Trip Description
Day 1
Arrive Livingstone, sample the beauty of the Falls, or "do tea" at Vic Falls Hotel! Hotel included
Not included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 2
We start the trip beneath Victoria Falls, (not above as we get asked!) and take on some of the best rapids on the planet. Stairway to Heaven, Devils Toilet Bowl and Star Trek... are just a few!
Included: All meals
Day 3
We load the rafts with all our food and equipment for the rest of the trip and take on Creamy White Buttocks, the Mother and OBLIVION!
Included: All meals
Day 4
Amazing sights of Fish Eagles amidst more fantastic rapids, Open Season, the Narrows and one of our favourites, Upper Moemba! What an adrenalin rush to end the day.
Included: All meals
Day 5
We portage the rafts around Lower Moemba and the Chabango Falls, then load up again and run the amazing rapid, Ghostrider!
Included: All meals
Day 6
Yay! Its layover day! A magical 24 hours of African style relaxation on a huge, remote beach, where your biggest decision might be whether to have a second serving at lunch! Usually there are pancakes at the relaxed hour of 10 am and then it is time to do whatever you like.Today is time to relax, swim or try your hand at kayaking!
Included: All meals
Day 7
A great mellow day to relax on more gentle water, take in a few waves and lie back and enjoy the scenery.Resuming our casual float, we pass the time viewing game often from quite close range, perfect for some superb photo opportunities. Baboon and mountain goats are often seen coming down to the waters edge for a drink. And there is a vast array of birdlife in Zambia, rich in colour and song. With your guide doing most of the work with his oars, we can take time out to relax with a floating lunch - definitely a touch of the good life. We will pass by some African villages today, our first sights of civilisation since leaving the falls, and maybe stop off to see if they have any freshly caught fish we can purchase. Our camp this evening is along what is locally known as crocodile alley so we recommend not going down to the river after dark as some of these crocs measure up to 6 metres!
Included: All meals
Day 8
A gorgeous overnight camp gives rise to the gorge opening out and us rafting amongst hippos and crocs! We pack up the gear and drive back to town! We pack up the gear and take a spectacular 40 minute helicopter flight back to our lodge on the banks of the Zambezi. You have done one of the best river trips in the world.
Included: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 9
Fly home.
Not included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Getting There
Please ensure before you confirm your own travel arrangements ensure your trip is confirmed. This can be done by calling our UK or US office.

FROM The UK
Flight options are extensive. We find the best connections for our guests are with British Airways or Nationwide Airlines out of London. These leave on the night prior to Day One of your trip itinerary and it is a convenient overnight flight, with just one hour of time difference. You will make a brief stop in Johannesburg before catching your connecting flight to Livingstone. Other options from Manchester include Swiss via Zurich or Lufthansa via Frankfurt. For advice or assistance please give us a call.

FROM THE USA
Most flights leave in the evening 2 days prior to Day One. Your flight will route via UK or Europe and then you’’ll have a connecting flight to Johannesburg and then onwards to Livingstone. For your flight options, please call our US office.

Visa Requirements
Normally you can enter Zambia with a minimum of formalities at your point of disembarkation provided you have given us your passport details beforehand. We will have obtained a visa waiver for you whilst you are in Zambia. However, in order to do this we require your passport number, date of expiry, nationality and date of entry into Zambia. On arrival at Livingstone Airport, you should tell the official you are on the “Bushfront” Manifest. We will advise if you are staying somewhere else and will be on a different manifest. Please note, a visa waiver can only be granted for entry at Livingstone airport or the Victoria Falls road bridge. Please check with us regarding the latest visa regulations.

The Dreaded Jabs
Far and away the biggest precaution you should take is a course of anti-malaria prophylactics. These are available from your specialist vaccination centre. You could be forgiven in thinking that to go to Africa requires multiple vaccinations, however, Zambia is relatively disease free, although Certificates of Inoculations will be required if travelling into Zambia from infected areas or from Zambia into some other African countries. No other vaccinations are compulsory although we recommend consulting your GP or specialist vaccination centre. They may suggest that you get inoculated against Hepatitis A, Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid and Meningitis.

Exchange Rates
At the time of printing USD $1 was equivalent to 5522.15 ZMK and GBP £1 to 7732.12 ZMK so Zambia remains quite good value. However prices generally vary between the local and tourist price. Usually hotel prices are quoted and must be paid for with foreign currency. The same applies for some excursions. As a guideline you can obtain a rather extensive smorgasbord evening meal for around USD$10 and a pretty cool Nyami-nyami (Zambezi River God neck pendant) for 20cents! As a general rule you should exchange your money with the local banks.

Climate
October in Zambia can be very warm and we would recommend that a sun hat and plenty of high factor sunscreen are essential items on your kit list. It can get up to 45 centigrade occasionally down in the Batoka Gorge, but more often than not it ranges from 35-40. The water temperatures are a comfortable 24 degrees and provide welcome relief from the heat. The rainy season is from November until March and for any departures towards the end of October into November we would encourage a raincoat as there can be some quite heavy showers. It does cool down a little in the evenings but nothing worth worrying about. Generally you are quite comfortable just sleeping under the stars. Most hotels are also equipped with the essential swimming pool, placed in close proximity to the bar for your convenience!

Fitness And Safety
Safety is our foremost consideration at all times whether on or off the river. All our guides are chosen for their extensive international experience. They each have at least 10 years running rivers around the globe. All have first aid qualifications of the highest standard including at least one medic on each trip. And we carry an extensive First Aid kit and Satellite Telephone with us at all times. They are considered professionals in their field and dedicate their lives to sharing these wonderful river trips with others.
There are no special requirements for the Zambezi River, except perhaps a sense of adventure. The Zambezi is a large volume river and a huge amount of fun. We recommend that you exercise regularly: running, walking or swimming, at least a month or two before the trip, in order to maximize your fun on this amazing river. The minimum age for this trip is 16 years and there is no upper age limit providing you are in reasonable physical shape. Please let us know (quietly if you wish) if you have any medical conditions or allergies, or are taking any medications that you think we should be aware of.

Personal Equipment
After years on the river the guides have found exactly what is necessary to feel comfortable on the raft by day, cosy around the camp at night and totally in style in town before and after trips! Therefore our equipment list will mean that you will be perfectly attired and outfitted for your whole trip and well under the baggage allowance - river guides are famous for travelling light (one has to be when a kayak is often in tow!). A full list of what we recommend will be sent to you upon booking confirmation. We find that most people already have in their possession what is necessary for a river trip and very little else in the way of specialised equipment is required. Perhaps the only thing that we specifically recommend for Zambia is PLENTY of sunscreen!

Holiday Extension Options

So you have finished the trip of a lifetime and don’t want to return to city life in the UK? Don’t panic as you are in the adventure capital of Africa and there are numerous exhilarating (and also quite sedentary) activities to occupy your time. We can recommend all of the following and so what we suggest is that you have a chat with our office staff who can offer advice and make any reservations in advance that might be necessary. Don’t be shy you have survived the mighty waters of the Zambezi so now you should feel brave enough to try all those other adventure sports you have always wanted to!

Wildlife Viewing
There is a plentiful supply of opportunities in Southern Africa for experiencing some of the most amazing wildlife viewing to be found anywhere in the world. It would be a shame to come to this region and not visit the wide variety of parks on offer. We suggest a visit to Chobe National Park in Botswana, widely acclaimed as some of the best game viewing in Africa, where you can see a wide range of animals, including elephants, zebras and lions!
There are guided game drives or, for the more adventurous, one of the best options on offer is a ‘self drive safari’ where you can drive yourself around the relevant parks of interest to you. You will be well equipped with a 4-wheel drive vehicle, which sleeps 2 to 4 people and all the kitchen facilities that you will require, giving increased flexibility to your trip.

Canoe Safari
Well, and we mean well, before the Zambezi River tumbles over the Victoria Falls, there are some quieter stretches upstream where you can spend time exploring the river in a canoe. It is quite the thrill to see elephants at close range as they come down for a drink or paddle past pods of hippos wallowing in the mud. It is a lovely way to spend a relaxing few days before flying back to ‘civilization’. The trips vary in length up to three days and all equipment is provided.

Micro-light Flights
Truly a magnificent way to view the beauty of Victoria Falls or the wildlife of the Zambezi National Park. For those of you with real thrill seeking tendencies try this one!

Bungy-Jumping
On the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, on the bridge overlooking batoka Gorge and the Zambezi River, is one of the highest commercial bridge bungy jump in the world. And what a RUSH it is as you leap into the chasm created by Victoria Falls. The jump at 111 metres and is not for the faint hearted! Even if you aren’t tempted it is definitely worth a look!

Sporting Facilities
For those of you wanting to dabble in your sporting interests whilst in Zambia, a few unique opportunities await you. Perhaps try a game of golf at the Royal Livingstone Course. A truly unique experience, we suggest this is as much a game viewing experience as a great game of golf!

There are plenty of other activities from helicopter rides into the gorge, to horse back safaris and tented wildlife viewing camps in set areas of the parks. What ever you are interested in we will try and provide details and make reservations for you.

Price Includes
• Transfers between Livingstone Airport and your hotel. If you provide us with your arrival details we will be happy to meet you at the airport and ease that transition into African chaos. We request that you are there on Day One, the day before your rafting trip departs (as described above). • Accommodation the night before the river trip in a tourist hotel and in Taita Falcon Lodge the night after your trip finishes. This will be on a share twin basis with someone also on your river trip. Single Supplements are available. • All transfers to and from the river. • A spectacular helicopter ride from the Matetsi River back to Taita Falcon Lodge. • All meals from breakfast on Day Two to lunch on Day Eight. We can cater for any dietary requirements, just let us know! • All necessary rafting equipment, including the best in buoyancy aids, helmets and spray jackets. Plus water tight pelicases for your cameras. • Tented accommodation whilst on the river. • All camping equipment excluding sleeping bags • Fully qualified, experienced river guides and safety kayakers who are extremely professional and make up one of the most experienced river teams in the World. They make every effort to make your trip one of the most memorable, optimising your fun without compromising on your safety. They all hold advanced first aid qualifications and in the unlikely event of an injury they have the expertise and professionalism to deal with it • All necessary permits and licenses. • A cool Water By Nature Tshirt! Please Note: Not included are flights, visas, departure taxes, travel insurance, inoculations, sleeping bags, video or DVD of your trip, alcohol, personal items or gratuities. You will also need to budget for meals in town that are not included in the price and any extra accommodation outside what is provided.

Member discount:
Please register yourself with eezytrips.com and contact us to get your discount coupon.

Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.

Also see tour packages in:
Zambia  Kayaking, Canoeing And Rafting Sport Vacations 

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