Kalambo Falls

Found on the Kalambo River, the border between Tanzania and Zambia, the magnificent Kalambo Falls are the second highest waterfall in Africa and the twelfth highest in the world. They drop from the high east-African plateau over the wall of the Great Rift Valley for 221 uninterrupted metres - a higher fall even than the Victoria Falls.

The Kalambo Falls' width varies from as little as two metres during the dry season to as much as fifteen metres after the heavy rains. The water tumbles turbulently into a green pool at the bottom of a gorge, where the rare Maribou stork has been known to nest. After Kalambo, the river flows into Lake Tanganyika.

Largely unknown to travellers is the presence of a very important archaeological site just above the falls. Preserved by the sediment deposited by seasonal fluctuations in the river, fossils and other remains date back 30,000 years, indicating that the site was occupied throughout much of the Stone Age and the early Iron Age.

The falls are worth a visit at any time, but they're at their most impressive towards the end of the wet season in February and March.

Request a Quote |  Add to my wishlist