Incredible manmade lake is huge 175-miles long and cost £540m to build
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This epic lake plays a significant part in supplying electricity to two neighbouring countries, and was once the biggest in the world. Built back in the 1950s, Lake Kariba covers around 2,000 square miles - extending upstream by a whopping 175 miles - and holds so much water (around 180 billion tons) it has actually caused earthquakes reaching over five on the Richter scale.
Lake Kariba was formed by damming the Zambezi River which flows through Zambia and Zimbabwe to create a hydroelectric facility named Kariba Dam. The dam, which has a dramatic arch structure, stands 128m tall and 579m long, planned to revolutionise the countries' energy supply by generating an endless flow of renewable power.
Of course, this didn't work out quite so ideally, but made a huge change to the two nations' access to electricity. It is reported that Zambia relies on Kariba for more than 80 per cent of its national electricity supply, even though most people will only have power for a few hours a day 'at the best of times'. But, severe droughts caused by climate change has put the damn's future in jeopardy.
Lake Kariba continues to attract tourists from around the world, and was even featured on BBC's The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan. It has become a safari hotspot, with luxury hotels offering stunning views o the vast water - now home to an array of wildlife. You'll be able to spot big game like elepants, buffalo, hippos, and the Big Five, as well as crocodiles, zebra, and warthogs.
You can explore the lake by touring around its perimeter on foot or from the comfort and safety of a jeep, or can get up close and personal with the wildlife on a boat safari. Here, you may also be able to try fishing, and will be lucky if you catch the elusive tiger fish.
