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Upper
Zambezi - Maps 1,2 & 3
River
Source in Angola to Victoria Falls
Angola / Namibia / Zambia / Zimbabwe
The
mighty Zambezi River has it's source in the Angolan highlands, together
with other large rivers such as the Kavango, which forms the Ovavango
Delta and the Chobe River, which also has a smaller inland delta before
reforming into one main channel just upstream from the confluence with
the Zambezi River at Kasangula on the border of Botswana and Zambia.
See Zambezi Map 2.
The Zambezi River enters north western Zambia just north of the town of
Zambezi. The river flows along the eastern boundary of the Liuwa Plains
National Park before entering Barotseland
and the Barotse flood plain,
Tiger fishing paradise. The Barotse flood plain narrows again at
the Ngoye
Falls, the second largest waterfall on the Zambezi River.
In the next 100km, the Zambezi River
determined the map, forming a
natural boundary and creating the border between 4 countries, namely
Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe before widening and
plunging down into the Zambezi River Gorge at Victoria Falls, one of
the seven wonders of the world, at the towns of Livingstone on the
Zambian side and Victoria Falls village on the Zimbabwe side.
See Zambezi Map 2.
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Middle Zambezi - Map 4
Victoria
Falls to Lake Kariba
Zambia / Zimbabwe
From Vic Falls, the
Zambezi zig zags its way down the Zambezi Gorge with its vertical walls
and magnificent scenery. The Zambezi Gorge is also very inaccessible
because of the dramatic geology and a series of major rapids.
Below the Victoria Falls, the Deka River flows into the Zambezi from
the Zimbabwe side. Deka is one of the first places where on can access
the river in the middle Zambezi.
Zambezi Map
no.4.
As the crow flies, Lake Kariba is 125km downsteam of the Victoria Falls
and has a variety of resorts and houseboats for holidays, fishing trips
or water safaris. There are also several camping sites at Kariba which
cater for the more independent traveler. Kariba falls between Zambia
and Zimbabwe, the northern shore in Zambia and the southern shore in
Zimbabwe, with excellent accommodation in the form of camping sites,
fishing camps, luxury tented camps, lodges, hotels and houseboats.
See Zambezi Map no.4.
Lake Kariba is the largest waterside resort in southern
Africa with the exception of resorts in South Africa.
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Lower Zambezi - Maps 5,6,7 & 8
Lake
Kariba to the Zambezi River Delta
Zambia / Zimbabwe / Mozambique
Below
the Kariba Dam wall, the Zambezi River flows through the rich Zambezi
Valley, an area famous for its abundant wildlife and excellent fishing,
but infamous for being one of the hottest places on the map in the
summer. Most of the camps and campsites along the lower Zambezi are
unfenced, making for fantastic wildlife experiences and unforgetable
tiger fishing trips.
Below Kariba, the Zambezi widens again after the constiction of the
gorge and water flows are also slowed in the summer rainy season by
flood gate control by the Zambezi Water Authority.
The Cahora Bassa Dam lies 200km east of Lake Kariba, with the upper
reaches of the dam on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Cahora
Bassa is very remote and there is little commercial development around
the lake.
Tete is situated 120km east of Cahora Bassa from where the Zambezi
river gradually widens across the flat Mozambique coastal plain until
it splits into a vast delta before flowing into the Indian Ocean 500km
downstream of the Cahora Bassa Dam wall.
Zambezi Maps 7 & 8
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Upper Zambezi Fishing
Best fishing time: May - October
The upper Zambezi River in Barotseland is
inaccessible and
wild, with low populations and no disturbance to the river ecology and
is home to big shoals of fish.
The Lukulu area is well know for its concentrations of large Tiger fish and a huge variety of
bream. The river spreads out over the Barotse flood plain and flows 100km
wide at places. Best fishing
accommodation in Barotseland in marked on Zambezi Map 1 & 2. |
Middle Zambezi Fishing
Best fishing: May - October
The Zambezi River Gorge is one of the most inaccessible
stretches of water in the world, with high flow rates and a wide,
steep-sided gorge. Access to the Zambezi
Gorge is via Deka, where the
Deka River has its confluence with the
Zambezi. Deka is an area well known for excellent fishing, especially
for Tiger Fish. See Zambezi Map 4.
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Lower Zambezi Fishing
Best Fishing time:
August - November
Fishing is less
seasonal
along the Lower Zambezi because of the effect of the Kariba Dam and
Cahora Bassa. Dirty water enters the dams and has time for the silt to
settle out before continuing down the Zambezi River Valley. The best
time for bearable weather and good fishing is in August and September.
See Zambezi Maps 7 & 8.more information about the Zambezi River
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