Kitwe is large town in Northern Zambia, in the Copperbelt region.
Get in
By plane
The nearest international airport is in Ndola.
- 1 Southdowns Airport (KIW IATA) (9 km (5.6 mi) southwest of Kitwe). No commercial flights.
By road
Ndola is linked by a well-maintained double carriageway and it is under an hour's drive between the two towns. It is 57.7 km from Kitwe to Ndola.
By train
There are overnight trains from Livingstone via the capital Lusaka several times per week, operated by Zambia Railways.
- 2 Kitwe railway station.
Get around
See
Do
- 1 Chembe Bird Sanctuary (about 28 km west of Kitwe off of M18). Might be a good opportunity for spotting birds (paradoxically more prevalent during the hot season), or possibly waterback, monkeys, zebras, and tortoises. Also might be able to fish? Watch out for mosquitoes though, as this region is a malaria zone.
- 2 Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage (about 110 km northwest of Kitwe via T5, past Chingola), ☏ 260 975519881. 09:00-15:00 daily. There could be around 130 chimps living here at this sanctuary. You can try to see them during the feeding time or just any time with a guide. About 2 hours from Kitwe.
Buy
There are a lot of goods that can be bought from Kitwe. Spectacles can be bought from Indafro Ltd. the optique, City square.Cosmetics, gifts, accessories, perfumes, cards etc. can be bought from Fashion Hut, YMCA Building ,Matuka Avenue.There are various supermarkets in Kitwe like Shoprite supermarket and Pick N Pay supermarket .Clothes can be bought from Kamiza Fashion boutique, Toys can be bought from Galleria.Sports accessories can be bought from Mukape sports shop, Sports pro ltd.Computers and its accessories are sold at AT Computers,Dreamland, CompuZone. Clothes are sold in Pep stores, furniture is sold in IFI furnitures, shoes are sold in Bata and Tyros.
- Mukuba Mall, Parklands. The biggest mall in Kitwe has a Walmart-owned Game Hypermarket, a Shoprite Supermarket, a Pick N Pay Supermarket and a Mr Price.
- Eco Bank. Has a Master Card/Visa Card ATM.
Eat
At the Arabian Nights restaurant, frequented by locals and visitors, the menu offers interesting and diverse eating. Try the Nile Perch fillet on a bed of mushroom risotto.
For Italian food, try Mona Lisa at the Parklands Shopping Center. A popular restaurant with efficient service and a wide variety of dishes, Mona Lisa is frequented by both locals and visitors, particularly on weekends. For a hassle-free evening, it is advisable to go on a weekday, as the area is particularly crowded on weekends.
For Indian food try Dannys restaurant, Hotel Edinburgh and Havmore restaurant. These restaurants are popular for Tandoori chicken, Chicken curry and Naan. These restaurants are cheap and offer buffets on Sundays.
- Hungry Lion fast food, Mukuba Mall.
Drink
There are plenty supermarkets where you can get drinks like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Juice, Mazoe, sprite etc.Supermarkets like Bippos, BP supermarket, Quick Mart, Upper and Quick Shop offer these drinks.
Sleep
- YMCA, Independence avenue, ☏ 260 21 2210507. Single/double rooms. Has an internet café. a low cost place to stay.
- 1 Garden Court Kitwe, 12707 Corner of Freedom and Independence Avenue, ☏ 260 969130300. This is for when you're all about staying at class in Kitwe. Pool, fitness center, restaurant/bar with buffet, free breakfast, airport shuttle, wifi. Next to ECL Mall. K1961.
- 2 Mukwa Lodge & Restaurant, Mpezini Ave, ☏ 260 962682587. Jungle/savannah-themed lodge with Zambian artifacts. Has pool, restaurant, verandas, mosquito nets, wifi. K1762.
- 3 Rosewood Place Lodge, Luangwa Ave (behind Mukuba Mall), ☏ 260 963018951. More economical option that is still comfortable with pool. They serve nshima (maize porridge), so there's that. Pool and wifi. K962.