13-Day Zambia Cycling Tour from Lusaka to Livingstone with Culture

• Phase 1: The first day of cycling the 25.4 km distance is meant to jump-start your fitness and help you reach the desirable cycling fitness level. This will also enable you to get used to the new bicycle that you will be riding for a couple of days on this tour.
• 07:10 am: Check out of your hotel/lodge in Lusaka. Friendly advice: kindly dress in the right cycling attire while still in your hotel room.
• 07:30 am: Our team will pick you up from the reception of your hotel/lodge in Lusaka. You will then be transferred to the upmarket Cosmopolitan Mall. A comprehensive 13-day Munali cycling literature pack will also be handed over to you. A copy of your travel insurance cover documentation will be collected from you and safely stored by the trip leader.
• Narration: Cosmopolitan Mall is located slightly outside the Lusaka central business district along the tour route on the Kafue T-2 highway road. Its strategic location made it an obvious choice as the starting point for this exciting Munali cycling tour.
• Upon arriving at Cosmopolitan Mall, you will meet the trip leader along with the rest of the cycling crew. This includes the tour guide and the service vehicle driver/bicycle technician, who will fix any problems your bicycle may develop. Your personal luggage will be loaded and carried by the tour service vehicle. The service vehicle will always be nearby during the entire journey, just in case you need something from inside your bags. The same vehicle will also carry you through some non-cycling zones along the journey.
• The trip leader will give you a short tour briefing while you enjoy your first delicious breakfast at a nice restaurant inside the upmarket Cosmopolitan Mall. Prominent among the topics covered will be your personal safety, rules of the tour, and required eco-tour practices. Other topics include important country information and social etiquette that you will be required to observe during the tour.
• Phase 2: 09:30 am: You will cycle to Tiffany's Canyon Lodge, the permanent stopping place for day 1, where you will spend 2 nights and 1 full day of activities. Distance: 25.4 km.
• Commencement of the cycling tour: After the tour briefing, the heroic Munali cycle tour will be flagged off by the trip leader. You will then cycle to Tiffany's Canyon Lodge, passing through beautiful scenery along the way. You will have the chance to stop at Munda Wanga Environmental Park to see some wild animals. You will arrive and check in at Tiffany's Canyon Lodge to spend 2 nights and 1 full day of water-based activities. In total, you will cover 25.4 km on day 1.
• Narration: You will cycle on the shoulders of the Kafue T-2 route, which is fairly safe. In certain places, you will cycle on the side service gravel road that runs parallel to the Kafue T-2 highway route. Here, you will have the whole road to yourself and enjoy your cycling adventure uninterrupted.
• Provisional 1st stop: Munda Wanga Environmental Park in Chilanga, 23 km from Lusaka.
• Narration: Munda Wanga Environmental Park is a natural park that houses a botanical garden, a wildlife sanctuary, and a fossil site. Here, you will take a break, eat some light snacks, and have a drink. You will stretch your legs a little by taking a walk around the wildlife sanctuary, and chances are you will see some wild animals in this game sanctuary.
• You will then cycle on from Munda Wanga Environmental Park to Shimabala Toll Plaza, covering a distance of 9.6 km. Then you will power your way through the remaining 3 km before reaching the beautiful Tiffany's Canyon Lodge.
• 14:30 pm: Check in at Tiffany's Canyon Lodge.
• 15:00 pm: Take a late lunch.
• 15:30 pm to 16:30 pm: Take a short rest/nap in your room.
• 16:30 pm - 17:30 pm: Time permitting before nightfall, you may do one water-based activity. Otherwise, all water-based activities are slated for the next day.

18:00 pm - 19:00 pm: Take your well-deserved delicious dinner.

21:30 pm: Retire to bed for a good night's sleep.

Please note that the times of activities cited above may vary to accommodate changed circumstances.

• On day 2, from morning up to midday, you will do a number of water-based activities at the beautiful Tiffany's Canyon Lodge.
• Below is the program order of the day.
• 07:30 am: Wake up and take a warm bath.
• 08:00 am to 08:30 am: Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast.
• 09:00 am: Receive a short briefing by the trip leader. Thereafter, you will start your various water-based activities.
• 12:30 pm to 13:30 pm: Take your delicious lunch.
• Afternoon session (REST!): Spend the entire afternoon relaxing and resting in readiness for the following day's cycling tour.
• Tip: More activities. If you still have some energy left, you may continue with more water-based activities at your own time.

18:00 pm - 19:00 pm: Take your delicious dinner.

21:30 pm: Retire to bed for a good night's sleep.

Please note: Times stated above may be altered to suit changed situations.

• This will be another exciting day of cycling nice and easy through beautiful scenery along the Kafue T-2 highway road. You will see peasant-owned and commercial farms, beautiful private residential mansions, and part of the Kafue Hills range along the trip.
• Narration: This is a fairly easy day of cycling. You will ride mostly in a descending, free-flow direction towards Kafue town, which lies on the north bank of the Kafue River, after which it is named.
• Notable landmark: The railway line. Before reaching Kafue town, you will cross the 3 ft 6 in (1067 mm) gauge railway line. This is Zambia's main railway line that runs from Livingstone to Lusaka and right through to the northern copper-producing region of the country.
• Provisional 1st stop: Kafue town is your first provisional stop of the day, having covered a distance of 16.4 km.
• What you will do today: After covering 16.4 km, you will stop at the popular Kafue Mall and grab some yummy food and drinks. Try the delicious and juicy fried chicken at Hungry Lion Restaurant at Kafue Mall. Alternatively, you can get some fresh fruits to eat in the Pay-Less supermarket within the same Kafue Mall complex.
• Narration: Hungry Lion Kafue Mall prides itself on offering the best-tasting fried chicken in town with better flavour for its customers, so do not miss out on this juicy bit of tasty Hungry Lion fried chicken.
• Cycle to Kafue Bridge. You will then continue cycling from Kafue town to Kafue Bridge and stop at the nearby Muyanganas.
• Provisional 2nd stop: Muyanganas near Kafue Bridge will be your second and final provisional stop of day 3, having covered a distance of 11.4 km up to this point.
• Narration 1: Muyanganas is a waterfront bar and restaurant located on the banks of the Kafue River next to Kafue Bridge. You will arrive at Muyanganas for a simple outing along the Kafue River before proceeding by vehicle to your next final destination of the day, Kafue Riverview Lodge.
• What you will do today: You will sit on a wooden deck under sunshade umbrellas and eat something and take drinks while watching the African sun almost setting.
• Narration 1: The Kafue River is the source of drinking water for the greater Lusaka city and many other smaller towns along the Kafue River catchment area. The environment at Muyanganas is serene and the river view is amazing. This marks the end of your cycling excursion for the day, and you will be driven in the service vehicle to your next destination, Kafue Riverview Lodge.
• Narration 2: Muyanganas is an amazing place where you will see the nearby historical Kafue Bridge and the mighty Kafue River.
• Kafue Bridge is the lifeblood of Zambia's economy, as it carries one of the busiest sections of the Great North Road in terms of traffic volume. Zambia, being a landlocked country, uses this bridge across the Kafue River to bring various goods into the country from South African and Namibia sea ports.
• Muyanganas to Kafue Riverview Lodge - a non-cycling zone (6 km/3.7 mi).
• The remaining portion of the Kafue T-2 route from Kafue Bridge up to Kafue Riverview Lodge is a non-cycling zone. This is because of the high volume of traffic around this geographical area. This results from the presence of many heavy-duty articulated commercial trucks plying this international T-1/T-2 route. These trucks are checked at a police roadblock for roadworthiness and customs duty compliance. They also pass through the Road Development Agency (RDA) operated weighbridge for load weight checks.
• So what happens after leaving Muyanganas: From Muyanganas, you will be driven in the service vehicle to Kafue Riverview Lodge, covering a distance of about 6 km/3.7 mi.

17:00 pm: Check in at Kafue Riverview Lodge, a non-smoking and alcohol-free property.

19:00 pm: Take your delicious dinner.

21:00 pm: Retire to bed to sleep.

Please note: Times stated above may be altered to suit changed situations.

• Today you will spend the day at the serene, non-smoking and alcohol-free Kafue Riverview Lodge, where you will mostly veg out.
• You will do a wide variety of amazing activities designed with you in mind. Thrilling hiking, fishing, boat cruising, birdwatching, and immersive, calming wellness relaxation excursion activities all await you.
• Friendly notice: Please note that the wellness activities at Kafue Riverview Lodge are offered as a complimentary service. They are not always available or offered on this Munali cycling tour.
• Kafue Riverview Lodge's core business model is premised on promoting healthy living and is strictly a non-smoking and alcohol-free property.
• This means that you will not be allowed to smoke or consume alcohol while around the Riverview Lodge campus. The wellness activities are offered as a complimentary service and are not always available on this Munali cycling tour. However, every effort is made to ensure that you do at least one wellness activity to improve your optimal level of physical wellness.
• Laundry day: There is a washing machine and a tumble dryer available at Kafue Riverview Lodge. On this day, you will decide what time to do all your laundry work.
• 12:30 pm - 13:30 pm: Enjoy sumptuous healthy food and drink.
• Afternoon session: You will do more activities that you missed during the morning session.

19:00 pm: A happy dinner of healthy foods.

21:00 pm: Retire to sleep.

Please note that the times of activities cited above may vary to accommodate changed circumstances.

• On this day, the main activity you will do is a coffee tour at Mubuyu Farm at the foot of the Munali Pass for 2-3 hours.
• However, the first activity you will do is cycling for at least 20 km/12.4 mi along the major T-1 Livingstone Road highway. The rest of the day will be spent travelling in the service vehicle to Chikankata District for cultural activities. The final destination will be Chikankata District, home of Her Royal Highness Chieftainess Mwenda.
• Planned order of activities on this day:
  • Leave Kafue Riverview Lodge: Immediately after breakfast, you will check out of Kafue Riverview Lodge with sweet memories of the place. You will then travel in the service vehicle, covering the 1.8 km/1.1 mi dusty road up to the main T-1 Livingstone Road near Turnpike Junction.
  • Cycling: You will cycle on the new route, the T-1 Lusaka-Livingstone road. This is Zambia's main tourist road to the southern tourism region of Zambia. The T-1 road forms the principal transportation corridor of Southern Province, the tourist hub of Zambia.
• From Turnpike Junction, you will cycle on the T-1 Livingstone Road highway towards Munali Hills. The target is to cover 20 km/12.4 mi before reaching the foot of Munali Hills.
• Non-cycling zone: For security and safety reasons, the ranges of Munali Hills are a non-cycling zone area. Once you reach the foot of Munali Hills, you will be carried by the service vehicle right through the mountain ranges to the bottom of Munali Hills, with a short stopover at Munali National Monument.
• You will visit the Munali Hills historic site, situated about 56 km north of Mazabuka, a stone cairn 1 km along the Munali Pass road. This monument commemorates Dr. David Livingstone's passage through the hill pass that separates the Lusaka high plateau from the Kafue Flats. At the end of touring the Munali National Monument, you will be driven to the main gate of Mubuyu Coffee Farm, located along the T-1 road highway.
• Coffee tour (in the morning).
• You will be driven in the service vehicle from Munali Hills to Mubuyu Coffee Farm administration block to meet the farm manager. From there, you will be escorted on a conducted coffee tour for 2 to 3 hours. You will get to hear the story behind the success of Munali Coffee Farm. The Mubuyu Farm estate also comprises a flourmill, several irrigation dams, housing for farm workers, a school, and a clinic.
• Travel to Chikankata District for cultural activities and meeting the Chief.
• After the coffee tour, you will travel in the service vehicle from Mubuyu Farm up to Chikankata Mission, where you will spend 2 nights and 1 day of cultural activities.
• Narration: Chikankata Mission comprises Chikankata Mission Hospital, Chikankata College of Biomedical Sciences, Chikankata College of Nursing and Midwifery, Salvation Radio, a secondary school, and a Salvation Army Church. The mission is surrounded by hills and traditional village settlements with more than 3,000 people. At the far bottom end of the mission is where the Palace of Chieftainess Mwenda is located.
• What will happen once you arrive in Chikankata:
  • Comfortable accommodation will be arranged for you.
  • You will meet and be welcomed by the Chief's representative.

19:00 pm: Take a happy dinner of healthy foods.

21:00 pm: Retire to sleep.

Please note that the times of activities cited above may vary to accommodate changed circumstances.

• Indeed, you will meet the traditional Chieftainess Mwenda of the Basanje clan of the Tonga-speaking people.
• Narration: The special cultural day of activities you have been waiting for has finally come. You will meet Chieftainess Mwenda in person at her Basanje Palace and do a full day of cultural activities around Chikankata Mission.
• Overview: Village tours. You will spend the whole day in Chikankata village, connecting and interacting with community members in genuine, functioning African traditional villages. You will experience what daily African village life is like in Zambia's rural areas in real time. This cultural tour is executed professionally by a versatile team of knowledgeable young indigenous Zambians. They possess in-depth local indigenous African knowledge and are passionate about African tradition and cultural values, ensuring a memorable stay while serving you. The entire tour program is under the close supervision of the trip leader.
• 07:30 am: Wake up and take a warm bath.
• 08:00 am to 08:30 am: Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast.
• 09:00 am: Briefing by the trip leader on the order of events of the day.
• 09:30 am: Leave for Basanje Palace, situated on the outskirts of Chikankata Mission, to meet Her Royal Highness Chieftainess Mwenda. You will be escorted by the local representative of the Chief's council. If Her Royal Highness Chieftainess Mwenda is not personally available to meet you, then you will be met either by her Prime Minister or one of her senior representatives.
• Summary of activities at the Palace:
  • Be welcomed at Her Royal Highness Chief Mwenda's Palace in a true African style.
  • Carry your gifts in your hands as you are led into the palace yard by the local Chief's representative. You will be allowed to take photos of the entire procession.
  • Upon being allowed into the palace, settle down. You will immediately present your gifts to the Chieftainess through her Prime Minister, as traditional protocol demands. This will open the way for the Chieftainess to offer welcoming words to you. She will give you a history of her people and may possibly invite you for a conducted tour around her palace.
  • A group public photo session will be done within the palace yard for you, the Chieftainess, and her Indunas (traditional officials). After dinner, you or anyone in your group will offer a vote of thanks to close this tour session.
  • Thereafter, you will receive the blessing of the Chieftainess to continue visiting various homesteads in her chiefdom.
• Village tours.
• It is exciting to see and learn how locals live in these genuine African villages.
• Commence touring various village homesteads in the Chikankata village area under the guidance of a certified and trained village tour guide. All communications are done in English. Should Tonga be used, an interpreter will be available to translate into English for you.
• You will enter the respective yard of each village home, where you will be welcomed and greeted with a hearty Zambian traditional handshake and smile. You will be taken into the bosom and heart of these truly functioning African villages. You will see for yourself firsthand what goes on there in these villages on a regular basis.
• Cultural respect:
  • Please remember that you will be expected to cover your legs and arms during visits to the Palace and traditional villages. A leg round wrapper will be perfectly fine.
  • Evening cultural entertainment and eating local traditional food.
• 18:00 pm - 21:00 pm: Members of the village community and village headmen will join at the site for an evening of cultural entertainment.
• You will be treated to an exciting evening of traditional and cultural entertainment activities around a massive bonfire as the only source of lighting and warmth.
• You will eat some traditional foods that the women of the village will have prepared.
• 21:30 pm: Retire to bed for a good night's sleep.

Please note that the times of activities cited above may vary to accommodate changed circumstances.

• After a previous full day of exciting cultural activities in Chikankata District, you will continue with the trip, starting first with overland vehicle travel. Then you will cycle along the same T-1 highway road heading towards Mazabuka, covering a distance of 25 km. At the 25 km mark, you will be picked up by the service vehicle and taken to the next station, Mazabuka town.
• 10:30 am: Arrive in Mazabuka, dubbed "The Sweetest Town" in Zambia. This is because sugar cane, which is processed into edible household sugar, is grown on a large scale in Mazabuka. You will eat lunch here at a good restaurant in Mazabuka. After lunch, you will travel by service vehicle to the next place of activities, Monze.
• 11:30 am: Using the service vehicle, depart for Monze, the next town after Mazabuka.
• Non-cycling zone: The Mazabuka to Monze route is a non-cycling zone due to the poor state of the road, making it difficult and unsafe to ride a bicycle. Driving along the Mazabuka-Monze road, you will see large sugar plantations on the way out of Mazabuka town. You will pass a number of small village siding settlements along the way to Monze, approximately 72 km from Mazabuka.
• 13:20 pm: Arrive in Monze, an agricultural town with an estimated population of 163,578 people.
• 13:30 pm: Eat some food snacks at the Indian Restaurant or Food Royal, or at any other upmarket restaurant in Monze town.
• 16:00 pm: You will check in at Family Safari Lodge in Monze, situated about 3 km out of town along the T-1 road.
• Note: If there is no accommodation vacancy available at Family Safari Lodge during your visit, you will be checked into a different lodge in Monze of comparatively similar standards.

18:00 pm: Day's dinner.

19:00 pm: Retire to bed for a restful night's sleep.

Please note that the times of activities cited above may vary to accommodate changed circumstances.

• 08:10 am: Wake-up call; thereafter take a warm shower.
• 08:10 am - 08:30 am: Enjoy morning breakfast.
• 10:00 am: Visit the Samu Lya Moomba national heritage site outside Monze town in the Bweengwa area, Chief Choongo's chiefdom, to see Zambia's deep cultural heritage.
• Narration: Samu Lya Moomba holds a special place in Zambia's history, as it was the location where some freedom fighters from across Zambia would meet to strategise on the attainment of Zambia's political independence.
• 12:30 pm - 13:30 pm: Return to Family Safari Lodge for lunch.
• Comment: You may pass through Choppies supermarket in Monze town to buy some personal goodies for yourself.
• Afternoon session: You will spend the whole afternoon resting either in your lodge room or by the poolside. You will also have the opportunity to view some resident wild animals, including lions and zebras.

18:00 pm: Day's dinner.

19:00 pm: Retire to bed for a restful night's sleep.

• Below is the planned order of activities:
  • Cycle from Family Safari Lodge in Monze to Chisekesi and beyond, covering a cycling distance of 35 km/21.7 mi.
  • Then travel by service vehicle from Chisekesi to Batoka.
  • Narration: This 48 km stretch of the T-1 road is a non-cycling zone. From Chisekesi, you will be transferred in the support vehicle right up to Batoka.
  • Cycling: In Batoka, you will mount your bicycles and commence cycling from Batoka towards Daniel Mukombwe Toll Gate, covering a cycling distance of about 15 km/9.3 mi.
  • Cycling: From Daniel Mukombwe Toll Gate, you will be picked up in the service vehicle and transferred to Twin Cave Lodge in Choma.

18:00 pm: Day's dinner.

19:00 pm: Retire to bed for a restful night's sleep.

• Check out of Twin Cave Lodge, then do a morning tour of Choma Museum.
• Mid-morning: Depart from Choma by cycling to Tara Siding along the T-1 road highway, covering a distance of 35 km/15.5 mi.
• Then travel by vehicle from Tara Siding. You will proceed to Kalomo town, travelling southwards on the original T-1 main tourist road of Zambia, the Livingstone-Lusaka main tourist road.
• You will visit and tour Kalundu Mound. About 3 km before reaching Kalomo, on the main road, is a slightly raised mound, only a few metres high, through which the road passes. This marks the site of an Iron Age village, and the mound is the accumulated debris of many centuries of occupation.

Check in at any good-level lodge in Kalomo.

18:00 pm: Day's dinner.

• Today is the day you will cover the longest cycling distance of the trip: 60 km/37.3 mi.
• The first activity of the day: You will travel by motor vehicle to the outskirts of Kalomo to see the first State House of North-Western Rhodesia, now present-day Zambia.
• More details: The Administrator's House national monument, located in Kalomo, Zambia, is a 116-year-old house. It was the first home of the British South Africa Company (BSAco)'s administrator in charge of a territory then called North-Western Rhodesia. It is believed that the house served as present-day Zambia's first State House.
• Mid-morning: Leave Kalomo for Zimba by cycling an uninterrupted distance of 60 km/37.3 mi, which will be the longest ride of the entire trip. Thereafter, at the 60 km/37.3 mi mark, you will be driven in the service vehicle to a good-level lodge/hotel in Livingstone.
• Overview of Livingstone: Rich in scenery and heritage, Livingstone, your destination, has today become the tourist heart of Zambia. It is the tourism heart of southern Zambia, home to the mighty Victoria Falls, a World Heritage Site and Africa's "Adventure Capital".

18:00 pm: Day's dinner.

19:00 pm: Retire to bed for a restful night's sleep.

Narration: You will spend the first hours of the morning resting in your room.

• 10:30 am: This trip includes a game drive and Rhino walk in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Livingstone towards the end of the tour.
• 13:30 pm - 14:00 pm: Take your delicious lunch.
• 14:00 pm: Visit the Livingstone Museum.
• The Livingstone Museum is the largest and oldest museum in Zambia, established in 1934 as the David Livingstone Memorial Museum. Its original name, the Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, was changed to Livingstone Museum in 1966.
• 15:00 pm: Mukuni Park Curio Market.
• If you are looking for a souvenir of your time in Livingstone or Africa, you will probably find something at this market. There is a line of permanent shops and stalls selling mainly traditional items such as animal carvings, pictures, bowls, baskets, and traditional dress, which you may buy as souvenirs.
• Thereafter, you will be transferred back to your lodge to rest and get ready for a special evening farewell dinner.

• 05:30 am - 05:50 am: Wake up and take your morning bath.
• 06:00 am: You will nicely and neatly pack your personal belongings into your travelling bag.
• 08:20 am: Thereafter, take your last delicious breakfast. Bid farewell to your newly found Livingstone friends.
• 10:00 am: You will also receive a complimentary transfer to the airport if you depart on the last day and have provided your international flight information.