Zambezi River Basin

Tourism The wide variety of landforms and vegetation zones in the Zambezi basin offer many spectacular tourist attractions. The major tourism destinations in the Zambezi basin are national parks and nature reserves, with wildlife and scenery as the primary attractions. The big mammals which draw many tourists to the region include elephants, buffalo, rhinoceros, leopards and lions. Tourism, especially game viewing, sport hunting, and fishing, has become an increasingly important economic sector in many of the riparian states in the Zambezi Basin (Chenje 2000).

is the major tourist attraction of the basin, providing water-based tourist activities, game viewing and dramatic scenic views. Bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge, with its 111-metre drop, is also a major attraction. It is one of the highest commercial jumps in the world. Considered the most spectacular feature along the Zambezi, the Victoria Falls is known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya (or The Smoke that Thunders), and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Water-based activities include canoeing, boating, white-water rafting, scuba diving, and sport fishing. Most of these activities are carried out on the main Zambezi River, Lake Kariba and Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa.

The Victoria Falls, on the main section of the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe,

© EVistock/iStockphoto.com

© Louv

Lions and buffalo are among the Big Five wild animals that are popular with tourists in the Zambezi River Basin.

© Candice Bate, WWF

© Silvrshootr/iStockphoto.com

Bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge is a major attraction for tourists visiting the Zambezi basin.

River rafting down the Zambezi River is seasonal and dependent on rainfall and water levels. Low water level is frommid-July to the end of January, while high water levels are from February to mid-July.

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