On the river, in traditional dugout canoes called "mekolo"

In the late afternoon, once the sun's ferocity has subsided, ask a guide to take you out on the river for a gentle cruise. During the dry season, there's a good chance of seeing wildlife coming down to drink at the rivers edge. This is on the southern bank of the river in Zimbabwe which is part of the Victoria Falls National park. Large heards of elephant with their young are often seen. There is always the chance of finding our resident pod of hippo with their young. Sometimes crocodile and otters are also seen. There is no guarantee of seeing wildlife, but the pleasure is of being out on the water, and returning at sunset, is always a favorite activity.

During the day you can hire fishing tackle and try your hand at catching the ferocious Zambezi Tigerfish. The guides will take you out in the morning and afternoon and show you the best places to find these attractive looking fish. If you are a novice, they'll show you the ropes. We encourage catch and release at Jungle Junction, but if you wish to keep one, your guide will be only to happy to help you prepare it. There is also the chance of catching a nice big fat Nembwe, a type of 'Tilapia'. These are very tasty!

Around midday, when the sun is at its hottest, a lot of our guests ask a guide to take them over to our shollow swimming place. This is on a small sand bar in the middle of the river, with a small beach for sunbathing and a tree for shade, nice place to reed a book. You can ask the resturant to pack a picnic lunch to take along with you. Your guide will return in the afternoon to collect you. This is only available during low water, (Jul-Dec).

If you want to try your hand at paddling a 'Mokolo' (dug-out canoe), your guide will go with you on a paddle around the Island, that's about a 2 Km lesson. You never know when you might need this skill some day in the future.

On foot

Before the sun gets too hot in the morning, you can set off for a walk on the mainland with your guide.

If you're keen on a good 10 Km hike, he'll take you through a string of traditional rural villages on the path following the river downstream. This walk terminates at Mandia Village where there is a primary school and rural clinic. Here you can meet the headmaster and be shown around the school and view the standard of rural Zambian education. After touring the School, then it's across to the little clinic. Meet the resident nurse whom will proudly show you around her very clean and well organised building, quite an eye opener and always interesting for guests involved in the medical profession. This is a long morning out during the heat of the day, therefore, make sure that you carry plenty of water, wear a shady hat and apply sunscreen, as you will only return to camp after midday. The children whom live opposite Bovu Island have to do this walk to school every day, so if you have your own children accompanying you, they will get an idea how far others will go for an education. The school is closed during their holidays, but the clinic is always open for a visit.

For guests not wanting such a long 'trek', you can take a short 1.5 Km walk with your guide to the closest village. There you will find a small community school for toddlers, which is situated in a big mud hut. A pperfect popportunity to photograph the pupils in their coulful outfits and their beeming smiles. Your guid will also be happy to show you where he lives, introduce you to his wives and dexscribe village life. Guests are welcome to take photographs, but please do not hand out gratuities of any sort. The villagers understand that Bovu Island brings financial income into the community, the only other income being subsistence fishing. Zambians generally pride themselves as not being beggars and are proud people and they understand that you are interested in their culture.

If you are interested in bird watching, this is another leisurely walk on the mainland, through the village, cropped fields and along the river bank. Please remember to take your binculars. Afterwards you ccan check what you have seen in the bird books found in the camp library. You can also print out a checklist from the Nature page on this website.

On Sunday mornings, after breakfast, your guide will happily take you across to the nearby village to attend a 1 hour church service where you can listen to the glorious choir. You can also video the service if you wish.

If you enjoy running or jogging, let your guide know and he'll meet you at the harbour early in the morning to paddle you across to the mainland where you can take off for a 5 Km run on your own along a path that runs parallel to the river. You'll meet all the kids on their way to school whom will occasionaly try and pace you, with lots of laughs and giggles.

Our local football team practices over on the mainland in the afternoons. They always welcome guests to join in and share tactics, if they think you are good enough, you might be invited to join in on a Saturday match.

All the other activities that are available in the area can be found on the Regional page of this website. These are the extreame sports including bunjee and rafting and are not included in your Cover Charge.