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In a world made smaller by the jet engine and the automobile, there are few places left for the traveller who wants to escape the stresses and strains of the modern world and experience life closer to nature. Zimbabwe is home to one such place. Lake Kariba, running nearly three hundred kilometres from one end to the other, is a paradise for the discerning tourist who wants to catch a glimpse of an unspoilt Africa that has all but disappeared from the rest of the continent.
But the lake is not only for wildlife enthusiasts; those who come to fish, sail, canoe, explore the indigenous culture or simply relax at the waters edge will all be richly rewarded. This is an Africa far removed from the bustle of mass tourism - it is a magical, primeval Africa that will linger in the mind for the rest of your life.
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Visitors
to the lake can enjoy the unique privilege of viewing copious wildlife not
just from a minibus, but from the tranquillity of a sailboat, canoe, or
other craft on the water itself. Elephant, lion, buffalo, waterbuck,
duiker, leopard, jackal, impala, kudu, zebra and even the occasional rhino
can all be seen from extraordinary vantage point.
Kariba
is no less entrancing for being an artificial lake. Sandwiched between
Zambia to the North and Zimbabwe to the south, it was created when the
flow of the mighty Zambezi River was harnessed at Kariba Dam to generate
hydro electricity for both countries. The construction of the dame and the
power station beneath it remains one of the most spectacular feats of
engineering ever undertaken in Africa. Today, Lake Kariba is the third
largest man made reservoir in the world, its two thousand kilometres of
shoreline creating a spectacular variety of estuaries that spill into the
surrounding bush..
The lake is studded with islands and fringed by mountains. Of the forests that grace the shoreline, the most intriguing is at Matusadona National Park. Here is a half submerged mopane forest, still standing forty years after the valley was flooded, thousands of branches reaching naked into the sky from their watery grave.
One
way to see the lake is to hire a boat. Its thousands of inlets and islands
can occupy the sensitive visitor for several days. A wide variety of
luxury cruisers is available for charter, but for those on a more limited
budget, humbler craft can be hired for a single day tour. Equally
satisfying is to explore the shoreline from a game viewing vehicle.
Kariba is an excellent base from which to explore the rest of Zimbabwe. A comprehensive network of road and air routes affords easy access to the Victoria Falls, Great Zimbabwe, Matopos, Hwange Game Reserve and the Eastern Highlands. Harare, Zimbabwes modern, bustling capital is just half an hour away by air or four hours by road. The overnight ferry, which sails the length of Lake Kariba provides an alternative means of travelling to and from the Victoria Falls and Hwange Game Reserve.
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Within Kariba itself, there is accommodation to suit all tastes. There are houseboats, lodges and tented camps on the lakes islands and lakeshore, and self-catering camps and conventional hotel accommodation in the town. One way to explore the region is to base yourself at a hotel but spend on or two night on an island in the tranquillity of the lake. However you choose to spend you stay, you can be assured of lifelong memories from one of Africa's best kept secrets. |
For
those with limited time, the Victoria Falls and Hwange Game Reserve are
both short hops on the same scheduled air route from Kariba, while Kariba
and Mana Pools are within easy reach of each other by road. Tour operators
can arrange a schedule that allows a few nights at Zimbabwe’s other
major attractions, preceded or followed by a relaxing week at the lake.
At
the downstream end by the dam, the town of Kariba various hotels, casinos
and restaurants. The summit of the hill above the town offers a
spectacular panorama of the lake, the dam wall and the downstream gorge.
Here stands the Church of Saint Barbara, to honour those who lost their
lives constructing the dam.