Zambezi Volunteer Experience

Day 1
Depart London.

Day 2
After the arrival of the group flight, we transfer from Lusaka Airport to Zambezi Breezers where we camp the first night. After dinner we will meet our guide for the canoeing portion of the trip, and we will receive a briefing about the next two days.

Day 3 - 4
After a safety briefing, we take the river in our canoes. We will have a fairly early start as it is often better to canoe in the early hours when it is not so hot, and more importantly, when the easterly head wind is at its weakest. Lunches and breakfasts are either taken on islands or on the banks of the river. We camp overnight on Chiawa Island the first night and then at Mtondo Island the second night.

Day 5
After breakfast we have a half day of canoeing to the Chiawa take out point. We have lunch before loading our canoes and driving to our bush camp while doing a slow afternoon game drive. This is an area rich in wildlife and is renowned for the numerous elephant sightings. It is also home to warthog, waterbuck, impala and many bird species including the Lilac Breasted roller. On our night game drive through the reserve we hope to spot species such as genet, civet, hyena, porcupine, aardvark and if really lucky, the elusive leopard.

Day 6 - 7
After breakfast we will have both a safety briefing and a talk about the various volunteer experiences we can participate in over the next two days, such as participating in animal protection walks, or visiting the children and assisting with the vegetable garden at a local school. We will be taken on a nature walk in the morning, and in the afternoon and for all of the following day, we have a chance to participate in volunteer work. One of the programmes is a de-snaring program where you will be walking in the bush with a guide, hoping to locate snares, which have been left out by poachers to catch wild animals. By helping to remove these snares, the group is helping to protect the wild animals in the area which are an asset to the local people because of the tourism their presence encourages. There is also the chance to visit a local school and spend time both interacting with and maybe even teaching the children there, and in assisting with the vegetable garden. You might want to bring some school supplies or games to donate to the children at the school, and some vegetable seeds for the garden, as this is often decimated by elephants leaving nothing to plant!

Day 8
After breakfast, we game drive back to Chirundu where we camp for our final night, visiting a village en route.

Day 9
An early start today; after breakfast we transfer approximately 3 hrs to Lusaka International Airport for our flight to London.

Day 10
Arrive London.