The four days canoeing on the Zambezi River, camping on its bank and being in the midst of all this wildlife was definitely THE highlight of my trip to Zimbabwe.
What made it so special? The different approach to game viewing! We moved in canoes and on foot. Yes, on foot. Each day, just after dawn, Gus, our guide, took us for a walk through the bush. The rest of the days we spent in our canoes gliding down the Zambezi. This required surprisingly little work, the light current doing most of the job.
Floating through this most scenic valley was a highlight of its own, but it was this unique safari that we found most thrilling. Our encounters with game were immediate and often dangerous, especially with hippos. Gus claimed that 2.000 of them inhibit this stretch of the river and they required all your attention.
Sitting at the campfire at night was equally electrifying, watching unparalleled sunsets and listening to the increased activity of animals around us. Soon we would not see but only hear them, wading through the shallow water, ripping off leaves and rampaging through the undergrowth just next to our tents.