At least part of the reason we chose Zambia was the allure of the “walking safari.” Most say that walking safaris started in South Luangwa and now the concept is spreading across Africa.

We found that walking was a great way to learn about the smaller things. We generally saw a bit less, but we learned more. It is definitely a thrill to negotiate a terrain full of elephants and other game all jostling for space.

And, the reality of self drive is that there is very little exercise. You get in the car in the morning and drive for hours on end. Some safari camps have associated campgrounds and often campers can choose meals and activities a la carte.

The guide is important: At one camp we had a great guide who was eager to give and let us sop in information. We left the camp early and stayed out for about three and a half hours. At another camp the guide was shall we say – less engaged and spent most of his time speaking local language with the ZAWA scout. And we always returned early.