Lower Zambezi & Lake Kariba Accommodation

This region covers two very different waters. The Lower Zambezi National Park sits on the north bank of the river opposite Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools, and its camps are river camps: canoeing, boat cruises, tiger fishing and game drives along a narrow floodplain backed by an escarpment. Almost all of them are small, seasonal and inclusive, reached by light aircraft to Jeki or Royal airstrips or by a long drive and boat transfer from Chirundu. Lake Kariba, upstream around Siavonga, is a resort lake rather than a wilderness: hotels, houseboats and weekend lodges that fill with Lusaka traffic on Friday nights.

The two suit different trips. The Lower Zambezi is a genuine safari destination and prices accordingly; Kariba is a two-hour drive from Lusaka and works as a short break, a fishing trip or a stop on the way to or from Zimbabwe. Very few itineraries need both, and combining them usually costs a day of driving for little gain.

Season matters more in the park than on the lake. Most Lower Zambezi camps close through the heart of the rains, roughly from late November to March, and the river is at its most workable for canoeing and fishing from June onwards. Kariba stays open all year, though the hottest months before the rains are genuinely uncomfortable on the water.