SAFETY AND SECURITY IN ZAMBIA
Like travelling anywhere in the world, it pays to take common-sense approaches to your safety and not to take risks you wouldn’t take at home. The following will also you to visit more safely:
- Do not leave valuables like wallets, cameras, phones or passports out in the open like on bar counters, restaurant tables, cars or even hotel rooms.
- Carry them in a zip-up bag or money belt and lock them in the safe when not in use.
- Be aware of your surroundings when walking in the street as pickpockets could strike.
- Do not change money in the street.
- Don’t wander around at night without a guide.
- Lock up your car when you leave it.
- Don’t hitchhike.
- If in doubt, ask the staff at your accommodation if places are safe to visit and which routes you should take.
- Be aware of scams especially around ATMs.
In general, Zambians are friendly and helpful, and incidents are generally both rare and minor. If you take normal precautions, you should be safe.
SAFETY ON SAFARI
Take safety on safari seriously as you may be very far from medical assistance. In addition, light aircraft and helicopters can’t fly in certain conditions so your evacuation may be delayed in the event of an emergency – this makes it important to remain as safe as possible.
- Always listen to and obey your guide. Your safety is their priority.
- Never approach any wild animal no matter if they are small, wounded, old, cute or seemingly harmless. Any animal can inflict scratches or bites.
- Do not harass or try to get reactions out of wild animals. A stressed animal is a dangerous animal.
- Do not follow animals off-road or to their dens: they will defend their homes and their young.
- Do not imitate animals in an effort to attract them. You may get more than you bargained for.
- Do not get out of your vehicle. Breaking the outline alerts animals to your presence and puts them in fight-or-flight mode.
- Do not swim in rivers or dams unless you are expressly told that it is safe to do so. Water can contain submerged hippos and crocodiles as well as diseases like bilharzia.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Save the following numbers to your mobile phone and keep a list with your travel documents.