Siavonga Town: Zambia’s Spectacular Lakeside Town

Siavonga town is located on the shores of Lake Kariba, in the Southern Province of Zambia. It is about two and a half hours drive from Lusaka on good tarred roads.

Siavonga grew up to house people displaced by the rising waters when their area was flooded between 1958 and 1963 following the completion of the Kariba Dam. This led to the displacing of large numbers of the local Tonga people dwelling in the area.

Siavonga town is little known as a Zambian tourist destination. But the town is slowly awakening from slumber to becoming a hot spot on the Zambian tourism circuit. Despite its small size, Siavonga has all a discerning visitor can ask for, like excellent accommodation, banking facilities, general stores, and a good number of shops, a post office and a hospital. Its positioning on the shores of Lake Kariba means most of the activities are centered on the lake.

Accommodation

Siavonga boasts of a good number of excellent hotels and lodges. Below are some of the exciting Lodges and Hotels of the town…

Protea Hotel (Southern Belle) (reservations@southernbelle.co.zm)
Sandy Beach Safari Lodge has a wide array of Guest rooms and Camping facilities. As a guest of the lodge, you will enjoy the magnificent views and the stunning sunsets of Lake Kariba.
Lake Kariba Inns boasts of 50 guestrooms consisting of 7 villas, 15 executive rooms and 28 standard rooms. The rooms are big, clean and comfortable.
Manchinchi Bay Lodge is conveniently located on the shores of one of the world’s biggest man-made lakes, Lake Kariba. It is Siavonga town’s most outstanding lodge.
Lake Safari lodge offers you suitable accommodation in Siavonga town, on the shores of Lake Kariba, one of the biggest man-made lakes in the world and by volume, the largest man-made lake in Africa.
The Bay Hotel has magnificent views and stunning sunsets of Lake Kariba. All these are a mere two and a half hours drive from Lusaka.

Attractions

Lake Kariba offers a lot of activities for the adventurous visitor; boating, canoeing, sport fishing, water sports, birding and lake cruises, and the visitor can also get on-board the Southern Belle and enjoy the magnificent sunset view of Lake Kariba as seen from the boat. Below are must see areas near Siavonga.

Lower Zambezi National Park

The Park is one and a half hour drive from Siavonga. It covers an area of 4092 square kilometers. Most of the wild game is found in the valley.

Proflight Zambia offers flights between:

Lusaka to Lower Zambezi,
And daily flights between Livingstone and Lower Zambezi

Ing’ombe Ilede

The place is located in the Southern Province of Zambia on a hill near the confluence of the Zambezi and Lusitu rivers, near Siavonga, close to the Kariba dam. It is named ‘Sleeping cow’ because the baobab tree on location resembles a sleeping cow.

The Sleeping cow-Ingombe Ilede

It is one of the most important archeological sites in Zambia. It was discovered in 1960 during civil engineering works. It has a lot of historical significance. The excavations done at the site have helped historians understand the development of trade in the region.

Fossil Forest

Fossil Forest

When you are approaching Chirundu from Kafue town, just after Siavonga turn-off, there is a plaque showing the Chirundu Fossil Forest, an area of petrified trees. The reserve is a listed National monument of Zambia. A tour of the country is incomplete without a view of Siavonga town and Lake Kariba.