Natural Crafts Zambia

A sign indicates the location of these huge tree trunks from the Karoo period, about 150 million years ago. One of the many charms of Kariba is the mysterious forests of dead trees (mostly mopane and mahogany) that stand near the shoreline. This is a very important part of the city's culture, as it is the only way to get to know the city and its people. They are the survivors of the vast logging campaign undertaken on more than 1,000 km² before the lake was formed. Also spared by the rise of the waters, too slow and too progressive to involve their fall, they were, for a long time, a subject of concern for the ecologists of the region. They predicted that in the long term the trees would be detrimental to the developing ecosystem... The opposite was true! In the 1970's, research established that the submerged trees constituted a favorable support for the development of dozens of species of vertebrates and algae. A providential food that allows to maintain a very high rate of fish in the lake. This is the only way to ensure the sustainability of the city's cultural landscape. It is important to add that they serve as a perch for a multitude of aquatic birds (egrets, herons, cormorants, kingfishers and fish eagles...) that like to come and nest in their bare branches.

This huge tree of the Afzenias species is an emblem of the city, near the center. A survivor from the colonial era, it has become a symbol of the slave trade, whose negotiations took place in the shade of its foliage in the 1880s. Indeed, Swahili slave traders, the most famous of whom were Chipembere, Mwalabu and Chiwala, came here to buy slaves. They traded prisoners captured especially during the war with the Mambundu from Angola. They were then deported to the Swahili coast of the Indian Ocean and sold to Arab slave traders who operated the human trade from the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania, then under the rule of the Sultanate of Oman. They were then sent mainly to the Arabian Peninsula, and to a lesser extent to Indian Ocean colonies (Mauritius, etc.) until the 1900s, when British-protected Zambia abolished slavery. While the British sought early to intercept slave ships bound for the Americas as early as the 1850s, it was very difficult to control the opaque trade that took place deep in the Zambian bush, which was an advantage for decades for Swahili traders based in the region. In addition, the Arabs continued to illegally ship slaves even after the British took control of Zanzibar, as it was easy to send boats by night and with little fanfare.

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.

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.

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.

To visit the largest open pit mine in Africa (and the second largest in the world), you will need to obtain a permit from the mining office at the end of Fern Avenue (open on weekdays only). The crescent-shaped mine is 11 km long and covers nearly 30 ^km2. The deepest part of the pit goes down to 400 meters, a huge hole! Mining began in 1955 and nine successive pits were dug. Drilling continues thanks to more and more advanced techniques allowing to go deeper and deeper.

In the south of the park, the Gwisho springs, located along a geological fault, are surrounded by lush vegetation. The water, which is 1 km deep, rises by convection and its temperature varies between 60°C and 90°C. It contains high levels of sodium, chlorine, calcium and sulfate. Excavations at the Gwisho site have revealed more than 30 Gwisho graves and skeletons, as well as numerous hunters' arrowheads. Further west, women from the surrounding villages often come to the Bwanda springs to do their laundry.

These rocks are called "drum stones" because of the echo produced when they are struck. For the local people, this sacred place was used during the rites of passage to adulthood for young boys. It was said that people who refused to believe in it would never come out again. It is still customary for the traveler to greet the rocks before continuing his journey. Nearby, a huge baobab tree, whose hollow trunk can shelter several people, is considered a magic tree that protects travelers from wild animals.