Other Places to Visit around Kasanka

The places on this page are included because they fit in well with a trip to Kasanka and Bangweulu. Some can be visited on day outings or enroute between camps, whilst others are destinations in their own right. Having decided which of them you would like to include on your trip Contact us  and we advise you how to visit them and make appropriate bookings.

NAKAPALYO TOURISM PROJECT

Immerse yourself in the rich culture and way of life of the Bisa people by visiting a traditional Zambian village.  Click here for more info. The Kasanka Trust is supporting the project with training and marketing.

 

 KUNDALILA FALLS 

The spectacular Kundalila (Crying Dove) Falls can be reached in just over an hour’s drive from Kasanka and are well worth a visit.  The falls lie in an area of great scenic beauty where the Kaombe River falls over the lip of the Muchinga escarpment.  Kundalila is famous for its wild flowers and makes a delightful picnic spot.  A path leads down to the foot of the falls where a deep pool receives the water from its 65-meter fall. Visitors can swim in this pool if they like chilly water! 
 

LAKE WAKA WAKA

Located an hour’s drive from Kasanka this lake offers a secluded site for an overnight stop or getaway.  The spring-fed lake’s crystalline waters are crocodile free and wonderful for a refreshing swim. The area is surrounded by mature ‘Miombo’ woodland and offers scenic walks in the rocky hills behind the lake. Wildlife including Roan and Sable Antelope, Sitatunga, Warthog and Baboons are  present but hard to see. Two simple chalets are available to hire otherwise self sufficient camping is popular.  You will need to be self sufficient for camping to stay at wakawaka as there are no facilities.

 
NSALU CAVE 

This National Monument is sadly neglected but is still worth a visit to view Stone Age Man's "schematic" rock paintings. There are none of the figures of animals and people usually associated with Bushman paintings but lines and "ladders" and other unexplained outlines, thought to be up to 100,000 years old.
Kasanka Trust is in negotiations with the Heritage Department and international Rock Art experts to improve the care of the paintings and prevent further natural or man inflicted damage.

LIVINGSTONE MEMORIAL                                                         

The David Livingstone Memorial marks the spot where the 19th century explorer died in his fruitless quest for the source of the Nile River.  The monument, located an easy 35 kms drive from Kasanka, is built on the site of the ‘mupundu’ wild fruit tree under which Dr. Livingstone’s heart was buried.  The tree later died, was cut down by a British expedition and carried back to the Royal Geographic Society where it is still on display!

Livingstone was weakened by malaria and suffering from chronic dysentery when he entered Bangweulu Swamp at the height of the floods in April 1873. As his sickness worsened his followers carried him out to the first dry land settlement they could reach.  He died in Chitambo village on May 1.  Livingstone’s followers removed his heart and viscera and buried them at the foot of the mupundu tree before carrying his body all the way back to England where it is buried in Westminster Abbey.  Visitors often have a chance to meet the current Chief Chitambo IV who is a direct descendant of the Chief  who received Livingstone on his deathbed.

The local community have constructed some simple chalets to accommodate visitors at the memorial site, although you should contact us first before planning to stay there to make sure they are functioning and available.

 

BANGWEULU WETLANDS

Click here for a full description of Shoebill Island Camp and the Bangweulu Wetlands
 

LAVUSHI MANDA NATIONAL PARK

This large park area to the North East of Kasanka has received little protection and no tourism development since being created.

The Kasanka Trust has been invited by the Wildlife Authority to help implement some management activities and develop tourism in Lavushi Manda.

For the really intrepid explorer Lavushi is a huge untouched wilderness of woodlands, rocky outcrops and mountains.

Game animals are not as populous as they could be due to uncontrolled poaching, but Sable and Roan Antelope, Hartebeast, reedbuck, Klipspringer, Common Duiker, warthog, baboon, elephant, baffalo have all been recorded recently.

For those with enough time and interest to explore this wilderness we can arrange a visit.

SHIWA NGANDU AND
      KAPISHYA HOT SPRINGS

After visiting Kasanka and Bangweulu, “The Africa House” makes an ideal next stop on the way North. This impressive English Manor House was built deep in the African Bush by an eccentric Englishman, Sir Stuart Gore-Browne in the 1920s. He had always dreamed of owning a large country house and estate but the only place he could afford one was in Africa.

The amazing story of his struggle to realise this dream is told in the best seller book “The Africa House” by Christina Lamb which is compulsory reading before a trip to Zambia! During the 1990s the house fell into a poor state of repair and was unoccupied for several years. However one of Sir Stuart’s grandchildren, Charlie Harvey and his wife Jo have now returned and extensively restored the house and estates so that it is possible for visitors to stay in the house. They have even gone further in recreating the world which Sir Stuart first found there by restocking the estate with Game animals. As well as experiencing the grandeur of the house and the splendid scenery which drew Sir Stuart to the place, visitors can explore the estate on Horseback and ride amongst the game. Contact us for more information about booking to stay at the house and getting there.

 See the Shiwa N’gandu  Website for more information

 25 kms north west of Shiwa, are the Kapishya Hot Springs on another plot of land acquired by Sir Stewart.

Managed today by Mark Harvey, another of his grandsons, Kapishya Hot springs also has accommodation for visitors in chalets or at their campsite. The springs lie in a beautiful area and afford a most rejuvenating bathing experience as well as some good birdwatching and walks. Another popular activity is a trip down the river by raft or canoe. This makes a nice break in the middle of a safari. Contact us for more information about booking and getting there.

 

 

MUTINONDO WILDERNESS

Lying to the East of Kasanka and Bangweulu, the  Mutinondo Wilderness is a plot of land under private management near the top of the great Muchinga escarpment. It’s a beautiful wildlerness area with rocky outcrops, rivers and streams, rolling woodlands and grassy dambos.

Although it’s not yet well stocked with Game animals, the Mutinondo Wilderness is an exciting initiative which aims to involve the local community closely its management and plant the seed of more productive resource management and land use. There is a lodge and a campsite for visitors to stay at and a range of activities from walks, swimming and boating in the rivers, birdwatching, and guided geological tours.

THE LUANGWA VALLEY

No Trip to Zambia is complete without visiting the Luangwa Valley! This is one of Africa’s greatest remaining wildlife areas and still preserves high densities of big game along with the wide open spaces allowing visitors to feel they are really deep in “the bush”.

The Luangwa lies not far from Kasanka, Bangweulu, and Shiwa but is hard to access by road because of the 2500 foot Muchinga escarpment which separates them. The Valley is in fact part of the great Rift Valley system, with lake Malawi forming a parallel leg to the East. The 2 main parks in Luangwa are the North and South Parks.

South Luangwa has always been the most popular destination for visitors. It cannot be beaten for a combination of its wildlife, birds and most importantly lack of visible developments which tend to detract from the experience of other great parks in Africa.

Having said that there are now a number of lodges coming up and the central Mfuwe area is getting a bit crowded. But the park is huge and has camps in outlying areas offering equal scenic beauty and wildlife experiences for visitors moving both on foot and by vehicle.

If you are planning a safari and would like to include South Luangwa we can help you book a suitable camp to stay at and arrange your transport there and back.

North Luangwa is the real wilderness cousin of the South! It also offers some spectacular game viewing and specialises on walking safaris but in an area 7 times the size of Kasanka there are only 3 widely spaced lodges. For this reason you really are out there on your own amongst the animals. The park management is assisted by a project from the Frankfurt Zoological Society which has controlled poaching and allowed the game to increase after the destructive decades of the 1970s and 80s. We can help you make a booking for North Luangwa and transport to get there if you Contact us.

Luambe National Park is a small park wedged between North and South Luangwa on the east bank of the river. It is a beautiful area with some good birdwatching and gameviewing.

There’s lodge in the park and it makes an ideal stopover for adventurers driving between North and South Luangwa.

Contact Us for booking advice.

 

 

For information on planning and booking a safari to Kasanka, Bangweulu and other destinations go to the PLANNING A SAFARI  page

 
Kasanka Trust can make all the necessary arrangements  on request. For more information on visiting Kasanka or to make a booking please send an enquiry