Lake Kashiba

Lake Kashiba is a sinkhole in the Copperbelt where the limestone collapsed into a cavern below, leaving a body of water with vertical rock walls dropping straight in and a depth reported at about 70 metres on the south side and some 150 metres on the north, with no stream running in or out. The name is usually translated as small lake, and local legend tells of a monster that seizes the shadow of anyone standing on the rocks at the edge, and of fish from it that will not cook however long they boil. Through the clear water bream and some carp are easy to see. The rim is fenced in places and there is a small campsite.

Highlights

• The vertical walls - rock dropping straight into the water on all sides.
• The depth - about 70 metres at the south side and some 150 at the north.
• The closed basin - no visible stream entering or leaving the lake.
• The legends - the shadow-seizing monster and the fish that will not cook.

When to go

May to October is dry with easy road access. The rains make the track slippery. Midday light shows the water colour best.

Before you go

There is very little here beyond the lake itself and half an hour covers it. Facilities amount to a caretaker and a basic campsite.

Nearby

Chimfunshi is northwest, and Lusaka is far south.

Key facts