Kalomo: Kalundu Mound and the D714

Kalomo offers two specific points of reference for planning a trip: the settlement history at Kalundu Mound and the improved D714 to the southern Dundumwezi entrance of Kafue National Park. If you’re looking for a holiday rental in Kalomo, you can consider whether the town’s history or the route towards the park should shape your stay. These are two distinct points of reference for planning.

Kalundu Mound and the history of Kalomo

Kalundu Mound was the site of a village at least from the 9th to the 12th century. This means the settlement history associated with Kalomo goes back a long way. For travellers interested in history, this long time span offers a specific point of reference for exploring the town’s past.

In a broader regional context, Kalundu Mound is an archaeological site of the Iron Age Kalomo culture. Its development probably took place rapidly between 1190 and 1410 AD; earlier chronologies were unreliable. The village occupation and this later time span are distinct archaeological markers. This gives a nuanced perspective, rather than reducing the mound’s history to a single date. It measures approximately 137 × 106 metres. Above today’s ground level, the mound rises gradually to just under three metres.

The D714 as a travel reference point

From Kalomo, the improved D714 runs 74 kilometres to the southern Dundumwezi entrance of Kafue National Park. Check local road conditions before setting off. The route provides a specific point of reference if the park’s southern entrance is part of your travel plans.

When choosing where to stay, Kalomo’s archaeological history and the route to the Dundumwezi entrance can be considered as two distinct focuses. First ask yourself whether you want to base your stay primarily around Kalomo’s own history or the drive towards the park. This helps you tailor your search for a holiday rental to your travel plans without making assumptions about a particular property or its location.

A wider look at Southern Province

The wider travel destination of Southern Province offers further natural and cultural highlights. The province has a network of rivers and lakes, including the Zambezi, the Kafue and Lake Kariba. Southern Province’s national parks include Lochinvar, Blue Lagoon and Mosi-oa-Tunya; Kafue National Park lies partly within the province.

Livingstone is also in Southern Province and is described as Zambia’s tourism capital. The city is home to the transboundary UNESCO World Heritage Site Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls, which is shared with Zimbabwe. On the Zambian side, the World Heritage Site covers 3,779 hectares of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. These details describe a broader regional context and should be distinguished from the local points of reference in Kalomo.

Lochinvar National Park brings together several themes: it offers birdwatching opportunities, and more than 420 species have been recorded there. The landscape includes floodplains, woodland and termite mounds. The Gwisho Hot Springs lie along a geological fault in the park. Sebanzi Hill is an archaeological site and was the location of an Iron Age village that remained inhabited until the last century.

Kafue National Park also offers different ways to experience the landscape. Boat trips are available year-round from most camps and lodges near the river, while water levels vary considerably throughout the year. Canoe trips are offered particularly at Kaingu. The availability of specific activities may depend on the operator. In Southern Province, visitors can therefore choose from themes such as birdwatching and archaeological sites as well as experiences on the water.

Discover more destinations: Sinazongwe, Mafuta, Ngoma, Choma, Simonga, Jenga Jenga, Siatwinda, Komanyana.

For the broader travel overview: Southern Province.