Zambia Safari Company

Canoe Safaris

Island Trail - $495 per person
Three night, four-day island hopping canoeing Safari through the middle Mana flood plain region of the Lower Zambezi.

5 in 1 River run - $575 per person
A four-night five-day adventurous canoeing safari through the flood plains of the middle Zambezi encompassing game drives, both night and day, a walk and a visit to a traditional fishing village.

Great Zambezi - $750 per person
A six-night seven-day safari geared towards the canoeing enthusiast looking for that element of added excitement. This section of river passes through the floodplains of the middle Zambezi and the confines of the remote Mupata gorge, before ending at the confluence of the Luangwa River. On this section of river one can explore the numerous subsidiary channels, which are prolific in bird and animal life.

Canoeing Trips
Our canoeing safaris are participatory with all supplies and provisions being carried in the canoes. Canoeing safaris that extend over 4 days are re-supplied by vehicle and uplifted at the end of the safari by 4x4 Land Cruisers. Canoeing safaris are kept to a manageable size of 5 canoes per safari; larger groups may be accommodated for on request by splitting the groups up during the day and coming together for meals and evening camps.

The Canoeing Routine
As the Valley can get extremely hot in the summer months (March is relatively cool in comparison), we start canoeing reasonably early to make the most of the cool part of the day, before stopping for breakfast. A typical day will consist of the following routine:

  • Rise -Up at 6.30am for tea/coffee and biscuits before setting off on the river.
  • Breakfast - Between 8.30 and 9 am for approx 1 hour stop.
  • Lunch- Between 12pm and 2.30 (out of the mid day heat under the shade of a river bank tree.
  • Camp- We generally reach our island campsite by 5.30 where upon camp is set and snacks and dinner are served.

Canoeing Equipment and provisions
All our safaris are participatory and self-contained from the start to the finish of Safari.

Equipment
Canoes 5.4 meter Canadian Canoes / x 5 flotation chambers
Capacity Two man - carrying capacity 320kg’s p/canoe
Cushion 1-inch foam seat cushions
Paddles Single bladed aluminium /fibreglass
Life Jackets Medium floatation
Sleeping Bags Standard with individual inner linings for each individual
Pillows Standard aircraft pillows
Tents Large two man dome tents with mosquito gauze protection
Mattresses ¾ inch compressed foam-folding mattresses
Chairs/Tables Folding canvas chairs and camp tables
Cookers Portable gas stove and bottles
Cutlery Steel knives, forks, spoons with melamine mugs, bowls and plates

Meals and drinks
Wake Up- Tea/Coffee and biscuits before morning start
Lunches - Light cold meats, chicken, salads, cheese, bread rolls
Dinners - Full beef or chicken dish with 3 veg and carbohydrate Alcohol - We provide complimentary wine, which is served with your dinners
Other - Cordials and purified water

Should you require any additional or alternative drinks please let us know. We provide cooler boxes and ice to facilitate this. Although on these longer trips, we may towards the end we generally run out of ice at times particularly in the hotter months.