Visit with us the Kuomboka Ceremony

The Kuomboka ceremony is celebrated by the Lozi community in western Zambia. The term "Kuomboka" means "to rise from the water to dry land" in Silozi. This ceremony marks the annual move of the King of the Lozi, the Litunga, and his court from the flooded Barotse Plain (Zambezi River) to higher land.

The centerpiece of the ritual is the magnificent journey of the Litunga in an elaborately carved, huge royal barge, the Nalikwanda, accompanied by around 80 rowers. The festive procession is accompanied by drums, songs and dances and attracts many spectators from near and far.

Tens of thousands of spectators (the estimate in 2024 was around 200,000 to 250,000 spectators) await the king on the opposite bank - all in their colorful costumes - men, women and children!

We use motorized rafts to escape the crowds. We also have more freedom of movement on the water to find the best places. We travel with the Lozi king in the boats to his final destination!

Afterwards we visit Liuwa National Park, which is only about 100 km away. Around 55,000 wildebeest are gathered on the Liuwa plain at this time. The predators (lions, hyena dogs and hyenas) are also present. The bird life is also extremely diverse at this time. We spend 3 nights in this natural paradise.