For most travellers Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city and commercial hub, serves mostly as a gateway to all the thrilling safari experiences the country has to offer. While this is true, it’s certainly not all this sprawling African metropolis has to offer. Lusaka is a lively urban epicentre, and its dusty streets and battered modernist-style buildings are buzzing with activity.
The city’s noisy markets – from street food and salons to fruit-sellers and fishmongers – are the main attraction. If you’re not solely stopping over in Lusaka for business, be sure to head over to the markets in search of the ‘salaula’ (informal stalls that sell second-hand clothes from the US and Europe at knock-off prices). The hustle and bustle continues into the night when Lusaka lights up with restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.
Getting to the city centre or any of the outlying suburbs is easy. Kenneth Kaunda International Airport is only about 30 minutes from the centre of Lusaka and is well served by flights from Dubai, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Windhoek, Harare, Gaborone, and more. Plus: the city’s central location in the heart of the country means getting to safaris at surrounding national parks is a cinch.
Highlights
