Zambezi canoe safari, Zambia

Planet

Activity:
Canoeing offers a superb, quiet way of approaching wildlife. This is a less disruptive and more environmentally way to travel. The trips are led by professional guides through the Zambezi River and Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia. We pay national park fees, which go towards conservation of wildlife but also to the communities which co-habit this space. Our game drive and walking safari offer clients the chance to learn about some fascinating species, like elephants, warthog, waterbuck, impala, Kudu, rare Samango monkeys, bird species and nocturnal animals such as genet, civet, hyena, porcupine, aardvark and if really lucky, the elusive leopard.

UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

People

Accommodation and Meals:
We will spend the entirety of the trip camping in the wild and in seasonal, semi-permanent tented campsites. This is better for the environment than using more permanent facilities as at the end of the canoeing season, any impression we have left on the land is wiped away as the river floods and green season rains return the environment to its natural state. Much of the campsite is built from reed mats provided by the local villagers, whilst the camp also runs on solar or inverter lights for minimal noise pollution. As our operators are a small, family-run business, most produce can be procured through small scale local supermarkets and vendors. Meals include fresh fruit, salads, local stews, curries and pasta.

Community:
We have the option to spend time at the Magurumeno Orphanage School, which is run by a local man for children in the area. This is a great opportunity to lend a hand and we encourage clients to bring with old clothes, educational supplies and sporting equipment. Gardening tools and seeds are also greatly appreciated here as the vegetable garden is often trampled by elephants. In the future, we hope to pay for a protective fence for this garden.

A Fair Deal:
Employed staff members are predominantly indigenous to the area thus contributing towards the unemployment problem in the surrounding villages. Employees receive training to become guides on the river through a comprehensive training course which includes practical assessment and written exams set by local authorities. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from your visit.

Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.