Things to do in Zimbabwe

Canoeing and fishing on the great Zambezi

Sometimes you’re less than two metres away from elephants sliding into the water…

By Cloud Magondo

Professional Guide at Nyamatusi Camp

We usually like to do our canoeing trips in the afternoon when you’ve got the sun on your back and you’re just flowing down the River Zambezi. We use Canadian-style canoes made from fibre; two-man seaters or three-man seaters depending on the number of people. Guests can canoe themselves if they want to and we will teach them how to do so but if they are uncomfortable, someone will accompany them.

We often find elephants feeding by the river and sometimes we get lucky enough to see them cross right in front of us. Sometimes you’re less than two metres away from them when they’re sliding into the water. Then you might get to see lions coming to drink from the river as well as waterbucks, impalas and plenty of birdlife.

We usually have our sundowners by the water just when the sun is setting behind the escarpment on the Zambian side. You can hear the hippos honking and elephants from behind you and sometimes you get to hear lions calling.

Fishing is best in the mornings. We fish, on a catch-and-release basis, from the banks of the river apart from at times during the rainy season when we fish from the boat. You don’t need to be an expert, we’ll teach you. It’s exciting – guests coming to fish with us who have never fished before. There’s a large number of bream species, tiger fish, barbel, bubblebarb squeaker, chessa, nkupe among a few of the many fish found in the Zambezi.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

Unsurpassed Zimbabwe
by Daniel Heatly

Length13 Days

Price range£9,425 - £15,675pp

Alfred & Cloud Magondo

Cloud joined African Bush Camps after five years of experience working as a professional river guide. He has also recently achieved his Professional Guide licence, a highly regarded achievement within the safari industry. His passions are canoeing, star gazing, animal behaviour and birds while also recognising the importance of the smaller things like insects and flora. As a guide who canoes the Zambezi, he has plenty of respect for the resident hippo and crocodiles.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Adele, who's travelled extensively in Zimbabwe. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember – the ranger who can show you the best game viewing and fishing spots on the Zambezi, the guide who’ll introduce you to ‘moonbows’ at Victoria Falls and the locals who’ll share their dinner with you.

Adele Jones

Africa Travel Expert for Alfred&

Adele has been travelling for 21 years, with plenty of time in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. As a keen wildlife enthusiast she is fascinated by seeing wild animals in their natural environment, as well as understanding how landscape and topography drive their behavioural patterns. Her experience in Africa got off to a memorable start, with a sighting of a wild dog pack within 10-minutes of landing on her first ever safari trip!
Cloud Magondo

Professional Guide at Nyamatusi Camp

Cloud joined African Bush Camps after five years of experience working as a professional river guide. He has also recently achieved his Professional Guide licence, a highly regarded achievement within the safari industry. His passions are canoeing, star gazing, animal behaviour and birds while also recognising the importance of the smaller things like insects and flora. As a guide who canoes the Zambezi, he has plenty of respect for the resident hippo and crocodiles.
Mark Butcher

Managing Director of Imvelo Safari Lodges

Mark Butcher is an eco-tourism professional with a passion for linking local communities directly to wildlife conservation. In the 80s, he was a ranger for the Zimbabwe Department of National Parks and Wildlife and later, the Provincial Wildlife Officer in the Matabeleland North Province adjacent to Hwange National Park. Mark is now the Managing Director of Imvelo Safari Lodges, a selection of properties that directly benefit disenfranchised communities around Hwange.
Tich Tandi

Sales and marketing manager at Wild Horizons, Alfred&’s partner in Zimbabwe

During more than three decades in the hospitality industry, Tich Tandi has been everything from a waiter to a tours coordinator in a five-star hotel. Originally from Rusape in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, he now works for Wild Horizons in Victoria Falls as part of the sales and marketing team, a role he thoroughly enjoys.
Jane Msamba

Deputy General Manager, Ilala Lodge Hotel

Born in Zimbabwe, Jane began working with Ilala Lodge Hotel as a senior cashier in 1995. She has worked her way through the ranks from Junior Tours Consultant to Tours Manager and this year took up the role of Deputy General Manager of the hotel. Happily married with three children, Jane has recently become a proud grandmother. She lives in Victoria Falls with her husband and the couple is passionate about wildlife.
Francis Nyabadza

Guide at Wild Horizons, Alfred&’s partner in Zimbabwe

Francis Nyabadza grew up hearing the roar of the Victoria Falls, and familiarity has done nothing to diminish his sense of awe every time he takes guests to experience this natural wonder for themselves – something he’s been doing for Wild Horizons since 1997. When not at the Falls, his favourite place to take visitors is the village that hosts the company’s Meet the People cultural activity.