Zambia is an up-and-coming African safari destination we’ve been watching closely. Located in south-central Africa (as opposed to The Gambia, in western Africa), Zambia has diverse and wild landscapes, great accommodations in tranquil locations, and amazing wildlife phenomena.
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Birds can add an amazing dimension to any African safari and one of various spectacles here is the annual nesting of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters along the Luangwa River in South Luangwa National Park. Each year during the dry season, thousands of these colony-nesting birds create and attend to burrows in vertical riverbanks, where they raise the next generation of bee-eaters ahead of the next rainy season.
![Southern Carmine Bee-eater South Luangwa Zambia](/resources/images/news_articles/uploads/Southern_Carmine_Bee_eater_South_Luangwa_Zambia.jpg)
A specially placed blind can be set up beside a river bank to blend in beside an active bee-eater colony, allowing us to view these spectacular birds passing literally in front of us during their comings-and-goings without disturbing them. We can see many of the world’s 28 gorgeous bee-eater species throughout Africa and Asia (plus one in Europe!) but I would say that the Southern Carmine Bee-eater is among the most striking. Its heart-stopping beauty is complemented by its chattering notes as the birds sally back-and-forth from their nest cavities, in which each pair typically raises 2-5 young. The best time to visit Zambia to view this amazing sight is from September through mid-November.
A Zambia trip makes a great extension to our South Africa tour, or book this experience as part of a private Zambia tour. Please e-mail me to find out more!