Kariba

Hippos by the lake

Kariba is a town on the shore of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.

Get in

Kariba is 365 km from the capital city Harare. There are many buses from Kariba to Harare.

Get around

It is better to have your own vehicle. The town is very hilly.

You can walk on the road from Moth Camp to the Tourist Information viewpoint. It is not advised to walk by night due to wild animals roaming around.

See

• 1 Lake Kariba. The world's largest man-made lake and reservoir by volume. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Kariba Dam. (updated May 2018)
• 3 Dam wall viewpoint and tourism information centre (path from the Zuva service station). Observation point with nice view of the dam.
  Tourism information centre with a small exhibition inside.
  Curios sold outside. (updated Aug 2024)

Do

Child kayaking

Lake Kariba is a great place to fish and enjoy the wild life that visit the shores of the worlds largest man made lake. One of the most popular ways of travelling along the lake is on a houseboat. Houseboats tour companies travel along the river giving you an opportunity to fish and enjoy the wild life that drinks along the banks of the river.Tiger fish and bream are the two most popular fish found in the lake. Houseboat tours can take up to five days with evening spent camping on the shore of the lake.

Eat

• 1 ZPC Social Club. Lunch on terrace with a pool and a good view of the lake from a sandy beach. (updated Aug 2024)

Sleep

Budget

Elephant silhouetted against the sunset

• 1 Moth Holiday Resort Camp (20 min walk from Makombekcombe), ☏ +263 161-2809. Camping and pre-erected tents, dorms. Camping: US$10, dorms: US$20. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Warthogs Bushcamp, right over looking Lake Kariba, ☏ +263-775-068406, relax@warthogs.co.zw. Camping with own tent or single/double tented units. Locals say that animal spotting is more frequent here than near the dam. $5/$10/$15. (updated Apr 2020)

Go next

• Mana Pools National Park
• Matusadona National Park
• Siavonga: the opposite city on the Zambian side of the lake