Warm water, great people, amazing scenery, and some of the best whitewater that this world has to offer. Yup thats the Zambezi for you.

When most people think of the Zabezi, they think of rapids that most seasoned professionals dread. Well thats really not the case. ANY boater with a class 3-4 bigwater roll, can paddle the zam.

The thing that they dont show on all of the whitewater videos, is...

1. There are sneak lines to almost all of the rapids. The only one that does not have one is rapid #9, and most people walk it anyway.

2. Most all of the rapids are pool drop. This means that you have short rapids and long pools.

3. Every rapid has been swam, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. But yes, the word is that Steve Fisher has swam #9 on purpose.

If you have ever wanted to go to Zambia, dont waste another minute. Book a flight, and go.

More information about kayaking the Zambezi Here

How to get there.

If you are coming from North America...

Hop a flight on South African Airways directly from Atlanta, Georgia to Johannesburg South Africa. From there you can take a train if you are on a budget, and traveling with kayaks. Keep in mind the train is a bit more dangerous and almost the same price as flying. When you take the train, you will need to purchase a visa for entering Zimbabwe and then one to enter Zambia, unless of course you are staying in Zimbabwe. Most people tend to stay in Zambia due to: first off safety, and second, you will miss the first rapids, and the minus rapids due to inaccessability. The season for going is around September 1 throught December 31

I recommend taking the plane. Nigerian Airways has some nice 50 seater jets that fly directly to Livingstone Zambia. Keep in mind that when you leave there is a $20.00 USD departure tax. The tax is cash only, and there are no ATM's at the airport. I learned this the hard way. When you arrive you will need to take a taxi to town. Ask around to find out how much you should pay. The taxi drivers hang out waiting for people to take to town, then leave. In other words there is not always taxi service. If you are lucky you might be able to bum a ride from your neighbor on the plane.

Where to stay...

There are two options.

The first is Fawlty towers. This hostel is inexpensive and nice.The reservation in advance means that you get a free visa and a pickup from the airport. You will find Breakfast, a bar, and a pool. There are some other hostels in the area, but for the price Fawlty towers rocks. I decided to stay at Jolly Boys hostel to save roughly 1-2 bucks a night, and after the first night I left to Fawlty Towers. Definately worth the extra. Also Fawlty towers can arrange game drives directly from there.

The second option is the Royal Livingstone or the Zambezi Sun

This is the preferred way to go if you have the cash. Both of these hotels are beautiful resorts. You wont be disappointed. Both of these are also walking distance from the put in, but you will still need shuttles.

More information about kayaking the Zambezi Here

"The Minus rapids"

The locals call Victoria falls Mosi-oa-tunya or the "smoke that thunders" and that it does. You can hike close to the main falls if you have your own kayak in the dry season. Here you will be able to run the "minus" rapids, or get a view of the falls like the one on the top left. The hike is a bit dangerous due to the rocks being extremely slippery.

Bungee jump 333 feet from the bridge spanning the gorge, (US $75.00) or try the gorge swing.