Lake Kariba
Lake Kariba, in Zimbabwe, is a vast man made lake stretching for over 5000 square kilometres, and is 220 kilometres long and over 40 kilometres in width. It is one of the largest dams in the world. The dam was constructed on the Zambezi River along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is owned by the two countries . The lake generates hydro electric power for both countries, and has a very good commercial kapenta fishing industry. It is a very popular destination for both locals and tourists, people flock there for the fishing, game viewing and bird watching.
Weather
Best times to visit Kariba for fishing is between Aug – March when the weather is warmer, and the tiger fishing tournament is held in October, where the temperature can get very high around 35-40 degrees Celsius and the fish are biting!. If you want to avoid the heat then visit between April – July, April-May is a beautiful time to visit as there are generally blue skies and warm sunny days, becoming slightly chilly at night. During the rainy season Nov to March, you can experience some storms which sometimes will delay your trip across the lake.
How to get there
By Car
From the capital city Harare it is approximately a 4- 5 hour drive to Kariba depending on how many times you stop on the way , you pass through a number of small towns on the way namely Banket, Chinhoyi, Karoi and lastly Makuti before you head down the escarpment winding through the hills for approx 76kms until you reach the small town of Kariba, which has breathtaking views of the Lake. We recommend Europcar when needing to hire a vehicle.
By Light Aircraft
HAC operate out of Harare Main Airport DomesticTerminal. They offer services connecting Harare and Kariba, and once you reach Kariba airport, the Hotel or Lodge where you stay will be able to arrange transfers to Kariba town. Lake shuttle services connecting Kariba and Lodges located on the Lake such as Bumi Hills, Gache Gache, and Spurwing.
