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5 Nights / 6 Days
Zambezi Great Canoe Trail

Our most extensive canoe safari brings you closer to the best of the Zambezi River. Canoeing from the Lower Zambezi to the remote Mupata Gorge, before ending at the junction of the Luangwa river.

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The canoe trail offers a wider variety of potential game viewing, as well as the chance to meet and interact with the local community.

The 5 Night Journey

Starting at the Breezes River Lodge, this trail covers an incredible 163km through the serene picturesque landscapes of the Lower Zambezi. Expect this extensive canoe trail to fill your heart and mind with magical moments and memories of the Zambezi.

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What To Expect

From a canoe safari with River Horse Safaris

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163km Canoeing Adventure.

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Local Expert Guide.

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Freshly Prepared Meals.

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Overnight Island Camping. 

Outdoor Activity. 

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Wildlife & Nature.

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We are an owner-run operation with over 20 years of experience, highly knowledgeable and brilliant guides and an exceptional safety record. We have enormous respect for wildlife and retain a sustainable relationship as such!

  • The Route
    Chirundu - Mtondo
  • Itinerary
    DAY 1 Unless otherwise arranged, trips depart from the Breezes River Lodge at 1030hrs on the morning of departure, after clients have been briefed by their guide. After an hour of canoeing there is a riverbank stop for lunch, before paddling on to the first evening’s island camp site. To ease into the canoeing experience, we keep the overall distance short at approximately 15km. The route is mainly through the network of channels visible on the above Google earth map with ETA at Kakomalala Island at around 1700hrs with plenty of time to get camp set up. DAY 2 The full day of canoeing, approx 25km 0630hrs - Wake up, tea/coffee and biscuits then depart 0730hrs - Depart downstream. 0830 – 0900hrs - Breakfast 1230 – 1430hrs - Lunch in the shade, out of the mid day sun. 1700hrs - 2nd Island camp - Magurumeno Islands or beyond. DAY 3 Canoeing is the same as Day 2, exiting the river by approx 1200hrs followed by lunch en-route. On the return road transfer a visit to a traditional village is made before crossing the Kafue river pontoon by barge before reaching the Breezes River Lodge camp in Chirundu, Lower Zambezi.
  • Meals
    With every canoe safari, we provide three meals a day, cordials and safe, treated water. If you wish to bring your own bottled water, we have cooler boxes available. Feel free to bring your own selection of beverages for the duration of the safari. We have a wide selection of beverages available for purchase at the Breezes River Lodge before departure. Unless notified, meals will follow the program below. Please note - We do require prior confirmation of at least 2 weeks in advance to cater for special dietary requirements such as allergies to certain ingredients, etc. The main dinners are in most cases part pre-cooked and deep frozen prior to the safari, so it is important to have sufficient notice to ensure all is prepared correctly. Early mornings start with tea/coffee biscuits before setting off down stream after packing up canoes and clearing camp. Breakfast: Generally after several hours of canoeing, the trip will stop for everyone to stretch their legs while the guide prepares an English breakfast of tinned fruit; eggs, bacon, sausages, fried tomatoes, toast with marmalade or jam; tea and coffee. Lunch: An assortment of cold meats, green salads, rolls and cheeses are served, along with a variety of sauces and pickled onions or gherkins to complete the meal. Dinner: Assortments of crisps or popcorn for snacks are served followed by a full dinner consisting of beef, chicken or mutton as main course options with vegetables and selection of carbohydrates, either potatoes, rice or pasta.
  • Accommodation
    Overnight island camping in dome tents.
  • Price
    Contact us for our seasonal offer! We do have seasonal and group pricing offers available upon enquiry. Our green season specials are available during Nov 15th – April 30th (shoulder months), before peak season pricing from May through to Nov 15th. Family and group bookings may secure preferential rates depending on availability at certain times of year. We tailer-make each trip to ensure we can accommodate any group / family requests.
  • Season
    Green Season (Low) March 1st – April 30th & November 15th – December 31st High Season May 1st – November 16th Please note that January and February are generally too wet to canoe as the river flood can become impassable due to floating debris and discoloured water. During the shoulder months (Nov 15th – April 30th), boats may be used to extract canoeists from the park areas as internal roads and bridges may be not be passable due to weather damage.

Adventure Awaits.

“The Canoe trip itself, the scenery and amount of wildlife we saw in natural habitat was just amazing. I took loads of pictures and video clips which were a great reminder of the trip when I got home. Very little effort or level of fitness was required, as we were heading downstream almost all the time. We always felt safe due to the expertise of Cuthbert (CB) who has been guiding these trips for over 20 years.”
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