We believe that this activity makes for a refreshing change from travelling by vehicle and it encourages you to fully appreciate some spectacular surroundings. Getting close to hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants and water birds is unbelievably easy, as all of these species feel less vulnerable when approached by a canoe than when a noisy vehicle rattles in their direction! With an experienced specialist guide at your side, you will soon realise that these wildlife encounters are second to none, providing a chance to really see and understand Africa in all its magnificence.
Lower Zambezi National Park: the mighty Zambezi River flows through this park to the Mozambique border, dissecting a rich and relatively undiscovered area, which boasts an amazing concentration of game! We reckon that a canoe safari here is an ideal and unique way of exploring this untouched wilderness, affording superb opportunities to view the variety of game and birds from the tranquil waters of one of Africa’s most important rivers.
Our favourite camps offering this experience are Chiawa and Old Mondoro. These two properties are among the very best in Africa!
Okavango Delta: the largest inland delta on Earth, the Okavango is a fascinating network of lagoons and channels that each year floods across some 15,000 square kilometres of the Kalahari, turning the area into a sprawling haven for game, fish and birds. Located in the midst of the Delta, the Moremi Wildlife Reserve is an area of unparalleled beauty. Boasting a diverse range of ecosystems, including expansive wetlands, dry savannahs and riverine woodland, it harbours an astonishing variety of animal and birdlife!
The Delta is also famed for its large numbers of elephant and hippo, while the ever-present predators make it nothing short of a safari wonderland. Its network of meandering waterways and sandy riverbanks supplies a quite exceptional location to explore. A highlight of any visit is a gentle excursion by mokoro, a dugout canoe made from a single tree – this is the perfect craft for negotiating the shallow waters of the delta, its streamlined shape gliding silently through the narrow channels, propelled along by a single boatman. Cruising at sunset, watching the herds of hippo and elephant bathing at the water’s edge, provides a magical end to a perfect day!
Surrounded by permanent floodplains, Pelo Camp is classic Okavango, one of our favourite adventure camps in the area. Pom Pom or the fabulous Machaba Camp are also awesome!
Multi-day canoe safaris include the Selinda Canoe Trail, an exciting journey along the waterway linking the Okavango Delta with the Kwando and Linyanti water systems. Travellers can paddle past wildlife including elephant, buffalo and wild dog, before heading off on a walking trek in search of animal tracks.
