The quiet bays
Green hills, blue water.
Mulengac — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mulengac — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mohammad — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PerfectShade — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mulengac — CC BY-SA 4.0
Lake Kariba is the world's largest artificial lake by volume, on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is over 223 km long, up to 40 km wide and covers 5,580 square kilometres. The town of Siavonga is the easiest place to see it from the Zambian side, and people from Lusaka come here on holiday. The lake filled between 1958 and 1963 after the Kariba Dam was finished at its north-eastern end, flooding the Kariba Gorge on the river. Towns such as Siavonga and Sinazongwe grew to house people displaced by the water. Its mean depth is 29 metres and its greatest depth 97 metres, and it holds about 185 cubic kilometres of water. Around Siavonga, green hills slope down to quiet bays and broad brown rocks where people sit to watch the sunset. Small fishing boats cross very blue water, and narrow painted boats rest on the sand in the harbour. Below the dam the Zambezi runs through a narrow valley between mountains, which you can see from the high road. It is about 132 km from Lusaka in a straight line and about 57 km from Chirundu. The town has small lakeside hotels and boat trips, so agree a price first. Do not swim in the lake before asking local people, as it holds crocodiles and hippos. It is very hot from September to November, so choose the cooler months.
Green hills, blue water.
Painted boats.
A sunset spot.
Siavonga, Southern Province, Zambia
Ask local people first, as the lake holds crocodiles and hippos, and swimming may not be safe.
Yes, ideally with a night or two, as the road takes hours.