Lake Volta
Lake Volta is one of the world’s largest artificially created lakes. Normally called as “Volta Lake by the locals, it stretches more than 320 mi/520 km. The dam, near the village of Akosombo, was a monumental project that was fraught with problems but now provides electricity for much of the country. Don’t take pictures of the dam. Its illegal to take photographs over there, so be cautious.
Related Travel Information
Lake Kariba
Lake Kariba is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world —180 miles (290 km) long and up to 20 miles (32 km) wide (see "Lake Kariba" in the Zimbabwe chapter for full details). The Zimbabwe (southern) side of the lake is currently more developed than the Zambia (northern) side of the lake. Canoe safaris are offered downstream of Kariba Dam through the Kariba Gorge.
Lake Ngami
Lake Ngami is a relic of the superlake that once covered much of northern Botswana. South of the Okavango Delta, the lake is now completely dry - except when fed by water from the flooded delta. When David Livingstone first saw this lake in 1849, however, he described it as more than 100 mi/160 km long. When wet, the Ngami is filled by an incredible number of water birds, including flamingos, eagles, storks and pelicans - it is one of the best bird-watching spots in the world. Before making the trip, be sure the lake has water; otherwise, there's
Lake Bogoria
At the beginning of Kenya's great Northern Wilderness lies Lake Bogoria.
The lake is the heart of an arid landscape, in the shadow of the dramatic walls of the Siracho Range. The soda waters of the lake attract massive flocks of Flamingo, and the lake is often carpeted with pink.
The 32 sq km lake is still volcanically active, and the Western shore is lined with spouting geysers, spurting steam and bubbling geothermal pools. Fresh water springs at the lake edge attract an abundance of birds and wildlife.
There are many Fish Eagles, which often prey on the local flamingos.
The shores
Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is world famous for, and was created a National Park, to protect its stunning flocks of lesser flamingo, which literally turn its shores pink. Its birdlife is world renowned: a beacon for leading ornithologists, scientists and wildlife film-makers. The park spans an attractive range of wooded and bush grassland around the lake offering wide ecological diversity, from lake water, woodland to the rocky escarpments and ridges. Nakuru provides the visitor with one of Kenya's best known images. Thousands of flamingo, joined into a massive flock, fringe the shores of this soda lake. A pulsing pink swathe of
Rift Valley Lakes
There are seven lakes of the Rift Valley. These lakes sits in a wide, fertile valley which runs between Addis Ababa and the Kenyan border. This is one of the best parts of Ethiopia for bird watching. Lake Lagano, lake Abiata and Lake Shala are the most popular of the seven - one lake is blue, one silver and one brown. Abiata and Shala form a designated national park, but this doesn't mean much in practice. Lake Abiata is shallow, with heaps of birds, while Lake Shala sits at the bottom of a 250m deep crater. Lagano is
