Zambia Travel Guide
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Northern Zambia
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Great North Road
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Kasama
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Getting there
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Zambia Travel Guide

Getting there



By air


Currently there are two flights a week to Kasama with Eastern Air, which run a route Lusaka–Ndola–Kasama–Kasaba Bay–Kasama–Ndola–Lusaka on Monday and Thursday. Check the timetable and the latest status of these before you set out. Lusaka–Kasaba Bay costs US$185 one-way, and Kasama–Kasaba Bay costs US$60 one way.

By train


The TAZARA station is a few kilometres from the centre of town, on the right as you enter from Mpika. This is your last chance to disembark at a major town before the railroad turns east, and away from Lake Tanganyika.

The express train from Kapiri Mposhi to Dar es Salaam passes through Kasama on Wednesday and Saturday at about 02.00. A return ticket to Dar costs about US$40 in first class (compartments sleep four) or US$30 in second class (compartments sleep six).

By bus


The bus services are generally good. A post bus makes the trip from Lusaka and Ndola (ask at the post office) and costs about US$10 one way. It is not usually overcrowded, and so fairly comfortable. Numerous normal buses come this way, usually rather more full. They link Kasama to Luwingu, Mbala and Mpulungu – though hitching may be faster than taking a bus if you're heading past Mbala for the lake.

If you're heading west then there is a bus station on the road out to the airport, a little way up from the House of Kasama store.

Going east is probably trickier. Last reports confirmed that both pontoons across the Chambeshi River, on the roads to Isoka and Chinsali, were out of action. Thus to go west, travellers had to head back down to Mpika, and then take the main road northeast. (With a 4WD you can cut a corner off this by going past Shiwa Ng'andu.) Alternatively, take the TAZARA to Nakonde, at the border, and then take the road south.

If any of the pontoons on the roads out of town are out of action, then there's usually a sign on the way out of town saying so. This can be a frequent occurrence in the second half of the rainy season.

Hitchhiking


Kasama is a good place for hitching. If you want to go north, to Mbala or Mpulungu, walk on past the Zambia National Commercial Bank and the BP garage, to beyond the roundabout, and start hitching – there is a convenient lay-by.

If you're heading south towards Mpika then you need to walk out past the TAZARA station, or perhaps a little further, hitching as you walk. There are four memorable speed humps on this road, which should slow down even the most ardent of speed-kings to a crawl.

Heading west or east is more difficult, as there is much less traffic. However, a traveller going in either direction is something of a rarity, so novelty value will encourage potential lifts. That said, most drivers will not have a clue where you're heading for.


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