Rivers and Lakes

As only 3% of the world’s water is fresh this makes the rivers and lakes that flow through our planet crucial to the survival of all life forms.  Many rivers start their life high in mountain ranges and there are plenty of trips you can do to find the ‘source’ of various rivers if you have the time!

The Amazon in South America is the second longest river in the world but the largest by water flow. It has the largest drainage basin on earth about 7,050,000 sq km! Starting high in the Andes of Peru, streams flow to the Amazon and it is joined by the Rio Negro and others on it’s journey through Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean.  The surrounding Amazon rainforest is home to a massive diversity of life including a variety of primates, colourful birds and remote tribal people.  It is possible to stay in Amazon eco-lodges to explore these areas of flooded forests and tributaries. Also in South America head to The Pantanal for the world’s largest wetland region, home to Jaguar, Tapir, Giant Anteater and rare birds such as the Hyacinth Macaw.

The Zambezi in Africa passes west to east through much of the continent, starting as a trickle in Angola and drifting down through Botswana (where it diverts to the Okavango Delta) and through Zambia and Zimbabwe over the fabulous Victoria Falls towards Mozambique, where vast and wide it eventually meets the Indian Ocean.  The Rift Valley Lakes of Africa provide home to rare cichlid fishes and breeding grounds for pink flamingoes in East Africa. Lake Malawi has fabulous freshwater diving and Lake Tanganyika is the deepest lake in Africa.

In Asia the Mekong River is used very much as a transport system for marketable goods and fishing.  It is also home to rare River Dolphins – ask me about the best parts of the river to see them. The Mekong runs from the Tibetan Plateau through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Travel down they Yangtze River in China, the third longest in the world! Enjoy a houseboat on the backwaters of Kerala in India.

Young rivers tend to be fast flowing and collect rocks and sediment as they travel, falling in cascades and in places forming huge waterfalls.  Once a volume of water has fallen from height it tends to calm down into pools, lagoons or lakes.  Lakes are usually very fertile due to the sediment dropped from the rivers feeding them, such as Lake Baikal in Russia, the deepest in the world.  Freshwater lakes of the world provide valuable fishing for humans and other animals, such as bears, wading birds and seals.  Take a trip to the Great Lakes of Canada and Niagara Falls. In Alaska when salmon take their dangerous journey up the rivers to spawn, Grizzly Bears congregate for their annual fishing parties.

Adventure travel taking in rivers and lakes are possible all over the world, take a look through this website for some inspiration and ideas or give me a call to discuss what you want to see and do.  Whether it’s rafting the Zambezi, cruising down the Nile, paddling the Amazon or drifting on a Houseboat on a lake, there are a wealth of watery holidays out there for you! …… Where in the world would you rather be?