Lake Kariba - Zimbabwe's Inland Ocean

Big Five Country

The Matusadona National Park, on Lake Kariba's southern shore, is a remote area of wooded hills and lakeshore hiding plenty of game and excellent safari lodges. Matusadona is a melodic word whose meaning is not quite as appealing as it sounds; 'constant dripping of dung,'(a reference to its huge elephant population).

Even the hardiest 4X4 vehicle has trouble getting into this real African bush so your transport from Kariba will most likely be by light aircraft (or even romantic floatplane) or boat. Your lodge will organise this for you. This is big 5 country (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo), as well as a variety of antelope and spectacular birdlife.

Take The Ferry

Another way to explore the entire length of the lake at leisure, is by taking the wonderfully slow ferry boat from Kariba to the other end at Mlibizi (or vice versa). Moonlight in the middle of the lake on a warm night while sleeping under the entire pale blanket of the milky way, is indescribably beautiful.

As a foot passenger or with your vehicle, the price for the 22 hour blissfully peaceful journey departing at 9am and arriving at 7am the following morning, is a bargain. Excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided as well as reclining sleeper chairs, pillows and blankets, but most people laid their cushions on deck to catch the light breeze and watch the shooting stars.

Kariba is not so far down the raging Zambezi River from Victoria Falls, so why not adopt a watery theme for your trip to Zimbabwe. Visit Africa's finest rainbow waterfall, cruise on its inland ocean and watch big game from its banks.

The author of this article is Carrie Hampton and she can be contacted on email: carrieh@iafrica.com

Copyright © 2002 Carrie Hampton. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of the author is prohibited