Victoria Falls. One of the world's great natural spectacles, and Zambia's most famous attraction. The Zambian side offers closer, more intimate viewpoints than the Zimbabwean side, with a network of paths through rain forest right along the gorge. At low water (September to October), you can swim in Devil's Pool, a natural rock pool perched on the very edge of the 108-meter drop. At high water (March to April), the falls produce a wall of spray that drenches everything within a kilometer. Livingstone is the base for visiting.
South Luangwa National Park. The birthplace of the walking safari and one of Africa's finest wildlife destinations. The Luangwa River draws enormous concentrations of hippo, crocodile, elephant, and buffalo to its banks, while the surrounding woodland is leopard country -- South Luangwa has one of the highest leopard densities on the continent. Walking safaris, pioneered here in the 1950s by Norman Carr, let you experience the bush on foot with armed guides. Night drives are permitted, revealing a whole different cast of characters.
Lower Zambezi National Park. A stunning park along the Zambezi River, opposite Zimbabwe's Mana Pools. The combination of river and bush makes for wonderfully varied activities -- canoe safaris past elephant herds drinking at the water's edge, fishing for tiger fish, and game drives through riverine forest. It feels exclusive and uncrowded because access is limited and lodges are small.
Kafue National Park. Zambia's largest park and one of Africa's biggest, covering 22,400 square kilometers of varied terrain from Kalahari sand forest to grassy floodplains. Kafue is wild and uncrowded, with excellent predator sightings including cheetah, wild dog, and lion. The Busanga Plains in the north are spectacular from July to October, when large herds of lechwe and puku attract the big cats. This is off-the-beaten-track Zambia at its best.
Lake Kariba. The vast reservoir on the Zambezi, shared with Zimbabwe, is a destination in its own right. Houseboating on Kariba is a quintessentially Zambian experience -- drifting past drowned trees silhouetted against fiery sunsets, fishing for bream, and watching elephant come down to drink. Siavonga is the main access town on the Zambian shore.
Shiwa Ng'andu. One of Africa's most improbable buildings -- a full-scale English country manor house in the remote bush of northern Zambia, built in the 1920s by the eccentric Sir Stewart Gore-Browne. The estate is still lived in by his descendants and can be visited. The surrounding area is beautiful, wild, and completely off the tourist trail.
Bangweulu Wetlands. A vast swamp system in the north, best known as one of the most reliable places in Africa to see the prehistoric-looking shoebill stork. The wetlands are remote, hard to reach, and magical if you make the effort. Best visited in the wet season when the shoebills are breeding.