Sailing safari on Lake Kariba offers a sparkling new perspective on a gorgeous wilderness area
The wind tugged gently at our sails as we glided across the vast, shimmering waters of Lake Kariba. Ahead, the rugged peaks of the Matusadona National Park framed the horizon, a promise of adventure waiting to unfold. This was no ordinary safari. Our family of four was on a unique three-night sail safari, blending the tranquillity of sailing with the untamed beauty of the Zambezi wilderness.
The adventure began at the harbour where we met our skipper, a seasoned Kariba local with an obsessive love of the lake and all its inhabitants. Our yacht – a spacious, beautifully crafted 30-foot Wharram Tikki catamaran – designed specifically for Kariba, offered utility, comfort and a sense of deep connection with the surrounding nature. It also really looked the part. It was clear from the start that this was going to be an intimate experience, allowing us to immerse ourselves fully in the rhythms of the wild.
Lake Kariba is the world’s largest man-made lake by volume, straddling the old course of the Zambezi between Zimbabwe and Zambia. It is a watery wonderland teeming with life, from pods of hippos lazing in the shallows to elephants bathing playfully in the water (they love to swim). Fish eagles called above us as the catamaran sliced through the glassy, bath-warm, crystal-clear water, their haunting cries echoing across the sky. The children took to the boat immediately, lounging on the trampolines and sitting in the netting between the two hulls in their swimming costumes to get splashed by passing waves as the boat skimmed its way across the 30km-wide eastern basin to the Matusadona shore.
The Matusadona mountains were mirrored in the water as we glided silently along the national park’s shoreline. Before long, we spotted three young male elephants emerging from the treeline, their enormous frames moving quietly but with unexpected haste as they made their way down to the water’s edge, then straight into the water. That is when the show began. Three young bulls with no responsibilities have all the time in the world to splash about and roughhouse in the warm water of a balmy Kariba evening. No photograph or video could ever do justice to the show they put on as the golden Zambezi sun went down behind this elephantine bathtime.
Walk in wonder
One of the most exhilarating aspects of this sail safari was the opportunity to step off the boat and explore Matusadona National Park on foot. Unlike traditional safaris, where you observe wildlife from the confines of a vehicle, walking safaris bring visitors eye to eye with nature in its purest form. Guided by a ranger direct from the boat, we walked up the grassy plains and into the Matusadona bush, stopping to see a buffalo carcass and numerous impala and zebra.
We returned to the boat as the sun melted into the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues of orange and pink, and sailed to a nearby sandy island where tables and chairs were set up on the pristine sandy beach for sundowners. Dinner was simple yet sublime: fresh-caught Kariba bream with vegetables and a glass of white wine to the accompaniment of grunting from the hippopotamus night shift shuffling past to graze.
We slept under the stars that night on the deck, the catamaran secured in a secluded bay, gentle waves lapping at the boat hulls. The air was filled with the symphony of nature – distant lion roars, the chatter of night birds and the occasional splash of a hippo returning to the water. We stared into the vastness of the starlit sky. With no city lights to compete, the Milky Way stretched above in dazzling clarity, and somewhere along the way, each one of us faded off to dreamy sleep.
No safari is complete without an element of the unexpected, and the sail safari delivered in ways never anticipated. We never imagined the simple thrill gained from taking the helm under the skipper’s encouragement, feeling the boat ghosting through the water with the wind. Pulling this and that rope to get the sails trimmed just right, then tacking and doing it all again in the other direction or having to adjust as conditions changed. There is surely some deep metaphor for life here, but everyone was too relaxed to work out exactly what it was.
Dreamlike delight
As the final morning dawned, mist curled over the lake, giving the landscape an ethereal quality. There was time for one last game walk, tracing the spoor of a leopard that had walked through the sand during the night. Though the elusive cat was never seen, the knowledge that it was nearby added an extra layer of thrill to the adventure.
Setting sail to return, our hearts were content. We had come seeking adventure and found it in abundance – each moment a brush with the wild, each day a reminder of the magic that exists when we allow ourselves to truly connect with nature.
This three-night sail safari on Lake Kariba was more than just a getaway; it was a journey into the heart of Africa’s wilderness. It was a lesson in patience, respect and the art of slowing down to appreciate the world around us. Most importantly, it was a shared experience – one that brought our family closer as we navigated the waters and trod the soil of one of the last true wildernesses.
Stepping back onto the sand at Hall’s Beach, reality beckoned, but the spirit of the wild remained. Lake Kariba had cast its spell, and we knew we would return someday, drawn once more to its untamed beauty and the life-changing adventures it holds.
Text | Ant Brown
Photography | Ant Brown and Shutterstock
For more information on sailing safaris with Sail With Elephants, go to sailwithelephants.com.
