Coverage guide · 2 min read

Mokoro & Canoe Safaris

Water-activity clauses apply.

Is it covered?

0 of 3 partners we track explicitly cover mokoro & canoe safaris.

World NomadsNot confirmed
IMGNot confirmed
Allianz Travel InsuranceNot confirmed

A mokoro trip is about as gentle as watercraft get — a poler standing at the stern, pushing a dugout through reed channels at walking pace. Insurers treat canoeing and kayaking on calm water as a standard covered activity in most wordings. The exclusions in this category aim at white water: graded rapids, and sometimes "canoeing on rivers" phrased broadly enough to need a second look if you're paddling the Zambezi rather than the Delta.

The fine print that applies

Water-activity clauses often carry conditions rather than exclusions: cover applies when you're with a licensed operator, or wearing a buoyancy aid, or not on water graded above class II. Mokoro excursions run from camps with professional polers, so the conditions are met in practice — but multi-day Zambezi canoe trails pass hippo and crocodile territory and some wordings treat river canoeing in big-game areas as its own category.

What to check before you buy

  • Canoeing/kayaking on calm water listed as covered — it usually is.

  • For Zambezi-style river trips: whether river canoeing or grade-rated water triggers different wording.

  • Evacuation limits sized for the Okavango if that's where you're paddling — the activity is gentle; the location is one of Africa's remotest.

Frequently asked questions

Is a mokoro trip classed as an adventure activity?+

Generally no — calm-water canoeing is standard covered activity under most wordings. It's white-water paddling that triggers adventure clauses, not a poled dugout in Delta channels.

What about hippos and crocodiles?+

Incidents are rare — polers read the channels and give animals wide berth — and a wildlife injury on a covered activity claims like any other injury. The insurance point is simpler: make sure the activity itself is covered so the question never gets complicated.

Does a Zambezi canoe trail need different cover than an Okavango mokoro trip?+

Sometimes. Multi-day river trails can fall under 'canoeing on rivers' wording that a few insurers rate differently from flat-water paddling. If your itinerary includes the Zambezi, check the water-activities clause for river-specific language.

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