Things to see and do Mpika

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.

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.