Lake Dilolo

Lake Dilolo covers around fifteen square kilometres in Moxico Leste province (part of Moxico until 2024) and is generally counted the largest natural lake in Angola. Its position is what makes it interesting: it lies close to the divide between the Congo and Zambezi basins, in country so flat that the watershed is barely perceptible on the ground. Local tradition attaches stories to the lake about a village that sank beneath it. Fishing communities work the water and there is no development around it.

What's there

• The lake - around fifteen square kilometres of open water, generally counted the country's largest.
• The watershed - the almost invisible divide between the Congo and Zambezi basins.
• The waterbirds - concentrations on the shallows and reed fringe.
• The fishing villages - communities working the lake from canoes.

When to go

May to September is the dry season and the practical window for the roads. The rains from November to April flood large areas of Moxico. Early morning is the best for birds.

Things to know

There is no accommodation, no formal access and no facilities at the lake. Roads in Moxico are poor and long stretches are sand. Local arrangements and Portuguese are necessary.

Nearby

Cameia National Park is south-west, and Luena is west.

Key facts