September 2006: As part of a 10-day adventure that included cage diving with great white sharks in South Africa-Cage Diving with Great White Sharks in Guadalupe Island, Mexico & South Africa | Venture The Planet and a canoe safari down the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe-Attacked by a Hippo in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe | Venture The Planet, my friend Matt and I spent four days traveling through Zambia. We journeyed from Victoria Falls to Lusaka and back, mostly using public transportation. The highlight of our time in Zambia was tackling Class IV rapids while white water rafting at Victoria Falls—one of the wildest and most exhilarating rafting experiences in the world.
Location of Victoria Falls in Zambia
Zambia is a vast country in southern Africa, often overshadowed by its neighbors in terms of tourism—except for Victoria Falls. Despite this, it boasts incredible wilderness areas teeming with wildlife. As one of the world’s leading copper exporters and a former British colony, many Zambians speak English as a second language. Compared to its neighbors, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia is relatively stable.
The main goal of my trip to Zambia was to visit Victoria Falls and traverse the country en route to one of the world’s best canoe safaris—down the Zambezi River in Mana Pools National Park, located on the Zimbabwean side of the river. The northern side of the river belongs to Zambia. However, the journey became more challenging when South African Airlines lost my luggage, leaving me to complete the entire trip with only my carry-on. The most frustrating part was that I actually saw my backpack in the airport at Victoria Falls, locked behind a closed door. The airport personnel told me I had to wait for the manager to retrieve it, but with our bus to Lusaka departing before the manager’s arrival, I had no choice but to leave it behind.
Bus station
Public bus across the country
Victoria Falls is the longest waterfall in the world, but unfortunately, during my visit, it was nearly dry, with little water flowing over the edge. Instead of the thunderous cascade I had hoped to see, the falls were reduced to a trickle in many areas. The true spectacle of Victoria Falls comes to life during or after the wet season, but since I was visiting in the dry season, I missed out on its full awesomeness.
Victoria Falls
But the low water levels meant ideal conditions for white-water rafting. I signed up for a half-day trip tackling Class IV rapids—the highest class before Class VI, which is essentially a waterfall. The adventure began with a steep hike down to the bottom of the canyon, where we launched our raft into the turbulent waters just beyond the falls. The rapids ranged from Class III to Class V, each one a chaotic rush of whitewater. After each rapid, we would enter a calm pool where safety kayakers waited to collect anyone who had been tossed from the raft.
The experience was not without its risks. Our guides made it clear that people had died on this river, drowning or being battered by rocks. While the chance of encountering hippos or crocodiles was small, it was still a possibility—just another element of the adventure.
View of one of the rafting falls from the hike down to the river
Me on the raft
Calm part of the river
Class IV Rapids
Class IV Rapids
One of the rapids was so intense that we were completely engulfed by white water, unable to see anything. All we could do was duck down and grip the raft as tightly as possible. The sheer force of the rapid was overwhelming, and it sent everyone flying into the churning river—everyone except for the guide and me. As the raft emerged from the chaos, I looked around to see our crew scattered in the water. One by one, the safety kayakers skillfully plucked them from the river and returned them to the raft, all of us exhilarated and breathless from the sheer power of the Zambezi.
Deep in the rapids engulfed in the whitewater with zero visibility
Zambia is definitely the kind of country I would love to return to someday to explore more deeply. In particular, I’d love to visit Luangwa National Park in the north, which is known for its incredible wildlife and remote, untouched wilderness. From Zambia, we flew to Madrid via South Africa and then continued onward to San Diego, marking the end of an unforgettable adventure.