Natureways Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1987)
- Member Of:
- ZTA & SOAZ
- Tour Types:
- Budget & mid-range canoe safaris
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $286 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CH
Email Katharina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful time in Zimbabwe
I spent 8 days with Natureways in July: First 4 Days on the Zambezi (Tamarind Canoe Safari) and then 4 Days in Mana Pools. Everything was organized perfectly by Natureways – pre- and during the trip. Our guides on the canoe safari (Julius and Kambel) were very skilled and our safety was their priority. It was a wonderful and fun experience. Mana Pools was one of my highlights of the whole vacation. The camp was set up at a stunning spot! The team on site was professional, friendly and a pleasure to be around; I especially appreciated the kitchen crew – they made the most delicious meals for us (on fire)! We spotted amazing wildlife on the walking safaris thanks to our guide James Varden; I was particularly impressed by his knowledge and respect for nature.
US
Email Melinda & Lorrie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mana Shoreline Canoeing - Unbelievably wonderful trip!
This was our first trip to Africa and first safari. All our expectations were exceeded. Our guides, Mark and Campbell, were excellent. Their knowledge, skill, patience and humor made for fun and interesting days. Canoeing with hippos was way outside our comfort zones but they made it a trip of a lifetime. The food was great - thank you for the extra effort to provide vegetarian meals and snacks. Each camp was well organized, unique and beautiful. And the Zambezi River...magnificent.
Email Klara Schade | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great safari experience
Our safari was an adventure that we hope to repeat again. Our guides were engaged and knowledgeable, and the team attentive. A perfect safari experience for a lover of nature, and a person that enjoys the serenity of nature. Paddling around the hippos adds a bit of excitement- as they are temperamental.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Zambezi Canoe Trip 6 Days
Perfect trip - all the staff and equipment was perfect.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Trip of a lifetime
A wonderful trip, our guides Mark and EJ were knowledgeable, very skilled, communicative and fun to be with. They offered information before we asked, answered all our questions gladly, and showed us the marvels of the Zambezi River. Support staff was also excelent. At the end of each day, our mobile safari camp would be waiting for us with a selection of fine beverages, delicious food, a warm fire and a comfortable bed.
Highly recommended!
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a Lifttime Experience
We had a wonderful trip 10 day canoe tour on the Zambezi - and we did survive all the hippos and crocodiles. ; )
Norman and Takesure are really great guides and we enjoyed the time with them very much, staying on beautiful islands, watching amazing sunsets, listening to the sounds of wildlife, watching game and elephants (also a cheeta and a leopard)... It was really an exciting and adventurous trip and T.K. continued the lessons in naming the stars that James has started.
Before we started traveling we were well well informed by Kelly-Ann about the the Safari and all necessary preparations, things to bring and so on.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fish Eagle Safari
Norman, TK, Clever and the rest of the team at natureways made our experience unforgettable. Tailoring the safari for our group of eight (average age of 22) allowing for a greater experience. The knowledge and passion of our guides Norman and TK in regards to the river, flora, fauna and bush culinary skill was second to none. Recommended trip for anyone with an enthusiasm and love for the outdoors and great company.
US
Email Mike "Guns" core | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I dodged hippos on water, tracked lions on land, ate and drank like roylaty, yet slept like a baby.
This was my twentieth trip to Africa and one of the most exciting. It is hard to describe the adrenalin rush when canoeing so close to hippos. The natural beauty of the Mana Pools shoreline is something I will never forget. The steadfastness, experience and knowledge of our canoe guides, Mark and Takeshore, was reassuring as we glided down the river. It also helped knowing that at the end of each day, our mobile safari camp would be waiting for us with a selection of fine beverages, delicious food, a warm fire and a comfortable bed. The bird life is amazing and we encountered lots of hippos, big crocs, elephants, buffalo, lion and a large cross section of antelope. I intend to return.
Email John C | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An amazing experience
The tour was booked for us so we didn't have any direct contact with the office although I have contacted them since and have been impressed with the prompt reply. Our tour started and finished at the Zambia/Zimbabwe border and transfers were in place as promised and efficient.
We did the 'Tamarind' 3 day canoe safari. It was an amazing unforgettable experience from beginning to end. We travelled off season and I think this worked in our favour. The group was smaller as a result, in our case there was only us with our two guides so the full VIP treatment. During the three days we canoed at a lovely leisurely pace and we didn't see any other canoes at all during that time. We did see a little game on the riverbanks including an unforgettable herd of elephants washing and playing in the river. The guides were able to control our boats to maximise the viewing experience , it was amazing.
Our nights were spent on islands with nobody else around. We slept in open dome tents with the stars as our backdrop and the noise of the wild as our soundtrack. During the day we would stop for regular breaks and have a lunchtime siesta to avoid the heat. We were visited by a Bull Elephant during one of these stops and he was so close. It was a real privilege to be so close.
We were lucky as we had 'The Dream Team' as guides, Norman and Takesure. We certainly made them earn their money. They answered our never ending questions showing real depth in knowledge. They were good fun, very capable and Takesure's cooking was superb. How he managed to cook such a variety of tasty and healthy food using basic equipment is beyond me but we loved it all. We've now learnt all about the star constellations which are so clear due to no light pollution and we were gazing up at them whilst drinking our bottle of wine that was provided with our meal (nice wine which was a pleasant surprise). We finished our trip at Mana Pools and stayed there for our last night. This wasn't as private but the next morning we got a game drive and saw a pack of Wild Dogs which is quite a rare sighting, very happy with that. We would recommend this trip to anybody, it was wonderful.
US
Email Chris F | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Absolutely amazing....normal safaris will no longer be the same!
I did a trip to Zambia/Zimbabwe/Malawi and when I researching my trip, I stumbled upon Natureways. 4 days on a canoe in one of the top national parks in the world??? Sign me up! We opted for the 4 day Tamarind Safari that went from Chirundu to Mana Pools. This involved packing up all of our food, drink, and tents for the 4 days of the trip. I had high expectations for the trip and they were blown out of the water (ha!). We had two canoes with a guide in each. Our guides, Zira and Manny were absolutely amazing. Super professional, highly skilled, and awesome to talk with.
We saw an absolute insane amount of wildlife up very close - there's an advantage of not having a motor to scare away the animals! I made it very clear that I wanted nothing to do with the hippos at the start of my trip, and our guides did an awesome job keeping us far away from them! We saw loads of elephants, crocodiles, hippos, and even saw two lions mating!
Every night we set up camp on islands on the Zambezi and had some of the most amazing food of our entire trip (while camping for 4 days - how is that possible??). It was crazy to see elephants sharing the island with us in the distance! The only negative was that at point the wind really picked up while we were canoeing. Had to paddle against the wind/current for about an hour, but then we pulled over to land and waited for the wind to die down - can't control the weather!
I've done a few other vehicle safaris - including South Luangwa on this trip. Honestly, they just can't compare to doing a safari on a canoe. I've always felt like safaris can be a bit like Disneyland - constantly being surrounded by an army of other cars. Our Natureways trip wasn't like that whatsoever - just the Zambezi, our canoes, and nature. We rarely ran into other people on the river during our trip - felt like we had the river to ourselves and we really 'out there' (which we were!). If you going to be going to Zambia/Zimbabwe, definitely look into doing a canoe safari with Natureways! You won't regret it!