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November 2007 Travel Zambia When is the best time to go on safari? Conventional wisdom has it that Zambia’s safari season stops when the rains start. Forget the rains, advise some guidebooks: the roads become impassable and the wildlife vanishes behind a wall of greenery. Well, it’s true that some parts of the country become inaccessible to drivers. But who needs wheels when you’ve got a boat? And as for wildlife – the rains bring new life to the bush, filling it with sights and sounds that no dry season safari ever experiences. Our second edition of Travel Zambia goes to press just as the first rains are falling across the country. So when better to take a good long look at what the ‘green season’ has to offer? Join Anna Devereux Baker in our cover feature (p24) as she journeys into the heart of the rain-drenched Luangwa Valley to discover just what we’re all missing. Elsewhere in the magazine we explore destinations that receive few visitors, whatever the season. Destinations such as the remote Mafinga mountains of Zambia’s northwest frontier (p36), where the Luangwa river has its hidden source, and the vast wilderness of Kafue, where opening a new safari lodge brings unexpected challenges – as Huw Williams discovers (p42). But Zambia’s appeal is about more than just its wild places; all too often the country’s rich history and heritage don’t get a look in. Jake da Motta opens a window onto the world of contemporary Zambian art (p40), as he explores an unusual and very personal collection, and we talk to Professor Larry Barham (p32), who has dug deeper into Zambia’s past than any before him, to discover the importance of understanding our own prehistory. Other voices talking to Travel Zambia in this edition include a child prodigy, a Zambezi conservationist and the world’s greatest living explorer. All this, plus a stunning portfolio from a major new photographic exhibition, the very latest news about people and places around the country, and our hot travel tips and updates – including practical advice for visitors who’d like to give something back. Happy reading! Green gold Mike Unwin, Editor mike@travelafricamag.com TRAVEL ZAMBIA magazine is published by Travel Africa Ltd This edition, Issue 2, was published on November 12, 2007 Travel Africa Ltd 4 Rycote Lane Farm, Milton Common Oxford, OX9 2NZ United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1844 278883 Fax: +44 (0)1844 278893 Email: zambia@travelafricamag.com www.travelzambiamag.com www.travelafricamag.com Publisher Craig Rix craig@travelafricamag.com Editor Mike Unwin mike@travelafricamag.com Managing Director Iain Wallace Designer Dean Ryan Sales Manager Dave Southwood dave@travelafricamag.com Consultant Nigel Foster Customer Services Sherry Rix zambia@travelafricamag.com Subscriptions For full details please email zambia@travelafricamag.com Accounts Zena Hancy accounts@travelafricamag.com Contributors Larry Barham, John Coppinger, Grant Cumings, Jake da Motta, Anna Devereux Baker, Justin Gosling, Richard Grant, Tricia Hayne, Tim Henshall, Thandiwe Mweetwa, Stephen Robinson and Huw Williams Editorial Enquiries While we welcome editorial contributions, we accept no responsibility for unsolicited proposals and submissions. Please make all editorial-related enquiries by post, including a stamped, self-addressed envelope should you want material returned. Acknowledgements Travel Zambia was conceived from discussions with Jo Pope and Nick Aslin, who have helped to turn the concept into reality. We are also grateful for the assistance of Charity Chanda Lumpa and Donald Pelekamoyo of the Zambia National Tourist Board, and the support of Nigel Foster, whose publication Selling Zambia has been merged with Travel Zambia. Editorial Travel Zambia is distributed free of charge from tourist offices, many tour operators, camps, lodges, hotels, airlines and car rental companies across Zambia and around the world. To receive future copies via subscription, email zambia@travelafricamag.com. TAKE ME HOME AND SHARE ME WITH YOUR FRIENDS! Edition one: what our readers said I read the first edition from cover to cover on a flight from Lusaka to Dar es Salaam...and LOVED it! Janelle Doria, Arusha I have to say that, with all the maps, internet and books that I have read, your magazine just doubled my knowledge of the country and opportunities available. Rob Lowson, Pretoria Greetings from the Valley! We’ve just received edition one of Travel Zambia and have to congratulate you, it’s fantastic! Steve and Anna Tolan, Mfuwe Cover photograph: Tony Heald/naturepl.com