Lusaka

Get around

Minibuses are ubiquitous, cheap, and, if already full, fast. Single rides generally cost (about US$0.50). Most routes head to/from the 4 major bus stations in the city centre (referred to collectively as "town"), although there are a small number of alternative routes or short-cut routes, especially during the rush hours. A rider can get just about anywhere in the city with one connection in town. Going in to town is quite straightforward. Going away from town it's best to ask the driver where he's going. Routes and destinations are not posted on the vehicles themselves, but if a bus is taking on passengers the conductor will likely be shouting the destination through the window. Minibuses do run into the evenings, but become decreasingly frequent at the evening wears on.

For the uninitiated, then, a taxi might be a better option, at least initially. Taxis come in two colours - sky blue, and a light grey, and are usually Toyota Corollas. There are no meters in Zambia's taxis, so prices are somewhat negotiable but always on the high side for Africa. Be sure to set a price before getting in the cab, US$2 for a short ride is a fair tourist price. (Ask at a hotel lobby how much your trip should cost. If the cab driver states a higher price, mention that you're happy to ride a mini-bus. Watch the price drop. )

Take down a taxi driver's mobile number, most will be happy to do an all day deal, wait for you while you explore, pick you up early or late and take you to and from the a…

Do

Explore the city with its diverse suburbs and informal settlements. Take a map and explore the city's markets, its second class shopping area and many other nooks. The only precautions recommended would be to leave your valuables at your hotel and take only the cash needed for the day as would apply in any major city. Parray's Game Ranch is 21 km from the town centre. Available are game drives, swimming and a playground. There you can see Zebra, Kudu and other herbivores Chaminuka Lodge Located near the airport, amazing lodge and facilities. The privately owned park is home to a range of antelopes, a family of elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions and hyenas.

Buy

FNB, Ecobank, Stanbic Bank, and Access Bank-Atlasmara Bank have 24-hour Visa and Mastercard ATMs around Lusaka.

Dutch Reformed Church Market. Held on the last Saturday of each month and has been going for several years. There you can buy an assortment of curios, books, food and art. A special feature is the large number of goods available from other countries such as Congo and Zimbabwe. You can have a light Indian or Chinese meal while children have their faces painted. Look for stand selling products made from recycled glass bottles and handicrafts made by people with disabilities. Lusaka City Market is probably the nicest market in town if you are looking for an 'African' market experience - its just east of the main downtown area. The 'Town Centre' market is pretty grim and has lots of traffic clogging up the streets. MP3 CDs. Lusaka, strategically located next to several countries with a strong musical heritage (Congo, Zimbabwe) is a great place for adding to your African music collection. In the indoor bit of Lusaka City Market there are several places that will burn MP3s or transfer gigabytes of music to your flashdisk or phone for about K10,000.

EastPark Mall. One of the best malls in Lusaka. It has many top names for fashion and grocery shopping. Great bars and restaurants along with banks, ATMs and money changing outlet. Plenty of secure parking. It's an all weather friendly place with lots going on - a real one stop shop mall.

Eat

Whilst not a gourmet destination there is some good eating to be had in Lusaka. The gradual shopping mall-isation of the city sadly means that uninspiring South African chain restaurants are multiplying - but there is still a good selection of independent places scattered around. Lusaka seems to specialise in Indian cuisine. Chindo Road is the closest thing that Lusaka has to a restaurant strip.

Drink

Lusaka has many Western-styled bars (e.g., Brown's, mainly used by tourists, and ex-pats). Zambians love to drink; there are, therefore, a number of bars frequented by locals, as well. Unfortunately, these change often. Rhapsody's open late Chez Ntemba* has several branches, plays Rumba and African rhythms until the last person leaves Majestic Casino has an excellent bar, casino complete with blackjack and roulette tables and slot machines Johnny's Chinese is centrally located The Polo Grill has outdoor seating overlooking the Lusaka Polo Club also has a small casino Northmead Shopping Centre has an array of clubs and bars including some open 24 hours a day the infamous alpha bar should be tested by all travellers.

Stay safe

thumb|400px|Lusaka at night Lusaka seems to have obtained a bad reputation for being a city plagued by crime, but in reality, this is exaggerated — other African cities such as Nairobi, Johannesburg and Lagos are much more risky. However, travellers should appreciate that walking around the city at night is foolish and that you will become a target for pickpockets if you make your valuables visible. HIV/AIDS is endemic here, so if you have sex while visiting Lusaka, make sure to use a condom and take other appropriate precautions.

Go next

Of course, there are game parks (like South Luangwa National Park), scattered throughout Zambia, and many Lusakans visit them on the weekends. Heading to Livingstone for a few days is also a popular choice.

Siavonga is on Lake Kariba about 2½ hours away from Lusaka Protea Lodge Just outside Lusaka, it provides a great place to stay, game drives, a swimming pool, and lions.