Follow in the footsteps of Stanley Livingstone and join us at Victoria Falls for a trip down the Zambezi!
Bio Bio Expeditions returns to the Zambezi River almost every year – we love it!
From your first dip into the Devil’s pool overlooking the Victoria Falls through to the huge rapids of the Zambezi, your Africa whitewater adventure is a once in a lifetime adventure you’ll never forget.
The Zambezi is a quintessential African river meandering from Angola to the Indian ocean, flowing between Zambia and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa.
Starting in 1989, Bio Bio Expeditions co-owners Marc and Laurence spent three seasons working as full-time guides on the Zambezi River. Together, they have accrued over 300 descents of the mighty Zambezi.
As members of the competitive rafting team, Team California, returning often to compete on the Zambezi in an international whitewater competition hosted in Africa, they forged lifelong friendships and partnerships with many locals Africans.
Still today, they draw upon those strong, long-standing relationships with local Africans to help make our Zambezi rafting adventure vacations so magical.
6 Reasons You MUST Raft the Zambezi with Bio Bio!
A wonderful Bio Bio Expeditions African adventure awaits! If you’re needing a little extra convincing, here are six great reasons you should consider a Bio Bio adventure down the epic Zambezi:
- The highest concentration of Grade Five rapids in a 25 kilometre stretch in the world. A Grade 5 river, the Zambezi is the highest grade a river can be categorized for white water rafting – as wet and wild as it gets!
- Rafting between two countries – Zimbabwe and Botswana. We explore the various facets of the Zambezi watershed in the region and enjoy the rich history of game viewing and preservation in this uniquely “veldt” like terrain. Botswana boasts a highly developed and protected national park system allowing the wildlife to thrive. The elephant herds of Botswana and Zimbabwe are among the largest and most protected of Africa. Game viewing in this area is some of the world’s best, as we’ll be off the beaten path and you’ll not be overwhelmed with the many tourists often found in East Africa.
- Pool drop river system gives unrivaled action offering breathtaking peace and beauty. An incredible backdrop, the Victoria Falls are considered the boundary between the upper and middle Zambezi. For the next 500 km the river serves as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Below the Falls the river continues to flow due east for about 200 km (120miles), cutting through gorges of basalt rock between 200 to 250 metres (660 to 820ft) high. The river drops 250m over the next 200 km before entering Lake Kariba. The Kariba Dam which was completed in 1959 is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and the hydroelectric power generated provides electricity for much of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- A Wildlife Canoe Safari where we’ll see elephant, zebra, bushbuck, kudu, Cape buffalo, ubiquitous baboons, impala, and the occasional bush duiker. The bird life is an ornithologist’s dream come true, with the various ibis and Trumpeter Horn Bill as a highlight. In the river, roughly a mile wide at times and often channels around sand banks and reed islands, is the habitat for hippopotami and the patient crocodile. After sundown, we see and hear a range of nocturnal creatures: lions, leopards and the rare wild dog, to name only a few.
- Chobe National Park, in northern Botswana, has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. Often described the best wildlife-viewing area in Africa today, Chobe boasts one of the highest concentrations of wildlife left on the African continent. A major feature of Chobe National Park is its elephant population currently estimated at around 120,000.
- Elegant safari lodges and camps with amazing wildlife! Equipped with luxury tented suites, each with private decks and plunge pools amidst unspoiled wilderness, you’ll rest and relax in unpretentious safari camps, offering a true “African Safari Experience”. No trip to Africa is complete without staying in some of the finest, luxury safari lodges with ample opportunity for incredible game viewing.
We have designed all of our itineraries on the Zambezi so our guests can experience the beauty of all aspects of the Zambezi: the calm Upper section, the wild whitewater of Batoka Gorge, and the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls.
Interested in joining us on a unique Whitewater Rafting trip to the Zambezi in Africa? Find out more HERE!
Most recently I was lucky enough to run a trip with Jenner Fox, Elena Louder, Lorenzo Alvarez Roos (Bio Bio Co-founder), and legendary Bio Bio guide Kipchoge Spencer on the much sought after Illinois River in Oregon! This was yet another incredible experience with river family and friends, and of course with incredible music from Kipchoge and Jenner.
