Kariba – Mana Pools (6 Days/ 5 Nights)
Day 1 (18 KM)
Natureways Safaris will collect you on the morning of your safari at 7:30am, in good time for a check-in at Natureways office, handing in extra luggage and valuables. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YOUR PASSPORT ON THE RIVER. There will be a short briefing to summarise what the safari entails and questions may be asked. Guests will be required to sign an indemnity form before leaving on the safari.
After the briefing, a visit to the shops will be made, purchasing any extra drinks wanted for the trip before setting off for the river. Please note that credit cards are not a recommended payment option in Zimbabwe.
After arriving at the start point, luggage will be portered into the gorge and your group will walk the 1.5kms down to the river – quite a long, steep descent. All canoes and camping equipment will have already been carried into the gorge and packed. A safety talk and demonstration on how to paddle a canoe will be given after which you will be launched, then paddling until a stop is made for lunch.
Day 2 (27 KM)
You will be woken at sunrise for tea, coffee, and biscuits before canoeing for a couple of hours then stopping for a leisurely breakfast. After breakfast you set off once again, enjoying the incredible scenery of the Zambezi Valley. A lunch stop will be made at the first suitable spot with time, once again, for a siesta. In the early evening you will reach your second campsite at Twin Logs Island.
Day 3 (28 KM)
Again, up at sunrise for tea, coffee, biscuits, and breakfast, before canoeing. A packed lunch is taken on the river. At approximately 5pm camp is set up on an island named Kakomarara.
Day 4 (27 KM)
Up at sunrise for tea, coffee, and biscuits, before paddling for a couple of hours, then stopping for a relaxed breakfast. Afterwards, canoeing will resume until midday prior to a well-earned lunch and siesta, time to catch up on reading until mid-afternoon (depending on the weather). Canoeing continues until early evening where camp will be set up on Lone Acacia Island for the night.
Day 5 (23 KM)
The programme is as per the previous days with the night stop being made at Trichelia Island.
Day 6 (7 KM)
Up at sunrise for tea, coffee, biscuits and then breakfast before paddling starts at around 8am.
You will arrive at Mana Pools at 10am and here the canoes will be loaded on to the vehicles for the return trip to Kariba. Arrival time in Kariba is approximately 3pm.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN EXPLORER CANOE SAFARI AND THERE ARE NO FIXED ABLUTION FACILITIES ALONG THE WAY. ALL TIMINGS GIVEN IN THIS TRIP DESCRIPTION ARE AN APPROXIMATION AND WILL VARY FROM TRIP TO TRIP.
PLEASE NOTE THAT COSTS DO NOT INCLUDE NATIONAL PARKS FEES WHICH ARE PAYABLE DIRECTLY TO PARKS EN-ROUTE. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR THE FEE BEFORE TRAVEL.
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