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Patrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
TOUR and adventure operators in the resort town of Victoria Falls have started white water rafting on the Zambezi River.
The adrenalin activity had been stopped for about three months following an increase in water levels on the river which made it dangerous for clients.

In an interview, the Rafting Association of Zimbabwe chairperson, Cephas Moyo, said they were excited that water levels on the Zambezi had receded, making it safe for the rafting companies to take clients for the activity.

Local companies have started posting adverts on the internet notifying agents and the tourism market that the product was now back.

RAZ is a body made up of adventure companies offering rafting to tourists on the mighty Zambezi River which include Shearwater Adventures, Khanondo Safaris, Wild Horizons, Shock Wave Rafting and Adventure Zone.

The association has put in place minimum procedures to be followed by its membership to ensure the safety of tourists.

“We are back on the river after a short layoff. Some seasons we even break for four months depending on the water levels but this time around, because of low rainfall in the region, the water levels fell quickly,” he said.

Moyo, however, said they were starting from rapid number 14 to rapid number 24 for a couple of weeks before they start from rapid one.
Ben Tesa, general manager, Khanondo Safaris, said rafting was one of the major tourist attractions after the Rainforest.

“We are expecting more tourists because we have commenced rafting,” he said.

The Zambezi River has class five rapids making it the best in the world compared to other small rivers and is popular with tourists from all over the world.

The one-day low water trip is considered to be the best one-day white water experience available in the world. Commercial rafting started in 1981 on the Zambezi River below the Victoria Falls.

The Batoka Hydroelectricity project — set to be built about 50km down the river from Victoria Falls, will, once completed, see the end of the adrenalin activity because of backflow.