Kayaking the Zambezi River is one of those experiences where you know something memorable is about to happen before it actually does. The look Mitchell and I are giving each other in that moment is the look you exchange right before the oh shit realization hits. The split second where you think what did I just get us into and immediately understand that whatever comes next is going to turn into a story you tell forever.

We have kayaked and rafted all over the world. We thought we had a solid frame of reference. We did not. Nothing prepares you for the Zambezi. Not even the guide setting expectations beforehand came close to capturing what this river actually delivers. You can listen, you can nod, you can think you understand, but until you are on the water, you do not.

We expected something closer to our experience kayaking the Grand Canyon. What we got instead was paddling through one of the most dangerous rivers in the world, facing some of the largest and most powerful rapids anywhere. The scale is different. The speed is different. The consequences feel very real.

The Zambezi does not ease you in. It demands your full attention immediately. It is raw, intimidating, and unforgettable. And once you are committed, there is no turning back, only forward through whatever the river decides to throw at you next.