Luapula Province potential tourist destination

 

 

By NDUBI MVULA, Luapula

IT is undeniable fact that the best and largest part of the Victoria Falls is and will always be in Zambia and not otherwise.

And Zambia Tourism Agency marketing manager Ruth Kambalakoko saya her organisation does not mince its words in its commitment to market the country's rich tourism potential.

She says, as depicted in the publication on display at the Luapula Expo, that Zambia is tge land of the legendary African walking safari, home to the Victoria Falls, the wild Zambezi River, breath-taking lakes and wetlands.

The country is a profusion of birds, abundant wildlife, and raw, pulsating wilderness.......all in one beautiful and friendly country, Zambia.

Zambia is acknowledged as one of the safest countries to visit in the whole wide world.

Blesses with more than ten magnificent waterfalls apart from the spectacular Victoria Falls,  Zambia offers several years including remote areas where you can get a glimpse of village life.

Also on the cards is cultural tourism that gives a plethora of cultures that awaits enthusiastic travellers in different parts of the country. 

However, in its latest publication "10 Most Beautiful Places In Luapula, A Guide to Luapula Province Heritage Sites" published for the Luapula Expo 2017, by the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC).

One of the featurea worth visiting is Ntumbachushi Falls, is located in Kawambwa District of Luapula Province on the Muchinga escarpment along the Ng'ona River approximately 15 kilometres west of Kawambwa district at latitude 9 degrees 25'S longitude 28 degrees 58'E and 250kilometres from Mansa.

About 1000 metres upstream, the Ng'ona River gracefully meanders but with yet several mini waterfalls  with about 5 cataracts and 8 natural swimming pools upstream the main falls which are Katongo and Fwaka before coming to the scenic wide plains as if to give an illustration of the masterly and divine architecture of the landscape.

The main waterfalls are about 60 metres in length and have a vertical drop of 30 metres.

At the foot of the falls is a calm pool for excellent for swimming and summer baths while in the same vicinity is another waterfalls popularly known as Mabila (daubed the Witchdoctor).

Other sites near Nthumbachushi Falls include Mbereshi mission and Kilwa island.

Part of the land available within the site for tourism infrastructure development under the PPP arrangement.

A tourist would not only enjoy the beauty of falling waters whilst at Ntumbachishi site but also the rich flora and fauna making up the highly biodiversity of the site.

Nthumbachushi Falls Site is also blessed with a number of rock art paintings which are located about 700 metres in the southern upper edges of the waterfalls and or Ng'ona River.

The paintings are commonly known as "window into the past artistic and spiritual" world of the Later Stone Age (LSA) peoples or the Ba Twa or Bushmen and believed to be over 10000 years old.

The paintings which are similar to those if Kasama's Mwela Rock Paintings, take both naturalistic and schematic stylistic nature.

It is noted that unlike Kasama Rock art that occurs in both Red Animal Tradition (Naturalistic) as well as  Red Geometric Tradition (Schematic), the majority in Nthumbachushi Paintings are in Red Geometric Tradition  and these include,  finger dots, lines ( vertical, horizontal and parallel), circles, arcs, grids, ladder, circles with radiating lines, concentric circles, divided circles, oblong shapes, arrow like designs, flower-like designs and cones.

Therefore, to all prospective tourists be it local or foreign, destination Luapula, the Land if the magestic Water Falls in Zambia has visa services that are provided by the commercial banks in the area.

And NHCC Executive Director Collins Chongo Chipote says as a Commission participating in the Luapula Expo gives them an opportunity to display the many hidden treasures of the province to the rest of the world.

"These heritage sites present a range of fascinating alternatives to hundreds of well-known tourists destination around the country giving you unforgettable experiences to life within a space of 50.6 square Kilometres," he said.

Indeed the die is cast and the Nickson Chilamgsa Luapula Expo Team has taken a giant step towards transforming the the area.