Canoe Safari
- Safari
- Zimbabwe
- Canoe Safari
Mana Shoreline Canoe Safari: Glide Through the Wild Heart of Mana Pools
Immerse yourselves in the pristine wilderness of Mana Pools National Park with the Mana Shoreline Canoe Safari, an unparalleled journey that blends adventure with luxurious comfort. This isn’t just a safari; it’s a seamless, mobile experience where the rhythm of the Zambezi River dictates your days. Each morning, you’ll depart from camp with the sunrise, leisurely canoeing along the iconic Mana Pools shoreline. Imagine silently gliding past elephants as they cross the Zambezi or observing diverse wildlife coming down to drink at the river’s edge – a truly unique and intimate way to view game that only canoeing can offer. As the sun sets, you’ll float into your next secluded camp, greeted by an ice-cold drink, a hot shower, and a delicious dinner being prepared, offering the perfect end to an adventurous day.
Overview
This 3-night, 4-day safari follows the Zambezi River from near the confluence of the Ruckomechi River, winding its way along the Mana Pools shoreline to Illala Camp, nestled across from Chikwenya Island in the Mana Pools 'Wilderness Area.' To ensure you have ample time to begin your canoeing adventure on the first afternoon, we recommend arriving in Mana Pools no later than 11:30 AM. For ultimate relaxation and to avoid any rush, we highly suggest combining your safari with a one-night stay at Camp Zambezi prior to your canoe trip. This allows you to arrive at your leisure and ensures you're well-rested and ready for the incredible journey ahead when canoeing commences the following day. Mana Shoreline Canoe Safaris depart weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, offering a perfect blend of half-day exploration on arrival and departure with three full days of unforgettable river adventures.
Key Information
- Arrival & Departure: Mana Shoreline Canoe Safaris commence weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, designed as 3-night safaris with half a day of canoeing on both the first and last day. To ensure you maximize your canoeing time, we advise guests to arrive in Mana Pools no later than 11:30 AM.
- Recommended Pre-Safari Stay: We highly recommend combining your safari with a one-night stay at Camp Zambezi prior to your canoeing adventure. This ensures you arrive at your leisure and are well-rested before the active canoeing begins the next day. Similarly, an additional night at Camp Zambezi can be added at the end for extra relaxation on the Zambezi’s shores.
- Equipment Provided: All camping equipment is supplied, including spacious tents and beds. Canoes are two-man, Canadian-style, paired with American Carlisle paddles for optimal navigation.
- Expert Guiding: A fully qualified professional guide accompanies you throughout the safari, leading both your canoeing excursions along the Zambezi River and providing thrilling guided walks or game drives through the National Park.
- Group Size & Age: We operate with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 8 guests, ensuring an intimate experience. The minimum age limit is 14 years old; there is no maximum age limit, though participants should be reasonably fit and healthy.
- Luggage: There is no maximum luggage weight, as all your belongings will be transferred by our support vehicle from camp to camp.
- Wildlife Sightings: Common sightings include elephant, buffalo, impala, waterbuck, hippo, crocodile, and plentiful birdlife. While lion, leopard, and painted wolf (wild dog) are more rarely seen, they are certainly present in the area. Please note that abundant game cannot be guaranteed, particularly during the green (rainy) season.
- Fully Backed-Up Safari: Our Canoe Safaris are fully supported by our dedicated team and 4×4 vehicles. Our team handles all guest needs and camp chores. During mobile segments, the camp is seamlessly taken down, and all equipment and guest luggage are transferred to your next campsite while you are out enjoying your day’s activities.
- Ablutions: Camps feature luxury long-drop toilets and, for night-use, all tents include en-suite chemical toilets. Guests can also enjoy refreshing hot showers under the star-studded African sky.
- Transfers & Flights: Transfers from Mana Pools Main Camp, Nyamepi, or the airstrips are included and conducted in open 4×4 vehicles. While roads can be dusty and bumpy, we ensure comfort. We recommend chartering return flights to Mana Pools National Park to maximize your time on safari, with commercial flight connections available to/from Harare, Kariba, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Lusaka, or Livingstone. Please contact Sky Safaris for assistance with booking all charter flights and transfers, or if you prefer to drive yourself to Mana Pools.
Your Daily Routine in the Wild
Your days begin early with a gentle awakening, warm water for a morning refresh, and freshly brewed coffee by the campfire. You’ll have the option for an early morning walk or game drive before breakfast, or for the avid fisherman, time to cast a line. Our safaris are tailored to suit individual preferences, with our staff meticulously setting up and taking down camp to ensure you spend as much time as possible on safari activities or simply soaking in the incredible surroundings.
What to Bring:
- Swimming/bathing costume
- Shorts and T-shirts
- Personal Toiletries
- Canvas shoes or rafting sandals, and a comfortable pair of hiking shoes for walking safaris
- Hat with a wide brim
- Jacket or sweater for the evenings
- Shirts (including a long-sleeved one for sun protection)
- A kikoi (or sarong) to cover your legs for sun protection
- Torch or flashlight and extra batteries
- Film and spare camera batteries
- Binoculars
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Socks for winter nights
- Warm clothes to sleep in on winter nights
- Waterproof bags for personal items
- Money for National Parks Fees
- Identification documents (where relevant)
Health & Dietary Advice: Sky Safaris recommends clients consult with their doctor or GP regarding a course of anti-malaria medication before traveling to Africa. Please ensure you advise Sky Safaris or your travel agent of any medical or dietary requirements at least 14 days before your trip departs.
Day 1 : Driven leisurely game drive through the spectacular Mana Pools flood plane
After being collected by the guide, guests are driven 30km – a leisurely game drive through the spectacular Mana Pools floodplain – to the first night’s campsite. The area has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Zimbabwe and the drive is usually very rewarding – enabling your guide to give an overview of the various animals, birds and plants that make up this unique habitat. Vehicles are open Toyota Land Cruisers with good all-round visibility. On arrival “Vundu”, the first camp, met by the welcome smiles of our support staff, lunch will be served. Usually consisting of cold meats, a variety of salads and freshly baked breads.After a refreshing lunch break you will take a short drive to the canoe launch-spot near the confluence of the Ruckomechi and Zambezi Rivers. Here, the guide will give a full safety briefing, pointing out where all equipment – such as the first aid kit – is kept, as well as explaining what to do in an emergency. The briefing also covers the basic techniques of steering and controlling the Canadian-style 5.5m (18 ft) canoes.
The group then departs downstream, by canoe, returning to Vunducamp. This first afternoon of paddling is taken at a slow pace, allowing you time to become acquainted with the canoes and methods of steering. You should now begin to see some of the multitude of animals and birds attracted to the water’s edge. Hippo, buffalo, elephant and crocodile, as well as a variety of antelope species, may be seen. Arrival at camp is around sunset. The camp will be fully prepared and you will be able to sit back and relax with sundowners and snacks – tea and coffee and hot showers are also available. A campfire is already burning and this is invariably where guests will gather to discuss the day’s events and plan for the morning. In the background your support staff and resident bush cook are busy preparing a three-course dinner for you.
Day 2: Mana Pools Flood plane
An early wake-up – as dawn breaks. Hot water for freshening up will be placed in raised basins outside each tent, while tea, freshly brewed coffee, muffins or home-made biscuits are already waiting by the campfire. While you pack up your personal kit, the support staff load the canoes with all required for the day ahead. Guests need only worry about a small daypack carrying essentials such as sun block, camera, spare film, hat and binoculars. The aim is to be in the canoes and on the water in time to watch the sunrise. As one of the most magical times of day, you will be enchanted as you drift along quietly, listening to the sounds of the African wild wakening to a new day. Following paddling for couple of hours, breakfast takes place under a grove of acacia trees. After breakfast, guests have the opportunity to set off on a walk on the floodplain and surrounding woodlands. This is a great time to try and view predators before they hide-up for the day. You may even be lucky enough to spot one or more of the diurnal animals making their way down to the river. This walk offers an opportunity, not only for game viewing, but also to explore some of the more interesting aspects of the environment. Guests will spot a variety of animal spoor, and may even find themselves engrossed in tracking down a particular species. The guide will share fascinating facts about strange insects and spiders as well as a wealth of knowledge about this miniature world that forms such an integral part of the bush. Sounds of many brightly coloured birds can be heardwhile marveling at the beauty and tranquility of this unique area.
Returning to the canoes guests head downstream to an area renowned for its huge, old elephant bulls. The guide tries to time the trip to catch them swimming or wading out to the grass islands, where the canoes will be able to glide quietly alongside these awesome giants. Their age makes them placid enough that they tend to ignore the canoes. Lunch break coincides with the heat of the day. The canoes are pulled up below a grove of mahogany trees whose dense shade provides a welcome relief. The meal generally consists of cold meats, freshly prepared salads, pizza or quiche and cheese and biscuits. After eating and drinking their ice-cold drinks, guests have a choice to either take another short walk through the mahogany forest or to just relax and enjoy an afternoon siesta. The late afternoon and evening is spent drifting down to camp and enjoying the game and birding along the river’s edge. Our welcoming support staff iswaiting at camp which is reached by sunset. This night’s camp, Chessa, overlooks a small channel, with a large grass plain separating it from the main Zambezi, 500 meters away. Frequently the plain hosts buffalo, waterbuck, elephant and hippo in the evenings.
Day 3:
This follows the same basic itinerary as day two, with a predawn wake up and sunrise whilst drifting down the Zambezi. However, this is the day that guests will enter the “Wilderness Area” of Mana Pools National Park where there is limited access to people and vehicles. In fact, the only road is 3 to 5 kilometers in-land – the same one our support team will use. From here on you are entering a much more remote environment. Breakfast may be taken on the Mbera River floodplain, which comprises stunning acacia woodland with large patches of thick “Adrenaline” grass – a habitat much favored by all the predators. Towards the end of the dry season it also hosts large groups of female elephants with their babies. The day is spent paddling through a maze of small channels before once again joining the main Zambezi. For a change, lunch is on one of the shallow sandbanks in the middle of the river, where a table and chairs are set up in ankle deep waterwith the whole width of the river stretching out on either side. This afternoon is thelast chance for canoeing. Depending on water levels and time allowed, there may be an opportunity to explore Chikwenya Island on foot. This unique island is the largest on this section of the river an is host to prolific bird life as well as a number of interesting mammal species. In the afternoon you will paddle into Ilala Camp to spend the last night in the rustic luxury of the Odyssey Camp.
Day 4: Departure
Depending on guests departure time, or if guests are moving on to an alternative camp, an early morning walk before breakfast is possible or a well-deserved lie in! After which, there will be a short game drive to the airstrip or Nyamepi main camp where we will bid you farewell!
As you depart with your memories, we know that this experience will have enriched your life and touched your soul!
Include
- Breakfast Lunch & dinner
- Tent accommodation
- Activities mentioned in the itinerary
Exclude
- Flights
- Visas
- Personal Items
