Source of the Zambezi

The Zambezi rises in a patch of dense evergreen forest near the point where Zambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo meet, and the source itself is unremarkable to look at: a spring in leaf litter that becomes a stream you can step across within a few metres. The forest around it is protected and holds birds found nowhere else in Zambia. A monument marks the spot. The river runs some 2,500 kilometres from here to the Indian Ocean.

The landscape

• The spring - a trickle in leaf litter that becomes a stream within metres.
• The forest - dense evergreen woodland protected around the source.
• The monument - the marker set at the point itself.
• The birds - Congo-basin species reaching their Zambian limit here.

When to go

May to October is dry and the track is passable. The rains from November make the approach difficult. Mornings are best for birds.

Before you go

The site itself is modest and some visitors find the drive out of proportion to what is there. The track is long and rough. There are no facilities beyond a caretaker and a shelter.

Nearby

Mwinilunga is south, and Likumbi Lya Mize is far southwest at Zambezi.

Key facts