’re not alone. I fell in love the first time I saw a herd rumbling through the dust, and that feeling has never left me.

Ready to meet them yourself? I’d love nothing more than to help you experience the magic of being in the presence of elephants. Reach out, share your dream. Let’s plan a Safari you’ll never “recover” from (just ask Ken and Nan!).

Captured by Journey to Africa guests, Natalie and Vipul Engineer

To elephants… and to all those who adore them. Happy World Elephant Day!

Join the Herd and learn more about our safaris

Zambia, you blew me away.

When I visited Zambia for the first time, it surprised me in the best possible way. From the moment I landed in Lusaka and was met with warm smiles and genuine hospitality, I knew this trip was going to be something different.

Zambia doesn't shout. It doesn't need to. It just quietly delivers some of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters, most authentic Safari experiences, and most underrated landscapes on the entire continent. If you've been on Safari before and you're wondering where next — or if you're planning your first and want somewhere that feels genuinely wild — Zambia should be at the top of your list.

Here is everything you need to know when considering Zambia for your Safari and some reasons it should be top of your Safari list!

The wildlife is next level

Let me tell you about some of the moments that stopped me in my tracks.

In South Luangwa, I watched a pack of wild dogs cooling off after a hunt — utterly unbothered, completely relaxed, just living their lives. Later, in the Lower Zambezi, the same pack gave chase to an impala across open ground. The speed, the coordination, the sheer wildness of it.
A leopard sighting one morning had me abandoning my planned walking Safari without hesitation. My guide Sandy from Sungani Lodge spotted her in the golden morning light, draped across a branch with that perfect, liquid leopard indifference. I don't regret the decision for a second.
The elephants were everywhere — and not just in numbers. I got to watch them properly. Mothers with tiny calves navigating riverbanks. Teenagers jostling and testing each other. An old bull moving alone through the mopane. When you spend time quietly with elephants, you see things you'd miss on a rushed game drive. Elephants, all day, any day.
Lions were a constant. A sibling pair playing with sticks — one enthusiastic, the other emphatically not interested. A cheeky lion cub attempting to steal from his father's kill, trying with extraordinary patience while Dad refused to budge, and Mum eventually running over to sort out the family drama. Wildlife doesn't get more entertaining than that.
And then there were the white rhinos. My guide and I were transferring through Mosi-O-Tunya when something large caught my eye at a distance. I called hippo. He called elephant. We were both wrong — and both got goosebumps when we realized we were looking at two white rhinos. Neither of us could stop talking about it for the rest of the journey.
The carmine bee-eaters were an unexpected highlight too — arriving at the riverbanks to nest, a flash of colour and movement that birders travel specifically to see. They are utterly beautiful and if you think you aren’t into birds, you might just find yourself enchanted by the birdlife and leaving Zambia a step closer to being a true birder!

South Luangwa National Park — the home of the walking Safari

South Luangwa is where the walking Safari was born, and it remains one of the best places in Africa to experience it. There's something fundamentally different about being on foot in the bush — the sounds sharpen, the smells intensify, and the relationship between you and the landscape changes entirely. You notice things from a vehicle that you'd never see on foot, and vice versa.

The park itself is extraordinary: dense mopane woodland giving way to open floodplains along the Luangwa River, oxbow lagoons teeming with hippos and crocodiles, and a concentration of leopard that is among the highest in Africa. It's a place where every game drive feels different from the last.

Puku Ridge Camp was one of our favourites on the South Luangwa circuit — beautifully positioned, exceptional guiding, and the kind of intimate camp experience that makes a Zambia Safari feel genuinely personal.

Sungani Lodge delivered some of the best guiding of the entire trip. Sandy, our guide there, had the kind of knowledge and instinct that you only develop from years in the bush — and that leopard moment was his doing entirely.

Best time for South Luangwa: The dry season (May to October) is peak season — the bush thins out, wildlife concentrates around the river, and game viewing is exceptional. The green season (November to April) brings lush landscapes, baby animals, and the carmine bee-eaters — and rates are lower.

Lower Zambezi National Park — river Safaris and extraordinary game

Where South Luangwa feels intimate and wooded, the Lower Zambezi opens up. The Zambezi River forms a natural boundary with Zimbabwe, and the combination of land game drives and river-based activities — boat Safaris, canoe trips, fishing — makes for one of the most varied Safari experiences anywhere in Africa.

Canoe Safaris on the Zambezi are something special. Drifting past elephants drinking on the bank, hippos submerged to their eyes, fish eagles overhead — the river gives you a completely different perspective on the wildlife, and there's a quiet thrill to being that close to the water and everything in it.

The wild dog sighting I mentioned — the impala chase — happened here. The Lower Zambezi delivers.

Best time for Lower Zambezi: May to October. The camp access roads can be impassable in the wet season, and the river experience is best when water levels are lower (August to October for canoe Safaris).

Victoria Falls or Mosi-O-Tunya‘The Smoke that Thunders’

No Zambia Safari feels complete without Victoria Falls. The Zambians call it Mosi-O-Tunya — the smoke that thunders — and the moment you hear it before you see it, you understand why.

The falls are extraordinary from every angle: from the walking paths through the rainforest, from a helicopter, from the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe. But the most unforgettable way to experience them — if you have the nerve — is from Livingstone Island and the Devil's Pool.

I am afraid of heights. My intention, genuinely, was to watch and observe for the benefit of everyone reading this. The guides had other plans!

Livingstone Island sits right at the edge of the falls, and the Devil's Pool is a natural rock pool that forms in the dry season (roughly August to January) where you can swim to the very lip of the falls and peer over the edge. Nothing but a slippery rock between you and one of the most dramatic drops on earth. The guide's encouragement was, I have to say, extremely persuasive. I took the plunge — literally, into cold water — and it was one of the most exhilarating, terrifying, laugh-or-cry moments of my life.

The breakfast served on Livingstone Island afterwards, looking out over the falls, was one of the best meals I've had anywhere.

Important: Devil's Pool is only accessible during low water season (roughly August to January). During high water (February to July), the island itself and the pool are inaccessible. If this is on your list, time your trip accordingly.

Latitude 15 in Lusaka is a fantastic first night — a beautifully decorated boutique hotel that lets you decompress after the long journey before heading into the bush. It sets exactly the right tone for what's to come.

How to combine Zambia with neighbouring countries

Zambia sits in a wonderfully central position for combining countries. Victoria Falls connects naturally to Zimbabwe (Matetsi River Lodge is exceptional on the Zimbabwe side) and Botswana's Chobe National Park is just a short transfer away and possible for a day trip. Many guests combine Zambia with Botswana for a Southern Africa Safari that covers extraordinary variety without too much travel.

For guests coming from East Africa, Zambia pairs well with Tanzania — a Southern Africa extension after a Serengeti and Ngorongoro itinerary is something we're increasingly putting together.

Practical notes for planning

Getting there: Most international guests fly into Lusaka or Livingstone via Johannesburg. Internal flights connect to both South Luangwa (Mfuwe Airport) and Lower Zambezi.

How long to go for: We recommend a minimum of seven nights to cover South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi properly, with a night or two at Victoria Falls. Ten nights gives you room to breathe.

Walking Safaris: If you want to include walking Safaris — and we strongly recommend you do — let us know upfront so we can book the right camps and guides. Not all camps offer walks, and the best walking guides need to be requested specifically.

What to expect from Zambian hospitality: The warmth of the people in Zambia blew me away. From the team at Latitude 15 to Sandy at Sungani and the guides throughout, Zambia has a quality of hospitality that is hard to define but impossible to miss. Beyond the wildlife and stunning lodges, it made the trip. The lodge teams, guides, rangers, and everyone in between are the heart beat of the Safari world and we hope you leave Zambia feeling connected to the people who call it home.

Ready to start planning your Zambia Safari?

Zambia surprised me. I suspect it will surprise you too. If you're ready to start thinking about it — or even just curious — get in touch. We'd love to help you put something together.

Start planning your Zambia Safari

Mefi

let's plan your Zambia safari

World Elephant Day: A love letter to Africa's Giants