Africa’s canoe trails offer a slower, deeper connection to nature than traditional safaris, while directly supporting conservation. For instance, dugout canoe rides in Uganda’s Mabamba Swamp reveal the rare shoebill stork, with fees funding community-led wetland protection. On the mighty Zambezi, multi-day canoe safaris between Zimbabwe and Zambia bring you eye-level with elephants, hippos, and crocodiles, with tourism revenue supporting UNESCO-listed Mana Pools and bolstering anti-poaching efforts. Meanwhile, Botswana’s Okavango Delta invites travelers to glide silently through reed-lined waterways in traditional mokoros, sustaining community livelihoods and safeguarding fragile habitats. Likewise, paddles through South Africa’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve show how low-impact tourism strengthens conservation.
GETAWAY
