bellhouse

I want to go on a 1/2 day canoe trip on the Zambezi. It seems like it would be a calm, peaceful way to (hopefully) see some animals. My husband, on the other hand, keeps muttering "crocs" and "bilharzia" every time I bring it up. Has anyone done a 1/2 day trip and what did you thik?

panecott

I'm sure anything is possible but I doubt they'd have these trips if such incidents were common, or likely to happen.
I'll be in Livingstone in June and also want to do a canoe trip on the Zambezi.

tuskerdave

hi,my first trip was to zimbabwe-at the end we had 3 day canoe trip.first day paddle was about 4hrs. 2nd day paddle few hrs stop for lunch- paddlefew hrs more.
3rd day-all day paddle.we may have stopped cant remember-this was back oct 1999.
this was in mana pools park.
it was ok for a 1 time thing. 3 days a bit much-but thats what the trip was.
it went from being very boring to feeling dangerous.i refused to take my camera stuff with me in the canoe- i had this thing about water splashing and canoe tipping.i didnt care about me-it was my friends camera i had with me at the time. go ahead-try it one time have fun.
d

ps, what ever you do-DO NOT PUT OR SPLASH YOUR HANDS IN THE WATER!

Favor

Just keep repeating to him "arms in canoe and don't splash". If worse comes to worse, whisper "praziquantel". ;-)

tuskerdave

hi favor-praziquantel,i looked it up.i get it as: pill for tape worms! unless you meant it as something else.am i missing something?
thx, d

tuskerdave

ok favor-i get it now-bilharzia. i went back and read the post again. thats a good one haha.about the hands out of the water-i meant that for the crocs.
thx,d

Favor

tuskerdave - You're right, that's all I meant. I was just joking because bilharzia seems such an old "explorer's club" nemisis - sort of like "damned quicksand swallowing up the porters, don't you know". Mentioned for effect and blown way out of proportion to the real danger.

tuskerdave

cool, realized it after-sorry i had no idea at first what was going on. but you made me do a little research hehe
d

luangwablondes

You normally don't find bilharzia where there is moving water. Something to do with interrupting the cycle of reproduction and transmission of the parasite. In calm water where there are reeds and snails like in portions of Lake Malawi, bilharzia is common.

bellhouse

I'm not worried about bilharzia or crocs, and my husband isn't really - he just doesn't (?) want to go on the canoe trip. I really, really need someone who has done it to say how wonderful it is! It may not help, but then I will go on my own and he can do something else - grrrrr!!!!!!!!!

bellhouse

Favor - even he knows that you don't get it in moving water and there is something to take for it, but the mantra might help if I can get some backup!

tuskerdave

hi, sorry to be honest-its not a big deal.
i would rather track on foot,do some hiking through the bush.just saying for my self-wish it was 2 days not 3.
the most interesting part of the 3days was a young bull elephant coming right up along side our dome tents eating the pods out of the trees after dark. we were still out around the fire.
ok, so you go do the canoe thing-let the ole man go tracking or game drive and meet you at the next stop.something like that.
cheers, d

Favor

Seriously, a half day will be over before he even gets up a half head of steam in he complaint boiler. It will certainly be a relaxing way to see some scenery and hopefully some animals - and good grief, how many people even get the chance, half day or not, to canoe on the Zambezi?????

atravelynn

I was hoping someone who had done a canoe trip from Livingston would respond, since that is what you'll be doing.

I've done a 1/2 day trip on the Zambezi from a camp located in the Lower Zambezi.

It was quite relaxing with prolific bird life and a few hippos. Only a few crocs were seen on the shore at a distance. It was a lovely outing.

jjmb

Hi Bellhouse,

In 2002 my husband and I canoed on the Lower Zambezi for a few hours; or should I say we sat in each our own canoe while someone paddled for us. Our own laziness aside, it was really relaxing and exhilirating at the same time. Hippos, crocs sunning themselves, elephants, great birds... it was terrific and I would do it again. Hopefully your canoeing involves taking an expert with you, as they know how to spot and avoid the hippos and crocs. In Zambia, I believe there is a special designation that camp guides need to get before they are qualified to take you out in a canoe. And I took my camera with me and got great shots that you wouldn't get otherwise (like a goliath heron taking off from standing in the water with the shore behind it). It's a different perspective on game viewing.

welltraveledbrit

bell house,
Though I haven't been on a trip from Livingstone like some of the other posters I have done a 3 night Zambezi canoeing trip.

I really enjoyed it. Looking at the landscape from river level changes your perception. You pay far more attention to the birds along the river bank. I loved the still quiet and found it fascinating. We saw quite alot as we passed Mana Pools, elephants various bucks, hippos, croc etc.

When we took a short canoe trip from Tongabezi above the Vic falls and not far from Livingstone there was FAR less to see in terms of wildlife but I always enjoy being out on the water.

PS Don't tell your husband but he has far more to fear from the hippos than from the water or the croc!

ShayTay

While at Vic Falls in February, we saw a couple of dozen canoes coming down the Zambezi while we were on a sunset cruise. They were on the Zambian side of the river, where there were elephants on the bank. I thought it looked like a lot of fun...more so than our noisy, smelly diesel boat. I'd say, "Go for it!"

Roccco

bellhouse,

Let DH putz around Livingstone while you go out and have a great time canoeing in the Zambezi.

The Zambezi River, for me, is one of the highlights of Africa. I will be paying my fourth visit to the Zambezi later this year, and with this visit I will have seen it from the Caprivi Strip, to the Matetsi area (about 50 miles away from Livingstone) to Lower Zambezi National Park. Do not miss it.

tuskerdave

hi rocco, that is what i was trying to say-she do her thing. let the ole man do his thing. issue solved
take care, d