Originally the home of Chief Lusaka, the village expanded rapidly when the British South African Company’s railway line arrived here in 1905. European settlers moved in and by 1935 it was made the capital of North Rhodesia thanks to its central position on the railway line and its location on the intersection of the Great North and Great East Road. It’s become a popular town for Zambians to live in and is one of the fastest-growing cities in southern Africa and by far the largest city in Zambia.

The Lusaka National Museum displays exhibits on cultural history, depicting the development of Zambia, from archaeological development to modern contemporary art. The Political Museum (at Mulungushi International Conference Centre) displays exhibits on the country’s struggle for freedom, while the Zintu Community Museum exhibits arts and crafts from all over Zambia. Chilenje House 394 was the home of Kenneth Kaunda, the first Zambian president (60 - 62) after independence. It’s been restored to its original condition and is a national museum.

The Kabwata Cultural Village is the remains of the rondavels built by the colonial government to house the men of the black labour force, while their families remained behind in the rural areas. Today it’s a cultural centre where local artists live and sell their art. It has the best priced souvenirs in Lusaka and is more affordable than buying in Livingstone. While you are here, try the Tigwilizane Restaurant which serves authentic traditional Zambian fare such as village chicken*, dried kapenta or mopane worms, accompanied by vegetables such as cassava or sweet potato leaves, okra or dried amaranthus (to name but a few options!). If you’re lucky, you may see some cultural dancers perform, but this happens rather sporadically, typically on Saturdays.

Kalimba Reptile park is home to crocodiles, snakes, tortoises and chameleons, plus the rare slender-nosed crocodile which is found mainly in the DRC. The park is about 20 km northwest of Lusaka.

Established in 2015, the Lusaka National Park is situated approximately 15 km southwest of Lusaka and is Zambia’s smallest national park. Species introduced into the park include black lechwe, puku, eland, giraffe, gnu, zebra and sable. More than 70 different bird species have made this small park their home, and their numbers are growing as the area recovers from deforestation.

Located to the north of Lusaka, Chaminuka Nature Reserve offers activities such as walking safaris, fishing, game drives and a buffet lunch - day visitors welcome!

Munda Wanga Environmental Park is somewhat out of town, but it has a small zoo and beautiful botanical gardens well worth a visit, while the Lilayi Private Game Reserve’s Elephant Orphanage Project rescues and rehabilitates orphaned elephants before reintroducing them into the wild. The Orphanage features in the 2019 Netflix movie, Holiday in the Wild.

ACCOMMODATION:
Good camping is offered at Eureka Camping Park, 12 km south of town in Lilayi, or at Fringilla Farm Campsite, 50 km north of town. Fringilla sells fresh meat (try their boerewors) and eggs; and, besides camping, there are basic chalets which will suffice for a late night arrival. Campers at Fringilla are welcome to enjoy meals in the restaurant. Near the city centre you’ll find Wanderers Lodge which also has camping facilities. Pioneer Camp, east of the city, is conveniently located for travellers who’re coming from the airport and heading eastwards.

BYPASSING or TRANSITING THE CITY:
There are no ring roads around Lusaka so all traffic has to pass through town which makes for absolute chaos from early morning to early evening. If you’re simply travelling through town and not stopping to restock, avoid the chaotic traffic by planning your journey through Lusaka before 07h00. We have indicated bypass routes on the Lusaka map, these are also shown on our GPS maps.

TIP! Your GPS will typically favour routes via the city center but if you’re due to arrive in Lusaka in the week, during morning or afternoon traffic, it’s best to use the bypass routes mentioned above. This will require the use of your GPS as these routes are not obvious. During the weekend, it’s okay to transit via the city.

EMERGENCY SERVICES:
Speciality emergency services are available, which specialize in air medical evacuations - try Tel : +260(0)21 127 3302.
There is a Embassy for the SA.

Visitors to Zambia are advised to have their own personal travel insurance. Local police, hospitals, clinics etc. cannot be relied upon.
Please note that any emergency numbers indicated on our data will be for the local police, hospital, clinic etc. and most of the times, don't work. Many tourism sites show the numbers like 999 for police, they often don’t work.

If you have a medical problem when in Zambia, Specialty Emergency Services has a Call Centre (24 hours). Phone them on 737. This company has offices in Livingstone, Lusaka and Kitwe. But they will fly anywhere to assist if visitors have the right insurance. If you want to check your insurance, contact SES on [email protected]. (http://ses-zambia.com/).

SHOPS & SERVICES:
A large, busy city of more than 2 million people, Lusaka has several modern shopping malls, grocery stores, large colourful and vibrant local markets, fuel stations, banks and accommodation. To experience the local culture, a visit to one of the markets is a must. Lusaka City Market and the Soweto Market are both large markets which sell fresh produce and anything else you may require. The Sunday Craft Market at Arcades Shopping Centre and the Northmead market sell a large variety of arts and crafts. If you’re looking for a brightly-coloured blanket or local colourful chitenge (sarong) at a good price, the Comesa Market is where you want to be. Jackal & Hide is an upmarket curio shop which sells bags and jewelry which are constructed from African materials such as wood, beads, cow horn and brightly-coloured fabric manufactured by Tribal Textiles from Mfuwe.

TOW-INS:
Tow in services to try to contact is Macfarlanes Truck and Car Ltd (+260(0)96 640 1676) and Ixani Vehicle Recovery Service (IVRS) Ltd (+27(0)97 473 7848).
Others based in Lusaka to try is:
Baldys Mechanical Services (+260(0)96 676 1647),
Jonathan Towing (+260(0)97 756 2343),
Thomas Tembo Towing (+260(0)97 7483 306),
Top Power Towing (+260(0)97 774 3830).

TYRE DEALER:
Autoworld is one of the places that supplies tyres.

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