Things to see and do North

The Chutes falls are located on the river Lufubu 85 km northeast of Kawambwa along the road linking Kawambwa and Luwingu.

Kapishya Hot Springs Lodge, in the same property as Shiwaa N'gandu Manor, is open to non-guests for the day. First for the bathing in the hot springs, but also for the activities proposed: visit of the manor, safaris, horse riding, discovery of rock paintings, hiking, rafting, mountain biking... Charming spa with view on the river. You can get there by car from the Great North Road, or by air charter to the property.

This cavernous complex (12°13.939'S, 31°08.693'E) shelters magnificent San rock paintings. The drawings are quite simple, black in color, and represent geometric patterns, human silhouettes and animals (elephants, antelopes). Excavations in the 1940s established that the site had been occupied intermittently for about 15,000 years. Indeed, all the elements necessary for survival were present: water from the nearby river, a cave for shelter, wood for fire and plenty of game.

The Livingstone Memorial is not actually located in the heart of Kasanka National Park, but it is close by. The park entrance is about 48 km from the historic site. From the park entrance, take the main road to Lake Bangweluu and then turn right onto a track at Namilika Kawa for about 35 km. It is accessible by a pleasant track lined with bemba villages and surrounded by miombo forests. On the way, you can stop at the palace of Chief Chitambo IV, the great grandson of the chief who received David Livingstone. This national monument includes a large stele with a simple cross and a memorial plaque that marks the spot where his two faithful servants, Susu and Chuma, buried David Livingstone's heart. In search of the source of the Nile, the explorer arrived in the Bangweulu area weakened by malaria and dysentery. He died on May^1, 1873, in the village of Chitambo. After burying his heart at the foot of a tree, Livingstone's two companions undertook a 9-month journey to transport his body to the Tanzanian coast. From there, he was shipped back to London and buried with honors in Westminster Abbey. In 1899, the Royal Geographical Society of London sent an expedition to recover the tree trunk and the original inscription carved by Susi and Chuma, a copy of which can be seen in the Livingstone Museum. The present memorial was erected in 1973, exactly one century after the explorer's death.

Kundalila Falls is located about 60 km north of Serenje (13°09.260'S, 30°42.119'E) by a 15 km dirt road from the Great North Road. They are among the most beautiful in Zambia. At the edge of the Muchinga escarpment, the Kaombe River plunges 70 m high, spreading out in a veil of mist before reaching a pool of crystal clear water. It is possible to swim at the foot of the falls in a natural pool. The site, classified as a national heritage, has a basic campsite, with a kitchenette and recent sanitary facilities.

This semicircular cave cut into the Nsalu hill (12°43.202'S, 30°40.952'E) features some African rock paintings of the San, ancestors of the Bushmen. Archaeological excavations conducted in the 1940s showed that the site was occupied as early as the Stone Age and for at least 20,000 years. The meaning of the colored drawings and abstract figures is still a mystery, but scholars believe they refer to initiation ceremonies. Although it is a national monument, the site has suffered from numerous degradations.

Fort Elwes - or at least what remains of it - was built in 1896 by Europeans venturing into the area as gold seekers, to protect themselves from a possible incursion by members of the indigenous Ngoni tribe. Little is known about the history of these men. But this imposing fort, the remains of which can be seen, remains. It is perched at an altitude of 1,600 meters. It is an opportunity to take a good hike to the top to enjoy a beautiful panorama of the neighboring hills. Take a local guide for the way.

This pretty little waterfall gushing through the ochre rocks is about a 2 hour drive from Mkushi and about 40 km, by a track that crosses the forest, close to the Congolese border. It is located just off the track and easy to find. It consists of a few small rapids and natural pools where you can swim. Camping is allowed here but there is really nothing, not even running water. So it is only possible if you are totally self-sufficient in drinking water, food, etc.

Located within the Shiwa Ngandu estate, 20 km from the mansion, these clear gurgling springs are a great place to bathe surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. It's a dream come true in this hot dusty bush. Like a natural whirlpool, the hot water bubbles up from a shallow part of the Manshya River. The area around the spring is a great place to go for a walk in the hills. The Nachipala Bareback Hill is a large granite massif that offers a breathtaking panorama and was climbed by Dr. Livingstone himself during his journey through Zambia. The path to the site requires a short hour's walk. At the top, a stone mound marks the spot where, on his last trip in 1867, Livingstone took compass measurements in his final attempt to find the source of the Nile. It is also possible to raft on the river at Chusa Falls, 10 km upstream from the springs.

San (ancestor of the Bushmen) rock paintings were discovered in 2011 a few hundred meters from the hot springs. Although there is a lack of precise scientific information about these paintings, they appear to date from the Stone Age, as do many of the rock paintings in the region, from which they appear very similar. The locals know where they are, you will have to ask for directions to locate them.

It is a very nice natural site, suitable for walking or resting, with basic facilities for campers and worth a refreshing swim. 120 km north of Mpika towards Chinsali and Isoka, turn left and continue for 6 km (10°44.998'S, 32°00.284'E). You will then have to pay an entrance fee of a few dollars to reach the edge of the Lubu River which flows in a series of rapids and waterfalls. Over a distance of 500 m, the difference in altitude is 40 m, with the highest waterfall reaching 5 m.

This museum, opened in 1974, displays pieces collected in the 1940s by a Canadian missionary, Father Corbell. It is the best place in the country to discover the Bemba culture. There are four sections: ethnography, prehistory, history and natural history, plus an art gallery. One can contemplate an impressive collection of tools, weapons, musical instruments, utensils of daily life, costumes, masks... The Natural History section exhibits the different types of snakes of the region.

The falls are located on the Luombe River. It is in fact a combination of three waterfalls. Mutumuna, the first, is the prettiest with its 20-meter high drop; the second, Keyela, is a succession of rapids; the third, Chishimba, falls in three stages into the stone canyon. The falls are used as a generator for a hydroelectric station, but the installation does not spoil the beauty of the site which, according to the locals, is inhabited by spirits. There is a camping area and beautiful walks in the rainforest around the falls.

At Abercorn, 85 km south of Kasama, this monument marks the spot where General Von Lettow Vorbeck, commander of German forces in East Africa during World War I, surrendered. A weapon from 1890 is embedded in the stone. In reality, the general won the town of Kasama on November 13, 1918, two days after the Armistice was signed. The news did not reach the bush until a week later, and he capitulated on November 23.

An exceptional site classified as a national monument and UNESCO world heritage. It is a major prehistoric art complex in Africa of some 700 rock paintings in caves and caverns. They were made by Batwa (or Twa) hunter-gatherers in the Stone Age and some may be as old as 20,000 years. Most of the drawings represent abstract and enigmatic geometric shapes of dots and circles. But at Sumina, one can see a hunter chasing a lion and a buffalo, and at Mwankole, figures of dancers and a penis.

Twelve kilometers from the main road and 90 kilometers north of Mansa on the Luapula River, this 5-kilometer series of rapids, also known as Johnstone Falls, lies on the border between Zambia and the DRC. From these falls, the lush and densely populated Luapula Valley opens up into a vast area of floodplains and lagoons south of Lake Mweru. Traditionally, fishermen near the falls used weirs and traps to catch as many fish as possible before the flood waters receded.

Certainly, the most spectacular falls in the region; a miniature version of Victoria Falls, with a rainbow that forms on a sunny day. Located 9 km from the road between Kawambwa and Mporokoso, near the Chimpembe ferry, they are worth a visit. They are 100 m wide and 30 m high and feed a small tropical forest on the banks of the Kalungwishi River. The site also shelters some rock paintings, do not hesitate to ask the inhabitants. A basic campsite with sanitary block is available on site.

On the Ng'ona River, between Kazembe and Kawambwa, 18 km away, these waterfalls are composed of pools, rapids and waterfalls that fall 40 m high. They would shelter spirits according to the local beliefs. Before ascending to the throne, the chiefs of the region used to come there to make their ablutions, in order to protect themselves from the evil eye and misfortune. It is an ideal site for camping, which, like Lumangwe Falls, has some rock paintings that can be discovered with the help of local people.

Below Lake Bangweulu, the Luapula is a huge swamp that flows south and then west before descending to Mambatuta Falls and then Mambilima Falls. The former are located 32 km north of Mansa and 8 km to the left. They flow, in 30 m and in series of rapids, in a wide and deep pool where you can swim. The site is really beautiful. There is also a temple dedicated to the protective spirits Makumba and their sister Ngosa, in which a fire burns that is said to never go out.

Kundabwika Falls is the last major waterfall on the Kalungwishi River, 95 km from Mporokoso, before it flows into Lake Mweru. It consists of two separate waterfalls, the larger of which drops 25 m in height and reaches 70 m in width during the rainy season. The falls are accessible from the south between Kawambwa and Mporokoso or from the north via Nchelengue and Mununga. A guardian watches over this sacred sanctuary among local people who believe that ignoring the ancestral rituals and prayers at the falls brings bad luck.

Fibwe Observatory is a good place to observe the migration of bats, as it is located next to the forest where they shelter in season. It is also a popular spot to try to spot the sitatunga. You have to climb a ladder to reach a platform located at 18 m high in a large mahogany tree (red mahogany). It allows to overhang the marshes of Kabapi where the sitatungas come to feed early in the morning and late in the afternoon. We often see more than 20 in one visit and the record is 94!