Last week Nelsy and I went to Kariba to film some episodes of Carl’s Travel vlog. We had some amazing friends join us for the trip and to share the amazing beauty of this place with us. Kariba has to be one of the most beautiful places on the African continent. Here are 10 things I want to share with you about our trip.
Before we get to that, some introductions; On the trip with us were award-winning photographer and friend, Henry Oliver Hakulandaba and his wife Lala. We also had De Ankarra Chef with us, a good friend and colleague. We also picked an amazing couple to join us; Sheron and Tinashe. So it was quite a party and what fun we had.
Her we go…
KARIBA
Kariba is literally a ghost town with very little activity happening at this time of the year. I just couldn’t understand how a beautiful gem like this in Zimbabwe is not teeming with church groups, school trips, corporate retreats and families coming out for this amazing view and experience. Lucky for us, we felt like we had this gem all to ourselves.
THE ISLANDS
We parked at one of the many islands in a natural harbour lined with dead, moping trees in the water. What amazing views to behold there and an awesome beach you could spend so much time exploring. Tinashe and Henry did most of the exploring and I watched them go at it.
WILDLIFE
Hippos galore, but we didn’t get to see many crocodiles. I guess our captain gauged our level of fear and took us to areas we could walk around without fear of becoming the next meal for one of these prehistoric beasts.
De ANKARRE CHEF
What a privilege it was to spend 5 days having meals prepared for you by one of the most incredible cuisine talents we have in Zimbabwe. My friend Tafadzwa Anifasi, affectionately and professionally known as De Ankarra Chef, showed us just why he was the Battle of the Chefs Season One winner. What an amazing experience of traditional dishes, like the mundane porridge in the morning getting a face-lift with dried fruit, honey and milk, to reinvent our mornings. Waffles, fish, chicken… we were spoilt and spoilt again and again.
HENRY OLIVER HAKULANDABA
The amazing thing about having a friend who is an award-winning photographer is that your memories are captured not only in HD but also with such vibrant colour, composition and consistency. Henry expertly captured our experience and did some amazing time lapse videos which will be such a great representation of the beautiful Zimbabwe we have.
RENEWING MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY WIFE
Nelsy and I got married on a private island in the Bahamas when she used to work on cruise ships and being on a houseboat was like a mini version of that beautiful day. Last time on our wedding she was the one working and this time I was on a working holiday in Kariba. We got so much time to walk on the beach and talk way into the night and more. It was so much fun to be with my best friend in the whole world.
ZANELE
Zanele is a 16 person houseboat that can be setup with different configurations. On the bottom deck are two rows of rooms with bathrooms and showers on either side of the boat. Upstairs is a huge deck and pool which was a dope place to chill until the mosquitoes ushered us to bed at night. Thankfully, on a few nights, there was a gentle breeze, so the pesky insects were nowhere to be found, YAY!!!! Zanele gracefully and freely took us across the lake and sea sickness was hardly a worry as she was smooth and enjoyable.
NATURE IS SPECTACULAR
You begin to appreciate how spectacular nature is when you spend enough time with it. We observed from our front row seats some really awesome storms on the lake with nice clear skies above us… amazing! Lightning bolts seen in the distance of this mammoth man made lake that stretches over 200 km struck us with awe and wonder.
FISH, OH FISH
We didn’t do any fishing, but went out to the fish markets in the townships to check out what the local fishermen had caught that day. Picking a fresh fish for your celebrity chef on board is always a good idea, although both myself and De Ankarra Chef were not happy that there isn’t a proper fish market. Ideas of course for the not to distant future. I am sure people will travel for a beautifully setup fresh fish market in Zimbabwe.
ENVIRONMENT
It is unfortunate that you see over-fishing on our lake and so many trawlers out on Kariba. One wonders how long we’ll be able to continue hauling kapenta out of the lake. I would be curious to find out statistically how we are doing regarding fishing levels and poaching in Kariba… discussion for another day I guess, but awareness for myself and others around this issue is definitely needed.
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In short Kariba was a great week out with friends and colleagues learning more about each other and enjoying the vessel we called home for a few days. Thank you Zanele Safaris for making this happen and also to Beneath a Zimbabwe Sun for being our guide on this amazing journey where we get to #visitZimbabwe particularly #visitKariba on #CarlsTRAVELvlog.
