Kayak The Kwanza

by Oscar Scafidi

In June 2016, Oscar Scafidi and Alfy Weston set out to complete the first ever source-to-sea expedition along Angola’s longest river, the Kwanza. Paddling and carrying a forty-year-old collapsible wooden kayak, they embarked on a journey of 1,300km in support of The HALO Trust, the oldest and largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation in the world.

Over thirty-two days the pair kayaked, hiked and waded towards the Atlantic Ocean, meeting a whole host of interesting people – from security forces, to diamond miners, to farmers and fishermen. Things didn’t always go smoothly. They were attacked by hippos and bitten by insects. They sank in rapids, picked up nasty injuries, and were arrested then threatened with deportation.

Oscar and Alfy’s expedition raised $25,000 for The HALO Trust. The documentary film they made of the journey was aired in film festivals in the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and Cyprus, and their journey is currently being reviewed by Guinness World Records. This is the story of how they did it.

The author will be donating 25% of this book’s profits to The HALO Trust, to help make Angola landmine free by 2025.

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Oscar Scafidi has lived, worked and travelled through over thirty countries in Africa. Originally from the UK and Italy, he spent five years living and working in Luanda, Angola as a history teacher. Before this he was based in Khartoum, Sudan. When not teaching, Oscar also writes travel journalism focusing on difficult destinations, such as Somalia, Afghanistan, Liberia and Timor-Leste. In 2016 Oscar wrote the first English language guidebook to Equatorial Guinea, as well as completing the first ever source to sea navigation of Angola's River Kwanza. Details of the expedition, including a documentary film of the 32 day journey, can be found on his YouTube channel:
Scafidi Travels

Oscar is currently based in Tunis, writing the first ever Bradt Travel Guide to Tunisia, which is due for release in 2022. You can follow his travel writing adventures via his YouTube channel.

Reviews

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book through The Pigeonhole, a free online book club and read it with other readers on the web. It was split into 10 parts, called staves, that I read through the nifty Pigeonhole app. I really enjoyed reading in this format, it suited being split into the 10 staves, sometimes leaving us readers on a terrible cliffhanger until the following day.

Oscar Scafidi’s writing was a so engaging, even when explaining Angola’s heartbreaking history, I never feel bogged down by unnecessary facts. In fact right at the beginning I needed to find out more because I was so fascinated by his descriptions.

I didn’t realise that hippos were such a menace and that there are so many diamond mines in Angola. I really felt for Oscar and Alfy as they struggled with the Kayak full of their belongings over very tough terrain, not knowing where they would camp each night. They also had health issues to deal with, as well as some extremely tough officials along the way. Fortunately the locals were very welcoming and helpful when they needed a hand or directions.

This was a great read and one that I definitely recommend if you enjoy travel memoirs.

[Shelagh Wadman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity of reading on the Pigeonhole in ten Staves. It is a true story, the main characters Oscar and Alfy planned and executed an amazing journey from Luanda in Angola to the Atlantic Ocean in a kayak! Their trip was in aid of the HALO trust who are a non-political charity which remove debris left behind by war, in particular land mines. Kayaking on previously unexplored areas of the river. They battled with hippos, fast flowing water, rapids and the Angolan bureaucracy which almost stopped their journey. A fantastic adventure.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, gripping and well written account of the first source to sea kayak of the Kwanza river in Angola, undertaken by the author and his friend in June 2016 to raise money for HALO (a humanitarian charity which clears unexploded ordnances). I binge read this in two days and really enjoyed it, learning a great deal about Angola’s history, HALO and hippos :)

[Sarah Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adventure! Having met the two protagonists in Madagascar made it even more interesting. And I learned many things, such as the fact that Angola used to be a Portuguese colony. Who knew?

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, learnt lots about rural Angola, diamond mining and post-war landmine clearing efforts. Seems they set out with some planning but mostly prayers and good vibes, but they made it!

[Lel Budge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oscar and Alfy spent many months planning their expedition to Kayak the Kwanza...I found this part very interesting, I had no idea just how much goes into these plans, from the route, equipment, medical supplies and the English essentials....PG Tips and Marmite !
.
This is their true story of the quite amazing expedition from Luanda in Angola to the Atlantic Ocean in a kayak.

The trip was in aid of the HALO trust, a non-political charity which remove debris left behind by war, in particular land mines.

Kayaking on both previously unexplored areas of the river and some already known. The detailed and expressive writing is so good you can practically smell the dank river, mud and unwashed bodies...

They came across some aggressive hippos, guarding the river with the risk of them overturning the kayak at times. The fast flowing water, terrifying rapids and the mosquitoes sounded quite horrific and Oscar’s poor feet had me wincing...I can’t imagine how painful this must have been......and then their arrest for being close to a dam.... Angolan bureaucracy which delayed and almost ended their journey and sneaking past checkpoints on the river...A absolutely fantastic adventure brought to life, I loved every minute ( well apart from BREXIT lol).....

I would like to thank the Pigeonhole and the author for the opportunity to read this book for free and this is my honest and unbiased review

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, engaging account of an epic adventure along the 1300km Kwanza river in Angola, by kayak and by foot. This has everything you could want; just enough background and history to bring context to the modern day, recounts of the intense preparations for the journey which makes the failings throughout that little bit funnier (dodgy tents and fake leather Italian loafers!!), great descriptions of the environment and the encounters with people along the way, rogue hippos and even more rogue police and bureau officials.
This was a riveting, easy read of what was obviously an incredible physical feat and I feel nothing but awe and admiration for Oscar and Alfy.

Read via the Pigeonhole app.

[Diego Echeagaray · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary adventure in the most strict sense of the word.
1. Ingredients: rapids, hippos, machine guns, diamonds, crocodiles, waterfalls, policemen, near-drowning, civil war, anger, mosquito bites, incarceration, portages, despair, beer, collapsible kayaks, sore feet, sponsors, dams and reservoirs, lions, fishing traps, politicians, The Guinness World Records, freezing cold weather, fear, sweltering heat, hope, ambassadors, malaria, humor, landmines, deportation, hunger, broken gear, home-sickness, joy, sunburn, and infected blisters.
2. Add the longest river in Angola.
3. Shake vigorously.
4. Voila! Enjoy Kayak the Kwanza.

[Mr Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I had zero prior knowledge of Angola before reading this, and at first I thought I would struggle to relate to what happens to Oscar and Alfy. How wrong was I! It's very engaging, it captures the atmosphere well, and it keeps you in suspense. Oscar managed to capture the emotional tensions really well, which made the two guys very relatable. Their journey had a lot of challenges which makes for a very entertaining read. The overall impression it leaves of rural Angola is that of friendly helpful people and amazing wildlife. Highly recommend this book to anyone!

[Amelia B. Kyazze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read, worthy cause:

I really enjoyed reading Oscar Scafidi’s Kayak the Kwanza. As someone who had worked in Angola in the early 2000’s, it was so great to read about Angola in the recent years, and yet recognise a lot from the earlier era. Scafidi writes about a record attempt to kayak in a home-made canoe down Angola’s longest river. A pair of friends pull together this idea in order to challenge themselves and to raise money for The Halo Trust along the way – one of the important de-mining organisations working towards making that country landmine-free by 2025. The book is written is an engaging manner; the suspense when the pair encounter hippos, waterfalls, diamond dealers and irate police determined to sink the expedition keeps the pages turning until the very end.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book makes for easy reading. The book takes the armchair traveller on a trip down the Kwanza River in Angola. Some great descriptions of the passing view, people and and dodging hippos. The brush with bureaucracy added to the story, although was obviously not much fun for the guys at the time. Recommended reading - especially for anyone who loves Africa.

[Tom Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who lived in Angola for many years, I found this book captures the essence of Angola perfectly. The ups and downs. The frustrations of government and pure beauty of the people. If you are interested in a great adventure against the backdrop of a meticulously-described setting, read this book.

[Mrs Georgina L Goddard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I struggled with this book. I appreciated the amazing work of the HALO Trust and finding out about a country that I know little about but I think it was the pace of the book I found hard. I might come back to it at a later date.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a really engaging read. It was interesting to learn something of both the history and geography of Angola.
This journey was an amazing challenge and I admire both the physical and mental stamina Oscar and Alfy needed to complete there journey.

[James Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and educational

Very exciting read about the struggles and excitement of completing a first of its kind challenge. I couldn't put the book down. Highly recommend

[LukasmummyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

#KayakTheKwanza!

Another offering from The Pigeonhole, this one is a non fiction account of the trip taken down the Kwanza river for charity by Oscar Scafidi and Alfy Weston. I am the first one to admit that I know nothing about the authors, the setting or the charity and I will even admit that I originally thought this was a fictional book but it was fascinating to read it.