Doug MacDonald’s Scarlet Sunsets in Zimbabwe

A Customizable Trip to Zimbabwe

Highlights

Blackened tree stumps against a scarlet sunset. Copper-hued tuskers fishing for submerged grasses. A giant kingfisher on a dead mopane branch. A malachite kingfisher on the branch beneath. The gentle drone of an outboard motor. Kapenta boats twinkling. The rhythmic sound of paddles as the canoe courses down the Zambezi. Picnics on riverbanks. The skies never looked clearer or more brilliant.

Starting from
US$ 5,500
per person sharing

Duration
9 days / 8 nights

Transport
Overland Safari

Accommodation
Lodges and mobile camps

Exploring
Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park

About this Safari

If you want to get off the beaten path and do something different, then this safari could be for you. This is for the adventure traveller and the young at heart who wouldn’t mind lending a hand with pitching or breaking camp or helping load the canoe. This balanced itinerary is a fantastic mixture of comfort and no-frills excitement. It provides a great opportunity to see a lot of wildlife up close & personal and participate in a variety of activities without breaking the bank.After a comfortable night at the Jacana Gardens Lodge getting accustomed to Africa time, head off to Lake Kariba by road. Lake Kariba is one of the world’s largest man-made lakes and it dams the Zambezi River, creating an inland sea that forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. On arrival, you will be taken to the harbour for a speedboat transfer across this huge lake to Rhino Safari Camp. You will be able to participate in game drives, walks, boat cruises and a range of other activities at this wonderful camp. After Matusadona, you will embark on your exciting Chirundu-Kariba Canoe Trail with your professional canoe guide. You will be provided a comprehensive safety briefing before setting off into the Middle Zambezi Valley. Your last night will be spent in Kariba at Hornbill Lodge.Recommended months: June – November only.

Request for the Full Itinerary

or call our African safari specialists at
+1 703 220 6393 or +91 9717 275237

The Chalo Edge

A Gold Safari designed exclusively for Chalo Africa by our Master Guide Doug MacDonald
Professionally trained and qualified canoe guides of the highest standards
Track the endangered black rhino on foot with the exceptionally trained guides of Rhino Safari Camp
Enjoy sunset cruises on the lake with your drink of choice
Very stable 18 ft Canadian style fibreglass canoes. It is often said that doing a canoe safari down the Zambezi River is one of the ultimate safari activities – and the route we have chosen is through the wildest and most beautiful section of the Zambezi River

Operation Noah

“In 1958 when Kariba Dam was finished, the water began to rise at a rate a couple of metres (several feet) a day and many animals became stranded on rapidly shrinking islands and without help they were doomed to drown. But a local group of dedicated volunteers set up the Zambian safari rescue initiative called Operation Noah.

They had little specialist equipment. Just a fleet of old, leaking boats and a poor communication network. What they lacked in equipment they made up for in enthusiasm and determination. …They rescued them all, large and small, including birds, snakes and poisonous ones too were not left out. The rescuers discovered that some of the animals could swim. They herded them to safety. Those that could not swim were driven to shallow water where the animals were easily captured and transported to shore.
In total Operation Noah rescued 4,845 wild animals from the Islands.”

Memories of “Operation Noah”: 1959