The Kalandula Falls

The Kalandula Falls, in the lush interior province of Malanje, are one of the most magnificent and least-visited natural wonders in Africa, ranking among the largest waterfalls on the continent. Here the Lucala River tumbles over a broad, curving cliff in a spectacular horseshoe some 400 metres wide and over 100 metres high, sending up clouds of spray and thunder amid a setting of green hills and forest. Little known and rarely crowded, the falls, viewed from a clifftop lookout or the base, are a genuinely awe-inspiring sight and the crowning natural highlight of a country only beginning to open to travellers.

The landscape

• The horseshoe falls - the broad, thundering curtain of water.
• The clifftop lookout - the panoramic view over the cascade.
• The spray and rainbows - the mist rising from the base.
• The green setting - the hills and forest around the falls.

When to go

February to May, at the end of and just after the rainy season, for the fullest, most thunderous flow, when the falls are at their most spectacular; the dry season reduces the volume but makes the roads easier. The interior is reached by a long road journey from Luanda, usually as part of a wider trip.

Before you go

Angola is one of Africa's least-developed tourism destinations, expensive and with limited infrastructure, and the falls are remote, reached by a long road journey with basic facilities; visas, though easing, have historically been hard. For the reward of one of Africa's greatest and most gloriously uncrowded waterfalls, though, a thundering horseshoe in the green interior, Kalandula is magnificent and unforgettable for the adventurous.

Nearby

The Pungo Andongo black rock formations and the town of Malanje are within reach.

Key facts