Victoria Falls Travel Guide
The Lower Zambezi Valley remains a huge and untamed wilderness, sparingly inhabited by local tribesman, rich in big game and bird life.
This wild region includes the moderately un-explored Lower Zambezi National Park and another World Heritage Site at Mana Pools. It’s an adventurer’s playground and offers some of Southern Africa’s finest walking and canoe safaris.
After thundering over the Victoria Falls, the mighty Zambezi River flows into Lake Kariba and then continues its journey east through the Lower Zambezi Valley. Flanked on each side by National Parks this remote section of the river is dotted with reed islands and abounds with Hippo, Buffalo, Elephant and over 350 bird species.The area lends itself to game viewing trips by boat or canoe, the least obtrusive way to get close to the wildlife that inhabit the banks and islands. It’s a bird watchers dream, drifting along the river’s edge watching the large colonies of Carmine Bee-eaters making their homes in the high banks. The haunting cry of the Fish Eagle floats through the air as you lie back and watch it all go by.Beyond Kariba Gorge, the Zambezi River flows through a wide and game-rich floodplain hemmed in by towering escarpments in both Zimbabwe and Zambia. The shoreline in Zimbabwe has protected safari areas and Mana Pools National Park, a World Heritage Site renowned for its population of Elephant, Buffalo, Lions, Leopard, large antelope species and smaller mammals.
The Destination for Serious Safari Enthusiasts
The Lower Zambezi valley, the real destination for serious safari enthusiasts!. The prime pursuits are canoe safaris and traditional walking safaris using lodges and tented camps as a base.
For fishing enthusiasts, good Tiger Fish and Bream make for a great challenge in a spectacular setting. Game drives, night drives and walking safaris in the Lower Zambezi National Park are led by armed and knowledgeable guides who’ll show you a different perspective of this rich river valley sanctuary.
Canoeing in the Lower Zambezi
An incredible adventure holiday for those looking for a new and exciting experience, a canoeing holiday down the Lower Zambezi River is usually a 4 – 5 day guided tour that allows visitors to take in the sights and sounds of the magnificent Zambezi River while floating and paddling gracefully down the river.
A tour usually begins in the lower region of the Zambezi River near to the area known as Ruckomechi. Visitors are flown in or transferred to Ruckomechi where they are met by their friendly guide and taken through the safety briefing and told more about the excursion. As soon as everyone is relaxed and comfortable the paddling commences!
Visitors climb into their sturdy Canadian canoes and the adventure begins. Padding into the Mana Pools National Park the first days distance is usually short, intended to give canoeists the chance to get used to the canoes and padding and after a few kilometres visitors arrive at the first camp which has been set up in advance.
Early Mornings
After a relaxing evening on the river banks and a delicious meal it is time for bed as the following day starts early, typically before sunrise. Awoken just before dawn with steaming cups of coffee and biscuits you are on the water as quickly as possible for the next 2 hours of paddling.
The early morning start may seem like a jolt to the system but once on the water you will start to understand why. The early predawn experience is one of the highlights of the tour as the water is usually calm and peaceful.
Guided Bush Walk
After a while the guides will direct canoeists to the side of the river where everyone beaches their canoes and it is time to set off on a guided game walk.
Taking a few hours to explore the surrounding African bush on foot, visitors may have the opportunity spot a number of game animals including Hippo, Elephant and possibly even Wild Dog, while gaining a greater understanding of the intricacies of life in the bush.
Lunch on the river bank returning to the canoes, visitors are given a light snack before launching the canoes back into the water for more relaxed paddle time. Around midday the group stops once again for a light lunch and a break before heading further down the river to the evening rest camp.
All the luggage and the tents will have been moved by the camp staff during the day, ensuring the transition from camp to camp is seamless and as easy as possible for the guests. All that is required of the guests is to relax and take in the beauty and tranquillity of their surroundings.
What to Expect
Distances covered each day usually range from 20 – 25 kilometres (12.4 – 15.5 miles) in the canoes and the routines and activities are tailor-made around the guests’ requirements and the movements of the game animals.
The experience of a Zambezi River canoe safari offers visitors a unique opportunity to embrace the pace and unrivalled beauty of the unspoilt Lower Zambezi’s wilderness. Excellent bird-watching and incredible game viewing combine with the magnificent surroundings and thrilling sense of adventure as Africa seeps into your core and leaves you with a deep-rooted sense of tranquility.
Lower Zambezi National Park Safari in Zambia
The Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia, proclaimed in 1983, adjoins the famous Mana Pools Reserve in Zimbabwe, by way of the adjoining the Zambezi River. The Lower Zambezi National Park covers 4092 square kilometers.The northern escarpment divides the park acting as a barrier for the animal species. Thus the majority of the game is located in the valley. The Lower Zambezi National Park safari lodges and canoe operators offer the best access to the park. They collect guests from Lusaka or Chirundu or Kariba in Zimbabwe. Transfers into the park are either in a 4×4, canoe or pontoon.
The best time to visit is from June to September, however, all Lower Zambezi National Park safrai lodges and canoeing operators are open from, April to November. The Months of September and October are the best for fishing. The escarpment and the plateau regions are mostly inaccessible and have not been surveyed.
A small area of the valley is home to many of the bigger mammals. Birdlife along the riverbanks is exceptional with many endemic species. Vegetation in the area is mainly Acacia forests. The Lower Zambezi National Park offers a unique combination of canoeing, fishing and wildlife safaris in Zambia.
See Lower Zambezi National Park Safari lodges in Zambia.
Some of the lodges shut in some unspecified time in the future throughout the wet season, normally someplace between November and the tip of April.
INSIDE THE CHIAWA GMA
This was one of many first lodges to be established within the Lower Zambezi Valley. Situated on banks of the Kafue River, 6km from the Zambezi and solely 145km from Lusaka, Gwabi is definitely accessible all year long. Accommodation ranges from chalets to tenting for all budgets.
Situated excessive up on the banks of the Zambezi, close to the confluence with the Kafue River, Kaimbi provides a wide range of lodging kinds and budgets, from air-conditioned chalets to self-catering and tenting. The Lower Zambezi NP is 65km downriver.
3 Kanyemba Lodge and Kanyemba Island Bush Camp
Only two and a half hours from Lusaka, Kanyemba is a well-liked household getaway, accommodating as much as 20 folks. The spacious restaurant and bar overlook the river, and dinner is often served beneath the branches of a large wild mango tree.
With cottages, luxurious tents, self-catering cottages or tents and tenting websites, Mvuu has lodging for all budgets. Situated alongside a stretch of the Zambezi River overlooking Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools, the realm is nice for wildlife and birdlife.
Named after Thomas Baines, the nineteenth-century artist and explorer, this lodge captures the texture of a bygone period with its traditional colonial-type buildings and informal magnificence. The camp additionally provides specialised photographic workshops and fly-fishing clinics.
A luxurious retreat just a few minutes from the National Park, with superior suites and luxurious rooms tucked among the many bushes, overlooking the Zambezi. When not on an exercise or cultural go to, an inviting infinity pool is the best spot to simply calm down and watch the river stream by. No youngsters beneath twelve.
A picturesque thatched lodge located on one of many broadest stretches of the Zambezi, minutes by boat or automobile to the Lower Zambezi NP. A timber deck that extends over the river floodplain is good for stress-free and watching birdlife and wildlife. Additional actions embody cultural village visits, a spa, yoga and a cooking expertise.
8 Chongwe River Camp and Chongwe River House (Time + Tide)
Nestled among the many winterthorn bushes on the confluence of the Zambezi and Chongwe Rivers, Chongwe River Camp is likely one of the most properly-established Lower Zambezi camps. It provides 9 traditional tents beneath thatch, a spacious eating space, a campfire subsequent to the river and a swimming pool. For a bit extra privateness, Chongwe Suites provide three double or twin rooms with butler service, plunge swimming pools and personal eating choices.
Nearby, Chongwe River House is obtainable for unique use by teams of as much as eight folks. On the banks of the Chongwe River, a quiet tributary of the Zambezi that borders the Lower Zambezi National Park, it is a distinctive, two-storey non-public house which has received plaudits for its uncommon structure. Both properties are closed from January to mid-April.
Self-catering within the GMA
There are varied choices in relative proximity to the National Park, together with Self Catering Cottage, Lower Zambezi, a six-sleeper facility with two twin bedrooms and a loft room. Guests can dine at close by Kiambi Lodge. Other choices embody Safari House (5 bedrooms), The Lodge on the Lower Zambezi (chalets on the river financial institution), Wildtracks (about 40 minutes from the Park) and Winterthorns (on the confluence of the Kafue and Zambezi rivers.
INSIDE THE PARK
9 Chiawa Camp (Chiawa Safaris)
Located contained in the National Park beneath a grove of mahogany and acacia bushes, Chiawa Camp provides 9 tented rooms, raised on wood decks, every with non-public verandahs. In the primary camp space there’s an elevated commentary deck above the lounge, a swimming pool that’s massive sufficient for laps, and a fitness center. Chiawa is closed from January to the tip of April.
10 Old Mondoro (Chiawa Safaris)
About an hour downstream from Chiawa, in a grove of Winterthorn bushes, Old Mondoro is an intimate, easy safari camp overlooking a maze of hippo-inhabited channels. The space is characterised by an enormous floodplain and open woodland making it perfect for strolling and recreation viewing. The unfenced camp has 4 reed chalets with canvas roofs, giving it a back to the bush ambiance. The camp is closed from January to the tip of April.
Catering for as much as 22 friends in 10 suites with differing traits. The Zambezi Suite, with its open sides, is a specific favorite. Includes a fitness center. Open from April to November.
12 Sausage Tree Camp and Potato Bush Camp
A non-public camp on the coronary heart of the park, the place each tent has a devoted butler. The epitome of bush stylish, Sausage Tree Camp has eight, barely raised, reed, wooden and canvas tents, every with a personal pool and expansive deck. In addition there’s a two-bed room home, good for household or a small teams. It’s sister camp, Potato Bush, is positioned close by. Each of its three tents has a big deck and plunge pool, indoor/outside showers and hammocks. There is a fourth household tent. Both Sausage Tree and Potato Bush are closed from January until the tip of March.
13 Tusk & Mane
The relative new boys to the Valley, Tusk & Mane provide one thing a bit totally different: safaris between three eight-mattress fly camps which can be moved between very totally different websites on islands within the river and, quickly, a web site within the Rufunsa Valley, on the foot of the escarpment, thus permitting guests to expertise the river and hills. The camps provide previous-type safari tenting, with bucket showers however nonetheless with ice chilly drinks and cozy beds, and sitting beneath the celebrities round a campfire. Best suited to those that want to immerse themselves within the wilderness with out an excessive amount of paraphernalia.
14 Anabezi and Amanzi
Anabezi is positioned within the distant jap finish of the Park, in an space that was the governor’s retreat, the place the Zambezi River and the Mushika floodplain meet. The camp is perched on the riverbank, with raised timber decks and wood walkways. Eleven luxurious tents every have views over the river and personal plunge swimming pools. Amanzi is Anabezi’s rustic sister camp, sited 3km downstream. It provides solely three tents (considered one of which is a household unit) constructed on raised decks. Both camps are closed from January until the tip of April.
Carbon neutrality
In 2016 Lower Zambezi was proclaimed the world’s first Carbon-Neutral National Park. To obtain this recognition tour operators decreased their carbon emissions and people emissions which had been unavoidable had
