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- Shoreline wildlife watching: The lakeshore grass is the main event. Herds of elephant and buffalo graze down to the water, hippos haul out near the bank, and waterbirds work the shallows. Sit still with binoculars and let the animals set the pace. You get a front-row seat without needing to chase anything.
- Tigerfishing on Lake Kariba: This is the fish that put Kariba on the angling map, a hard-fighting predator with serious teeth. Guides run boats to the drop-offs and the flooded timber where tigerfish ambush bait. Beginners can try with a guide, and experienced anglers get proper sport. Catch-and-release is common, so the fun is in the fight.
- Boat cruise through the drowned forest: Out on the water the skeleton trees of the flooded valley stand in rows, with cormorants and fish eagles perched
- Shoreline wildlife watching: The lakeshore grass is the main event. Herds of elephant and buffalo graze down to the water, hippos haul out near the bank, and waterbirds work the shallows. Sit still with binoculars and let the animals set the pace. You get a front-row seat without needing to chase anything.
- Tigerfishing on Lake Kariba: This is the fish that put Kariba on the angling map, a hard-fighting predator with serious teeth. Guides run boats to the drop-offs and the flooded timber where tigerfish ambush bait. Beginners can try with a guide, and experienced anglers get proper sport. Catch-and-release is common, so the fun is in the fight.
- Boat cruise through the drowned forest: Out on the water the skeleton trees of the flooded valley stand in rows, with cormorants and fish eagles perched on them. The boat gets you close to elephants bathing along the shore, and the light on the water at the end of the day makes the best photographs of the trip. Keep your hands inside the boat near hippos.
- Guided walks and drives in Matusadona National Park: The park borders the lake and reaches back into hills and mopane woodland. A guide can take you on foot where the terrain allows, which is the way to read tracks, dung and bird calls. Lion, buffalo and elephant are the big names, and black rhino live in the park too, though they are rarely seen.
- Bumi Hills viewpoint and night sky: The high ground above the shoreline gives a wide view over the water and the Matusadona escarpment. After dark, with little light pollution, the stars are thick overhead, and the night soundtrack is hippo grunts, frogs and the odd distant lion. Stay near camp and use a guide or escort when moving around in the dark.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.