Oft-overlooked Lusaka forms the metropolitan kingpin of Zambia as a whole, sporting a cacophony of mid-rise business blocks, unsightly brutalist architecture and bustling markets. Not really a touristic locale, the best bet for travellers finding themselves in the city would be to head down to the throng of Soweto Market, where energetic hawkers pedal local handicrafts, and earthy foodstuffs. There is the Zambia National Museum and the Namwane Art Gallery too, for a dose of culture and history, while the soothing climes of the Munda Wanga Environmental Park, allow visitors to wander between the botanical gardens and clusters of striped African zebra. After dark Lusaka transforms itself unexpectedly into a hubbub of action, with the eateries around Chindo Road blowing up with ex-pats and an array of international dishes from tagine to tacos, and the centre’s nightclubs thumping to the beats of Congolese jazz. Safari-goers should ask their Lusaka tour guide about possible further explorations into the acclaimed Lower Zambezi National Park, which lurks in the hills to the east with the famous Mana Pools and elephants aplenty.