Luapula Province Things to Do

  Preparing to Go Boating on Lake Mweru
by Bwana_Brown
 
  • Preparing to Go Boating on Lake Mweru
      Preparing to Go Boating on Lake Mweru
    by Bwana_Brown
  • Congolese Fishing Boat at Rest
      Congolese Fishing Boat at Rest
    by Bwana_Brown
  • Fred and Sebastian Checking the Catch
      Fred and Sebastian Checking the Catch
    by Bwana_Brown
  • A Typical Zambian Village in Luapula
      A Typical Zambian Village in Luapula
    by Bwana_Brown
  • A Smaller Waterfall above Ntumbachushi
      A Smaller Waterfall above Ntumbachushi
    by Bwana_Brown
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Lake Bangweulu Beaches

by Bwana_Brown

Lake Bangweulu, in the southern part of Luapula Province is probably the most 'touristy' place in the area. I ended up here at Samfya in June, 1974 to finally sample the best beach in Zambia!! The sandy bottom of this shallow lake, whose name translates as 'place where the water meets the sky', means that it is not nearly as productive for fisheries as Lake Mweru. However, it is a great lake for anglers with plenty of Tigerfish equipped with a mouth full of teeth! The huge wetlands surrounding the lake have amazing concentrations of small antelopes, such as the Black Lechwe. As would be expected, Bangweulu is also a paradise for birdwatching with an abundance of many different types of water fowl.Because of the extensive rain and flatness of the surrounding land, the water level can vary by 3-7 feet over the course of the year, resulting in a flood plain that expands and contracts by...

Tip Photo
Lake Mweru

by Bwana_Brown

The main source of income for Zambians in this part of the country derives from fishing in Lake Mweru. With both the Luapula and Kalungwishi Rivers feeding into it, the shallow waters of the lake have historically been able to support a great deal of small-scale fishing by villagers located around it's shores.Here, I'm on the lake shore at Nchelenge with a couple of the Canadian volunteers who actually worked in Luapula Province. On this occasion, we were only out for a day trip but I returned about 2 months later to actually go on a fishery patrol of the lake on a government boat.The construction of a paved road to Lake Mweru in 1987 led to a greater influx of people and it is now reported that the shoreline is so packed with village houses that it is difficult to get close to the lake.

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Preparing the 'Banana Boat'

by Bwana_Brown

March, 1974 saw me back in Luapula Province for a 3rd time as a Canadian friend and I finished off a circular trip (see my 'Northern Province' page) to the vast off-the-beaten-path northeast region of Zambia.Since my travelling companion was new to the country, my old fisheries officer buddy in Nchelenge arranged for a day-trip on Lake Mweru for us! It was good to see Sebastian again as a 'banana boat' was prepared for launch on our excursion!This trip was mostly around the mouth of the Luapula River where the fishing concentration was greatest. We saw several dug-out canoes ('mokoros') used by the locals for fishing these rich waters (see my Local Customs tip for a pic). Even the long 'banana boats' are used for this activity, to a lesser extent.

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Luapula River Valley

by Bwana_Brown

The 350-mile (560-km) Luapula River drains the Lake Bangweulu wetlands area, one of the largest in the world. The high rainfall in this part of Zambia assures a steady flow of water and the lower elevations along it's course are condusive to the growth of more 'tropical' palm trees.All of the water carried to Lake Mweru by the Luapula River empties out at the north end of the lake, flowing onward via more rivers into the Congo and eventually joining the mighty Congo River for it's final destination in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Kwambwa Village

by Bwana_Brown

Located south and east of Lake Mweru, and up on the high ground of the escarpment, Kawambwa was a typical friendly Zambian village when I visited the area. In addition to these traditional huts, the village has the usual medley of required stores and bars! In fact, my hosts took me out to one of the local bars one evening and we had a fantastic time. With an old record player churning out African-beat tunes and the beer flowing while people danced, it was a great experience! I still have a few of those old records, with their unique beat and instrumentation, on hand in case I want to bring back the memories! The Bemba people of this area are very friendly and are more than willing to be helpful. I found the same to be true of the students in my classes at the Zambia Institute of Technology in Luanshya. Zambians in general are a friendly bunch!

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A Congolese Fishing Boat

by Bwana_Brown

Since Lake Mweru is shared with the Congo (Zaire in those days), another task of 'Ikana' was to show the Zambian flag to fishing boats registered in the Congo. If they were found on the Zambian side of the lake, they were fair game to be checked out to make sure that they were obeying the required fishing rules.It was a bit funny to see the reaction of some of the many small dug-out canoes that were used for fishing when they saw us bearing down on them. Frantic paddling and various things going over the side before we got there! Just trying to keep them 'honest'.This Congolese fishing boat was simply stationary, with little sign of life. It had spent the night anchored out on the lake like we had.

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Checking the Catch

by Bwana_Brown

One of the tasks that the fisheries patrol boat carried out was to monitor the various species of fish in Lake Mweru. To do this, various government-owned nets were set up at strategic locations.Here, the 'Ikana' has anchored at one of these locations while Tom's two Zambian assistants, Fred and Sebastian, pull in the nets to see what has been caught. In the background is the tender that 'Ikana' towed along between it's two catamaran pontoons.The four of us had a great old night out on the 'Ikana', talking about life and watching the sun set over the lake. It was one of those moments when I thought to myself, this is really different!!

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A Fisheries Patrol

by Bwana_Brown

In July, 1973 I was back at Nchelenge again for another go at Lake Mweru. This time, after finishing a trip to the 'closed' Lusenga Plain National Park (see my Off The Beaten Path tips), my Canadian volunteer buddy Tom took me on an overnight fishery patrol on the lake. Here, the Zambian government fisheries boat 'Ikana' is at anchor at the mouth of the Luapula River as we prepare to depart. This catamaran was quite roomy, sleeping four of us below decks and also equipped with a nice galley where we could cook our meals. Wow, it was fun having contacts like this!

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Wading the Ng'ona River

by Bwana_Brown

After parking our cars at the foot of the main Ntumbachushi Falls, we walked up a small footpath at the side of the falls to reach the upper stretch of the Ng'ona River.Along this stretch is a smaller waterfall and several deep pools that are suitable for swimming. We spent a great afternoon here enjoying the sun and water along with a few Lion Lager and Castle beers!The photo shows me wading in this part of the river.

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Ntumbachushi Falls

by Bwana_Brown

It was not long after we had driven down off the escarpment that we came to the beautiful Ntumbachushi Falls.This waterfall has a 40-m drop (130 feet) with a main stream of water and a finer 'bridal-veil' stream beside it. The Zambians believed that this waterfall was a sanctuary for spirits. The waters of the Ng'ona River, which feed the falls, were used to bathe chiefs before they were installed on the throne in order to cleanse them of any bad karma they might be harbouring!On this day, a bunch of us in two cars stopped here for an afternoon of swimming and picnicing (see next tip).

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