Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Sitting with Cuthbert our guide by the riverside in the dark, listening to 4 elephants drinking on the other side of the stream. Great noises, smells and a wonderful memory that will stay with me for years!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cuthbert was wonderful! He did all the glory stuff though while Ahmed did the hard work, looking after us all and helping keep us well fed

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack all you need for the first 4 days in your carry on luggage. Otherwise you will re packing in the dark on the side of the river, by the light of your head torch, and you may miss something. Take lots of wet wipes, you will be horrified by the colour they turn as you wet wipe wash! Nights are COLD! Take warm clothes to sleep in, as the tents are single skin mosquito netting and the chill sets in at 3am! If you sleep cold take your own sleeping bag! No pillows are supplied either. Marshmallows would be a great thing to take, toasted over the fire once the cookings done. Hot chocolate sachets are something I would take next time. Tea coffee and orange squash are provided, if you want beer or coke etc, buy it at the shop when you stop after the airport.

Suggestions

Great trip, well organised and worth the long travel time

Most Inspirational Moment

Just being in the nature all day long, seeing elephants real close by, having a young elephant trumpeting at us and having to paddle zig-zag around the hippos.

Thoughts on Group Leader

CB was a great tour guide. Very calm and always in the lead. His trainee Best was just that: all the best!! They cooked great food and made us all feel very comfortable during the whole trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring lots of wet wipes for the days on the Zambezi and the islands. Pack your luggage for the first 3-4 days in your carry-on, as the tour will start right away and you won't have to repack in the dark when you get to the start of the tour.

Suggestions

If you want to experience real nature.....just do this tour and enjoy

Most Inspirational Moment

So many amazing moments: floating down the Zambezi,completely out of contact, no wi-fi, no phones, apart from our 7 canoes no other boats or people in sight, no sounds except the ho, ho, ho's of hippos and the gentle lapping of the river, totally at peace and one with nature. Watching a family of elephants chomping on grass then crossing the river completely oblivious to our boats just a few feet away. Lying in the tent watching a mother and baby elephant walk by in the dark. Waking to find from the prints in the sand that a hippo had slept beside us. The roar of a lion at twilight hunting for food............

Thoughts on Group Leader

CB/Cuthbert and his assistant Ackmed(?) were superb. Calm, confident, extremely knowledgeable & hardworking, friendly, patient and excellent cooks we always felt in safe hands. We could not have asked for better guides.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The rough camping, often sharing the islands in the middle of the Zambezi with elephants, was no hardship at all. Food, cooked on charcoal fires in big cast iron pots, was ample and good. Mattresses doubled as cushions in the canoes. We didn't take or need any extra food or bedding. Take fingerless gloves to prevent blisters and a powerful torch. Take everything you need for 3 days rough camping & canoeing in your hand luggage - just in case your hold luggage goes AWOL (the case of one of our party went to Kenya and did not reappear until the penultimate day of the holiday). We went straight from the airport to the canoes and having everything prepacked in our hand luggage avoided repacking in the dark and did not see -or need- our cases again until we reached the fly camp.

Suggestions

One of our party of 12 was on her third visit and I can understand why. Just do it!

Most Inspirational Moment

The shear number of hypos, elephants and crocodiles that line the river bank has to be seen to be belived. The food that our guide Cutherbert and his trusty assistant created was just incredible.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cuthbert was amazing. He (and his assistant) were every morning at 4am to get the breakfast on. We had a cooked breakfast and on the water by 7am. Cuthbert then set a pace that was just right for everyone and ensured that the itinerary went exactly to plan without tiring anyone. His knowledge of all things related to the bush were demonstrated on the walk around the fly camp - everything from the latin names of all the trees to the contents of elephant dung were covered. We had chilled drinks on tap which was just incredible. The evening meals cooked on carcoal were delicous and just how he got the charcoal burning in such a short space of time was amazing. Most importantly, Cuthbert ensured we had a safe passage - this trip is not without risks and thanks to our leaders knowledge of the wild life, these were minimised.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Listen to the leader and follow his advice for your safety. Enjoy the trip and take it all in! Ask about extending the last day. In my opinion it was too short and the walking safari in the national park is not that great - the chances of seeing anything are slim given you are out on a flat plain where animals will run off before you get anywhere near. The only down side for us was the campsite at Zambezi Breezers was occupied by some rowdy city folk who spent the night getting drunk - so take ear plugs just in case!

Suggestions

Consider adding on Livingstone at the beginning or end to see Victoria Falls - the coach takes 7 hours from Lusaka and is only £15. Green Tree Lodge in Livingstone is fantastic.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing so many elephants up close.Watching some of the most amazing sunsets and sunrises.

Thoughts on Group Leader

CB was excellent.His hard work,calm manner and unending patience made the trip extra special.The way he and Achmel(?)produced such excellent food on a tiny heap of wood or charcoal was amazing.Thank you so much to them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some gloves as the canoeing can be hard at times when you are up against the strong wind.

Suggestions

A really rewarding trip which really gets you back to nature.

Most Inspirational Moment

Wild camping on islands surrounded by hippos and crocodiles - slightly nerve-wracking!

Thoughts on Group Leader

TK was fantastic. Canoeing through this area is a potentially risky activity, but we were kept safe and entertained at all times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a scary start to the trip - we canoed to our first camp in the dark! Bring a sense of adventure and a good camera.

Suggestions

Highly recommend this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to decide! Maybe having to start the trip with a canoe in the dark across the Zambezi avoiding hippos to get to our first nights camp. Or maybe the sight of a young elephant swimming in front of us with only his little trunk sticking out of the water. Or maybe the sight of the Milky Way every night. Or maybe the laughs we had every evening with my fellow travellers. Or maybe the amazing knowledge of CB our guide....is there any animal or bird he doesn't know?......or maybe the lovely kids school we visited. Or maybe just about every moment......you guessed it I had a good time!

Thoughts on Group Leader

CB was fantastic. Great knowledge and a perfect host and cook. He was quiet in character and just let his guests enjoy themselves without trying to be in any way the centre of attention.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take as little as you can for yourself and use the rest of your space in your bag to provide clothes for the kids at the orphanage. You won't need any extra food as you get more than enough but a few sweets to give you a sugar boost now and again a sensible idea. A few beers purchased at the supermarket in Lusaka were great fully drunk once the tents were pitched.

Suggestions

It was a great trip, tough at times when the wind got up but overall moderate as the notes suggest. The food provided was excellent throughout and the tents and equipment just right for the trip. The wildlife you see won't disappoint and the lack of hardly anyone else on the river during the trip made the experience all the more special

Most Inspirational Moment

Drifting up in the canoes to within, what seemed to be, a few feet of a family of elephants and feeling that I could reach out and touch them. The majesty of these wonderful creatures is breathtaking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

TK was amazing. He was very knowledgable and made sure you felt safe and comfortable during the trip. His knowledge on all things related to Zambia, the people and wildlife and fauna, was second to none and he sure had some good cooking skills.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not worry to much if you think that you need to be super fit to do this trip. As long as you have a reasonable level of fitness this should not tax you too much. There is no pressure to go steaming up the river working yourself to the bone each day, rather there is some mild paddling as you cruise along with the river current. So as long as you do some regular excercise and can handle wild camping for a few nights then you will enjoy this trip. Also on a final note please remember to change any Kwacha before you head through the security at the airport. There are no places to change your money in the departure lounge in Lusaka.

Suggestions

If you like some adventure and want to see the wild from a different persepective this is the trip for you. You will meet amazing people, make some friends and have a great time. Go for it you know you want to.

Most Inspirational Moment

Canoeing on the Zambizi early in the morning g is just magical. We were lucky to see a leopard,however for me the close encounters with elephants were the best.

Thoughts on Group Leader

TK and Best were simply amazing! They could not do enough for us, they made you feel safe and somehow every night they cooked the most incredible food!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't take too much stuff as everything goes on the canoe!!! I would recommend a few days at the end staying at Eureka camp and in Lusaka, or even longer and travel more in Zambia??

Most Inspirational Moment

Waking up every morning, watching the sun rise and anticipating what the day would bring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

TK lived up to the reputation he's gained through other reviews. He was fantastic, ably assisted by his No 2, Best.He's knowledgeable, safety conscious and a man who binds a party together with good humour and a firm hand. Don't mess with him! 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the earlier reviews of this trip for useful tips. The paddling uses muscles you didn't know you had and I was glad I had paid a few visits to the gym beforehand.  You do need to be fairly fit.

Suggestions

Don't hesitate - book now.