Kenya remains a fabulous water sports destination, either for competition or leisure. Visitors may enjoy canoe voyages lasting from several hours to 10 days guided by seasoned guides.  Spending 3 days casually afloat an isolated river is a perfect ingredient to any Kenyan safari. Canoeing offers a fabulous opportunity for visitors to get near Kenyan animals, including buffalo, hippos, crocodile, elephant, and many bird and antelope species, without the restrictions and noise of cars.  Past experience is not a prerequisite for canoeing.   Though not feasible in every location owing to crocodile and hippo populations, several Rift Valley lakes can support this exciting sport.

Visitors spent the night camping at movable river bank tented camps or islands. A number of lodges offer canoeing as a leisure activity for guests.  Since it is not normally a tiring activity, both the old and young find canoeing an unforgettable experience. 

Canoeing enthusiasts visiting Kenya have limitless opportunities on inland rivers and along the coastline. A great deal of the seashore is secured by shielding reef, thus providing serene conditions perfect for discovering shallow inner atolls  and reefs having spectacular marine life including many dolphins and tropical fish and  uncommon dugongs .

Kenyan river deltas, for instance, the Tana, offer ideal canoeing locations, where visitors can admire birdlife such as Fish Eagles, rare wading types, as well as mangrove nesting spots.    

Lake Baringo provides fantastic opportunities for paddling alongside local fishermen as visitors learn about local fishing techniques and Kenya’s rich culture.   Lake Naivasha as well provides a number of boat trips, mainly to the magnificent Crescent Island famed for the bird life.
The 2007 East and Central Africa Rowing and Canoeing Championships were held on Tana River near the Coast and at Masinga Dam. Nigeria, Egypt, and Seychelles had representative teams battling it out with Kenyan teams.  This championship was used to choose the National Rowing Team of Kenya that represented the country at the 2008 Olympiad in Beijing.  The unique Slalom Canoe-Kayak route was also introduced on Tana River in 2007. Africa Continental Olympic Qualifiers, and the fifth Africa Canoeing Championships, all international events, were held in Kenyan in 2007.

 The 2008 International Canoeing Marathon, with the theme, “Challenge your Horizon” and “Give the Gift of Water", was held at the Coast starting from Mombasa’s Tudor Water Sports Marina. The 120 kilometre championship attracted a total of eighteen contestants drawn from Italy, South Africa, and Kenya. Though a fun activity, the event as well had a social responsibility component with a portion of the Proceeds going to AMREF’s Coast sanitation and water activities.

The Tourism Trust Fund has funded Kenya Water Sports Trust to train guides and local teams and provided marine safety apparatus, kayaks, canoes and boats.
Visitors who include canoeing in their itinerary while on a safari in Kenya surely enjoy this great experience.