KathyAZ

I've been searching for trip reports for canoeing in Mana Pools (for our upcoming trip) without much success but did find this one - it's fun and funny. Hope you all you enjoy it. Hope I did this right!
http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/01...noe-congo.html

matnikstym

That was a great article Kathy! Ha!Ha! I'll be doing the same thing in 75 days! Thanks for sharing

KathyAZ

Glad you liked it. We'll be humming that song while we're paddling. Have a great trip.

Kathy

Sarvowinner

I only wish I could canoe in Northern Tanzania but Lake Manyana is too low.

glovely

We just returned from 5 days of canoeing as a family on the Zambezi in Mana Pools -- I can share lots -- not sure what you are looking for - my husband, two sons (16 and 13) and I had an exciting and wonderful trip which included a hippo attack and lots of wonderful animal interactions...

jules39

A "hippo attack"? Do tell more!!
J

glovely

The hippo attack was a pretty exciting event - worthy of telling only because it had a happy ending! On our first real day of canoeing on the Zambezi in Mana Pools we had a "bit" of excitment. I was in the lead canoe with our canoe guide, Janet, the middle canoe had my 13 year old son and our guide Nic, and the last canoe had my husband and our 16 year old son. We had been working our way along the edge of the river, coaxing the hippos to the deep water by being noisy, knocking paddles on the canoes, etc. to give them an easy escape path to the middle of the river and the deep channel. It seemed to be working well until ONE hippo decided otherwise. The last canoe, was suddenly bumped from below and then we all heard a loud scraping/crunching sound... a hippo had taken the entire last canoe in it's mouth -- and was shaking it like a terrier shakes a toy! Only this toy was a canoe with my son and husband in it! Hippos are BIG animals, and this one had its lower tusk piercing the bottom of the canoe and the top of its mouth on the top gunnel of the canoe (with my son's leg just inside the canoe). The hippo dumped them out - shore-side, thankfully - and my son kicked the canoe back at the hippo as he fell out on the bank/mud/water. Luckily my husband (who was still clueless about what was happening to his canoe) landed in the deep mud. No one was hurt and after we did what we could to "repair" the canoe, we got back in the canoes and continued on the river. Was it scary? Yes. Was it dangerous? Yes. Were we lucky? Yes. Would we go back? ABSOLUTELY! The game viewing, the beauty, the peace (we never saw any other people) makes Mana Pools perhaps our favorite place on Earth! I have a picture of the canoe after the attack -- Let me try to post it somewhere online this weekend, let me know if you are interested in seeing it.

Roccco

Incredible experience and one that I hope I will not share while I spend six days canoeing in Lower Zambezi!

Lin

I LOVED hearing your story and it scared me to death! I just came back from Sausage Tree Camp which is right across the river from Mana Pools, and I went on 2 canoe trips with absolutely tons of hippos in the river. We used those same tricks to keep the hippos in the deeper water and obviously, we were lucky! I don't think I could have taken it if we had such an event. Thanks for sharing and YES please post the photo!

matnikstym

YIKES! Something else to worry about! But will definitely do it! Please post the pics! Thanks

suzic

Hi Glovely,
I think I am doing the same AAC trip that you just returned from. I am leaving LAX on 9-21, and cannot wait. I wish our guide was going to be Nic, but it isn't ;-( . I am so happy to hear of your wonderful time!!!! Please post a trip report!!! and Photos!!! Thanks Suzic

cary999

Hi All,
Maybe it's just me, but, entering the territory of dangerous wild animals and then hoping you can chase/scare them to get out of your way seems like pure unadulterated studipidity.
regards - tom

glovely

Well to those of you interested I put a couple of pictures online of the aftermath of the canoe attack -- http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...mn22e&Ux=0

glovely

Tom,

Perhaps my words were poorly chosen. We did not go into canoes to chase or scare hippos, but to admire and enjoy the animal life. We are strong believers in not disturbing their behaviors as much as possible. It is my understanding that the thumping of a paddle on the canoe serves mostly to let the hippos know we were there as they, like most of us, don't like surprises. Of the 500 or so hippos we floated by or paddled by only ONE took offense...

I am wondering why you are online in at travel forum about Africa if you have such strong feelings about the interface of people and animals... any travel in Africa to see animals will invoive some disruption of the "normal lives and times" of the animals.

IN any case, thank you for pointing out to me the need to clarify my words.

Gail

Favor

glovely - Thanks for the pictures. Great pictures of a great outcome! Your whole family won't ever forget that. I have to agree with Roccco in hoping never to have occasion to share my canoe with a hippo!

Roccco

Gail,

Thanks for sharing those amazing photos!

At any point did the hippo try to go after your son or your husband, or was it totally fixated on that poor canoe?

Also, were either of them carrying camera gear, and if so, how did the camera gear make out at the end of the attack?

My one fear with doing Lower Zambezi first, prior to South Luangwa and the Sabi Sand is that a damn hippo is going to destroy my camera gear by capsizing the canoe.

I bet there was a lot of nervous laughter after this incident!

suzic

Gail, Great pics, Thank You for putting them up!!! I can only hope for 1/2 of the time on my vacation that you had (hopefully without the hippo incident!)!!! It defintely looks like it was a trip that your family will never forget! Thanks again-Suzi

glovely

Thanks for the nice comments on the pics --

The hippo did not attack after they were tipped out... I think if they had tipped out into the deeper water we might have had another problem!

The equipment damaged in the hippo incident, other than the canoe, were the two pairs of binos which ended up getting drenched in water and mud -- both will need to be cleaned or replaced -- do you think our travel insurance policy will cover them?

tashak

Canoes on the Zambezi are heaven...with an edge!
This seems obvious, but don't trail your fingers or toes in the water. Ever.
I say this because in a low canoe gliding along in paradise on a hot day, the temptation to do just this is very high.
But it is dangerous. Tell everyone you are with, so you can stop each other if you unconsciously start to do this. (The guide will stop you but he has other things to look at and worry about on these trips. )

wallybrenda

Glovely,
Are you going to post a trip report. I'd love to hear more about your trip...Who did you use for the Mana Pools portion? Did you travel in any other parts of Zimbabwe or Zambia ?

Great pictures, thanks!

Brenda