Rukwa showcases nature and history through distinct features: waterfalls and hot springs shape its landscapes, complemented by forests and wildlife. It also has buildings with a documented history and a specific historical purpose. This lets you discover the region according to what interests you most: natural features, wildlife or history.

Waterfalls defined by height and location

Kalambo Falls is located near Kapozwa in Kalambo District, on the border between Tanzania and Zambia. It is a single-drop waterfall, 235 metres high, and is considered Africa’s second-highest free-leaping waterfall after Tugela Falls in South Africa. “Single-drop” means one uninterrupted fall without several successive tiers; at Kalambo, height and form are therefore the main features.

Lwanji Falls is in the village of Kachele in Kalambo District, while Ntembwa Falls is in the village of China in Nkasi District. Lwanji and Kalambo therefore share a district, while Ntembwa is in Nkasi District. Together, Kapozwa, Kachele and China provide three specific locations for the waterfalls. For orientation, the waterfall’s name is not the only thing that matters: the named location and district do too.

Hot springs, forest and wildlife

Natural features also include Kizombwe Hot Springs in Kalambo District. Their water is clear and has a temperature of 45 to 50 °C. This gives the springs a different profile from the waterfalls: water temperature defines the springs, while the height and single-drop form define Kalambo Falls.

Evergreen Mbizi Natural Forest is in the urban municipality of Sumbawanga and is considered suitable for ecotourism. Thus, alongside the waterfalls, the forest offers a distinct natural attraction. The Rukwa red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus tephrosceles) is also part of the region’s wildlife; it is considered rare. It occurs in Mbizi Forest in the urban municipality of Sumbawanga and in Mbuzi Forest in Nkasi District. This means its range includes forest locations in both Sumbawanga and Nkasi.

Fort and mission in the late 19th century

The ruins of Old Bismarck Fort in Kasanga, in Kalambo District, recall a structure built in 1888 to secure and protect the region’s western border. Old Kipili Mission was built between 1890 and 1895. The chronology places the buildings in context: the fort dates from 1888, and the mission was built a few years later. For the fort, its purpose is also important to its context: protecting Rukwa’s western border.

The two historic sites offer different perspectives: the fort’s ruins and border security take centre stage, while the Old Kipili Mission is defined by its construction period. Together, these details lead from the landscape and its natural features to another theme of the region: its history in the late 19th century.

Discover more destinations: Mpanda, Mwera, Sitalike, Njombe, Iringa, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Central/South, Kigoma

For the overview of destinations: Tanzania.