Things to do
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Kariba Dam
A double curvature concrete arch closes the gorge at the lake's eastern end, holding back one of the largest reservoirs made by human hands and supplying power to both Zimbabwe and Zambia. A viewing area and the border crossing sit on the wall itself. Photography is restricted at points, and the crossing into Zambia needs documents, so the stop is short.
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Kariba Heights Viewpoint
High on the ridge above the town, a lookout takes in the dam wall, the gorge and the length of the lake running west. The chapel of Santa Barbara stands beside it, built to remember the workers who died during construction. Late afternoon is the hour to come, when the light turns the water metallic and the valley heat eases.
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Lake Kariba
Flooding the Zambezi behind a dam wall in the late 1950s created an inland sea some 220 kilometres long, shared with Zambia and lined with drowned mopane trees. Houseboats are the standard way to spend time here, drifting for tiger fish and watching elephant come down to drink at dusk. Storms build fast over open water, so skippers watch the afternoon sky.
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Mana Pools National Park
Downstream of the dam, floodplain pools left by the shifting Zambezi draw elephant, buffalo and wild dog under tall albida woodland, in one of the few African parks where walking unaccompanied is permitted. It is a full day from Kariba by road, or a short flight, and camps book out early. The park closes to most vehicles during the rains, roughly November to April.
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Matusadona National Park
Shoreline grassland between the Ume river and the escarpment gives lion, buffalo and elephant open ground that is easy to read from a boat. Access is by water from Kariba or by light aircraft, since the road in is rough and seasonal. Reintroductions of black rhino and a long conservation effort have brought game numbers back after heavy poaching years.