Natureways 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.

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!

A wonderful experience

I did the short classic 8 day trip and it was amazing! The guides were exceptional - experienced, knowledgable, professional and lovely people. Everything went very smoothly, from booking to transfers to the trip itself. I would highly recommend using Natureways.

Trip of a lifetime

A wonderful trip -- guides Norman and Andy were knowledgeable, skilled, communicative and fun to be with. They offered information before we asked, answered all our questions gladly, and showed us the marvels of Mana Pools and the Zambezi River. Support staff was also superb. Highly recommended!

Great Canoe Trip

This was an excellent experience. Seeing the Zambezi river from a canoe for three days gives a whole new perspective to safari. Our guides, Mark and EG, were very knowledgeable and managed the canoes (and hippos) very well. Camping on the banks of the river was great, as were the walking safaris. The food was top notch too. The support staff did a great job making this a truly memorable experience.

A Truly In-the-Wild Experience!

We had a wonderful 4-day canoeing trip with Natureways down the Zambezi in Mana Pools. We mixed it up with doing 2 days on the more rustic option and 2-days on the luxury option, and both were amazing in their own ways. I've never felt more "out there" as I did on this trip, hearing lions coughing in our camp, dodging hippos for 4 straight days and having close encounters with elephants, waterbuck and crocodiles. The guides were super knowledgeable and always prioritized our safety over anything else. The food was fresh and very well done, and the amenities in the luxury version were spectacular. All in all, one of the best experiences of my life.

There was one BIG mix-up in that we initially signed up for a 2-day walking safari and 2-day canoeing safari but when we got there Natureways had it booked as a 4-day canoeing trip. But in the end, we didn't mind at all as the 2 extra days canoeing were also amazing. Still, it was a mistake on their end.

A wonderful adventure!

I joined a 4 day canoe trip on the Zambezi and from the initial organization and planning, to the knowledge of the guides and the care and consideration of all the staff, it was a fantastic trip. The logistics of meeting the group were handled smoothly and the time on the river was wonderful-we camped under the stars besides the river, the guides directed us safely to admire the animals and all supplies were provided. I spent an additional night in Mana Pools and walked around the park with a guide who explained everything from the ants to the habits of elephants.

Excellent guides, back up staff and product.

Fantastic for the price. Great guides, good equipment and unbelievable food!