What to see in Lusaka in a few hours

Lusaka grew rapidly around its main artery, Cairo Road, becoming modern Zambia's administrative and commercial centre, just a few steps away from the savannas that surround the capital.

Here is an itinerary that alternates colonial history, crafts and some green space, designed for those with only a day to spare.

Begin at the Lusaka National Museum, which recounts with photographs and everyday objects the Zambia's path from the colonial era to independence in 1964, a good way to give context to everything you see afterward.

A few minutes by taxi away, the Kabwata Cultural Village hosts woodcarvers and weavers: prices require patient negotiation and the chance to see objects taking shape before your eyes.

Along Cairo Road, you breathe the city's most lively side: banks, shops, and fruit stands follow one another without pause, and it's here that you best measure Lusaka's daily rhythm.

The afternoon lends itself to the Munda Wanga Environmental Park, just outside the center, with a small zoo, a botanical garden, and a hippopotamus pond: a natural counterpoint to the downtown traffic.

One day is enough to cover the center with ease, leaving the afternoon free for Munda Wanga without having to rush from one point to another.

Those who stay longer discover that the residential neighborhoods around Kabulonga and Rhodes Park shelter restaurants and small galleries that the administrative center doesn't reveal.