Although the building of the Kariba Dam was surrounded by controversy, both environmentally and socially, it is an impressive monument to man's engineering expertise. The massive valley, which now forms Lake Kariba has survived, with most plant and animal species having adapted to the changed conditions. Once Zambia realizes the huge tourist potential the lake offers, there are many positive implications for the struggling economy and unemployment problems in the area. The Tonga People, whose traditional lands lie buried beneath the lake, would probably benefit most from tourist development.
When the dam was completed in 1960, it was the largest man-made dam ever built. Lake Kariba stretches 220 km long and in places up to 40 kilometers wide, it provides considerable electric power to both Zambia and Zimbabwe and supports a thriving commercial fishing industry.
The lake's vastness creates spectacular panoramas as the sun casts its glow across the shimmering waters catching the distinctive half-submerged trees and islands.
Find a flight to Lake Kariba