Zambia

Zambia is where the real Africa begins. While its neighbours attract the headlines, Zambia quietly delivers some of the continent's most authentic and intimate wildlife experiences. The country invented the walking safari, and South Luangwa National Park remains the best place on Earth to do one, tracking leopards and elephants on foot with expert guides.

Victoria Falls is the star attraction, and the Zambian side offers a more up-close experience than the Zimbabwe side, you can stand on the very lip of the falls at the famous Devil's Pool during low water season. But the falls are just the beginning. The Lower Zambezi offers canoe safaris along one of Africa's great rivers, with elephants and hippos as your companions. Kafue National Park, one of Africa's largest, is wildly underrated, with the Busanga Plains delivering a Serengeti-like experience without the crowds.

Lake Kariba, the enormous man-made lake on the Zimbabwe border, is a world unto itself, sunset cruises, tiger fishing, and houseboat stays that feel a million miles from anywhere. Zambia rewards the traveller who wants depth over breadth, silence over spectacle, and the feeling of having a place to themselves.