The Lucala is the main river of the province, a tributary of the Kwanza, and the water that goes over Kalandula Falls. It winds through the western half of the Malanje plateau, broad and shallow in the dry season, fierce and brown after the rains.
Beyond the falls themselves, the river is worth following for picnics, swims at safer stretches, and the riverine forest that lines its banks. Ask locally where the water is safe — currents and crocodiles vary by stretch.