We drifted slowly towards the bull elephant on the river bank. He did not flinch, allowing us to within ten meters of him. We watched as he sprayed water on his skin before squirting a little down his throat before moving off toward the tree-line, without even a glance in our direction. I pulled my paddle out the water and sat back marvelling how relaxed the elephant in the Zambezi Valley are.
Canoe Safari with Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
The Lower Zambezi is a wildlife paradise that can be enjoyed on game drives, but it is the canoe safaris that attract many visitors to this wild corner of Africa. The canoeing lasts from a day outing from a lodge to nine days spent camping out on the islands and river banks of the Zambezi. Lodges offer canoeing as an activity during a guests stay but the real deal is a full canoe safari lasting from three to nine days.
There are a number of companies that offer canoe safaris and the level of comfort varies from company to company. Some safaris offer fully serviced overnight stops whereas others offer a sandbank in the river, but whatever the comfort level the experience is sure to be a lifetime memory.Sundowners at The Islands of Siankaba
Zambia has come out of the shadow of its southern neighbour Zimbabwe and is now one of the leading safari destinations in Africa - with places such as the Lower Zambezi providing visitors with some of the most amazing safari experiences.
I remember a morning almost 15 years ago where I was on the Zambezi in a canoe, on the Zimbabwe side of the river, and our guide had told us about the problems in Zambia and that it would take a long time for the Zambian side to come right. Well the long time has come for Zambia and the Lower Zambezi National Park has arrived to stake its claim amongst Zambia's attractions.
by Leigh Kemp