Flight +
nights stay in a
star hotel / double room, is
Note
These values represent only an estimate of costs for travels from New York, bought in
2014-08-05 with departure date in
2014-10-19 and return date in 2014-10-27 . These values refer the best quality and price according to parameters of selection set by Bananatrips. Prices may have changed since date of publication and will also depend on the specific date of reservation. The success in obtaining good prices is to make reservations in advance. For specific values in other dates please REQUEST A SEARCH BEFORE MAKING YOUR RESERVATION.
Lusaka, in Lusaka Province, is the capital of Zambia. It is a cosmopolitan city that is home to approximately one in ten Zambians.
Get in
By plane
Gone are the days when getting to Lusaka meant flying via Johannesburg. Emirates are offering low cost connections via its middle east base alongside a much expanded Ethiopian network. Also Air Namibia also now offer low cost connections from Cape Town via Windhoek.
Lusaka remains well-served by flights from Johannesburg, Cairo, Dubai, Nairobi, Lilongwe and Addis Ababa. Emirates connects Lusaka with Dubai several times a week since 2012. South African Airways fly to Lusaka from Johannesburg with multiple flights per day, EgyptAir from Cairo, Kenya Airways from Nairobi and Ethiopian Airlines from Addis fly daily. Besides, air viva offers flights from 9 domestic cities.
(NB: in Johannesburg the airlines have no control over baggage in transit and the airport's baggage concessionnaire is exempt from responsibility by contract, so lost and especially pilfered baggage can be an issue.)
Various other African airlines serve Lusaka. In December 1994, Zambia Airways went into liquidation, and Zambian Airways (former Mine Air Services) ceased operation in early 2009. Zambezi Airlines ceased operations in late 2011. Pro-Flight traditionally has specialized in serving tourist game lodges rather than trunk intercity flights, though this seems to be changing.
With effect from 15 July 2009, all Zambian airlines have been refused permission to operate services to the EU. This decision, by the EU Air Safety Committee, followed an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit of Zambia, which discovered significant shortcomings in the ability of the Zambian civil aviation authorities to ensure the safe operation of airlines licensed by them. The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommends against flying with any Zambian-based airline if a reasonable alternative exists.
International airlines that are represented in Lusaka include:
Air Angola - PO Box 37731, Lusaka; tel: 01 222401, 221684.
Air Botswana - c/o Steve Blaus Travel, Nkwazi Road, PO Box 31530, Lusaka; tel: 01 227739/40, 227285.
Air France - c/o Steve Blaus Travel, Nkwazi Road, PO Box 31530, Lusaka; tel: 01 227739/40, 227285.
Air India - 1st Floor, Shop 4, Findeco House, Cairo Road, PO Box 34471, Lusaka; tel: 01 223128, 226349.
Air Malawi - ZNIB House, Dedan Kimathi Road, PO Box 36384, Lusaka; tel: 01 228120.
Air Tanzania - 5300 Pandit Nehru Road, PO Box 32635, Lusaka; tel: 01 251189, 252499.
Air Zimbabwe - Kariba House, 32 Chachacha Road, PO Box 35191, Lusaka; tel: 01 225431, 221750.
British Airways - Southern Sun (ex Holiday Inn), PO Box 32006, Lusaka; tel: 01 254444, 255320, 254482.
Emirates -
Kenya Airways/KLM - Church Road, PO Box 31856, Lusaka; tel: 01 228908/886.
South African Airways - Room 242, Hotel InterContinental; tel: 01 254350. Airport tel: 01 271101. Open M-F 08.30-16.30, Sat 09.00-11.00.
For domestic flights, there are various airlines, indluding Airwaves, Avocet Air Charters, Stabo Air Charters, Staravia and Ngwazi Air Charters.
Lusaka International Airport (LUN) is well-signposted and is situated 25km from the centre, off Great East Road. There is no public transportation at the airport, and a taxi to/from downtown costs K150,000. Going to the airport, however, it is possible to take a minibus (K4,000, 30min with stops) from along Great East Road to the taxi rank on Palm Road in Chelston. Ask to get off at the "(Water) Tank". From there, it is possible to negotiate a taxi fare to the airport for around K50,000 (15min).
By road
Since it is the commercial center and governmental seat of Zambia, all the arterial roads lead to Lusaka. Buses run between Livingstone and Kitwe. Operators of this route regularly change, so ask locally before you travel. Currently, Mazhandu is the most reliable option.
Buses For buses within Zambia, to and from Lusaka, Mazhandu Family Bus Service is widely considered to be the best, most reliable line, by both locals and expatriates. Buses leave from Inter-City terminal, near downtown Lusaka. Prices may be slightly higher than the competitors, but they always run true to schedule, have a large fleet of buses with extras to be called into service in case of a break down, make stops at well-lit areas with decent bathrooms, tag your bags for you, and have courteous bus attendants. The owner is almost always around, making sure everything goes smoothly.
There are 7 buses a day between Lusaka and Livingstone, including the overnight bus. Several buses are "business class" with wider seats and greater legroom for Kwacha 10,000 more.
InterCape, one of the main long distance bus operators in South Africa, now offers services from Johannesburg Park Station to Zambia via Zimbabwe. Stops in Zambia include Livingstone, Choma, Monze, Lusaka, Kabwe, Ndola, Kitwe and Kasumbalesa. It is a long journey, however the coaches are very comfortable and their safety record is excellent. www.intercape.co.za
Kob's Coach runs two buses a week from Lilongwe in Malawi to Lusaka, leaving their office in Lilongwe's Old Town Tu/F 06:00. On other days, one must first take a minibus to the border town of Mchinji (2-3hr, 1,700 MWK), a shared taxi to the border (30min, 500 MWK), another taxi to Chipata, and then a bus to Lusaka. Buses leave Chipata for Lusaka at 05:00, 05:30, 08:00, 10:00 and 14:00 (8hr, K130). It is hence possible, albeit tight, to make it from Lilongwe to Lusaka in a day, with much dependent on how long each shared vehicle takes to fill up.
By train
Few travellers use Zambia's ordinary trains for transport, but if you have a lot of patience, try them. Lines link Lusaka with Livingstone and the Copperbelt in the north. Express trains to Livingstone leave at 19.30 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and take about 12 hours. Slower trains, which stop even more frequently, leave every morning.
Get around
Minibuses are ubiquitous, cheap, and fast. For under a dollar (K3,500), you can get almost anywhere in the city. Going in to town is pretty easy (that is the destination of most minibuses heading in that direction). Going away from town its best to ask the driver where he's going. Bus routes are not posted, and a novice may get lost. Do not be afraid to ask a conductor where he's headed. 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, K20,000 for a short ride is a fair tourist price. (Tip: 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 airport.
Walking is an option as distances are not that large, and there are a fair number of street names to help orientate yourself. However walking at night does have its hazards - manhole covers are not Lusaka's strong point and there are many uncovered drains that could swallow you whole, hence a torch is a good idea - and drivers seem allergic to moving over for pedestrians walking on the road - so best to stick to the dirt paths at the side of the roads (these are more common than pavements / sidewalks).
