Canoe Safaris

Canoe safaris make for a refreshing change from travelling by vehicle, horseback or walking, 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.

Top Destinations for Canoe Safaris:

1. Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia

The mighty Zambezi River flows through the Lower Zambezi National 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!

2. Okavango Delta, Botswana

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!

Pom Pom or the fabulous Machaba Camp is awesome!

“Canoeing is one of the most immersive safari experiences I’ve ever had. Drifting silently toward bull elephants as they graze on the lush grasses of riverbanks and islands is a profound contrast to the pace of a game drive. It’s a more peaceful and intimate way to explore the wilderness – opening access to hidden lagoons, shallow floodplains, and places vehicles simply can’t reach. My favourite place to canoe is the Zambezi River, where you paddle alongside an experienced guide through waters teeming with life. For a completely different adventure, the Okavango Delta offers a unique perspective, as a skilled poler gently navigates you through its intricate maze of channels and crystal-clear lagoons.”