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Adventure DiariesAuthor: Chris Watson Language: en-us Genres: Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Sports, Wilderness Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Kayaking Madagascar's Longest River - The Mangok with Oscar Scafidi
Episode 8
Wednesday, 29 April, 2026
🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you.Oscar Scafidi has spent two decades living and working across 36 countries in Africa — writing travel guides for Bradt, teaching African history, and launching himself down some of the continent's most remote rivers. In 2022, he and a teammate attempted the first descent of Madagascar's Mangoky River: 750km, 28 days, and a 200km portage across a waterless mountain range that nearly broke the expedition before it began.The Mangoky has no agreed source — no GPS coordinates, no signpost. Getting to the start meant heading towards a mountain and asking locals which way the water flowed. Getting to the finish meant nine days on foot through terrain with no water and no settlements, carrying a 40kg Klepper folding kayak in pieces, before finally reaching the river proper.This episode covers the full story — the five years of planning, the crocodiles, the schistosomiasis, the team dynamics, and the entirely unplanned French feast that closed it all out. Chapters:00:00 Cold open — Crocodile Canyon and why hippos are the real danger01:28 Guest intro — Oscar Scafidi, expedition kayaker and Africa travel writer03:45 From Italy to Sudan — how an accidental teaching job started everything07:35 Why Africa? The British Airways flight that set Oscar up for the continent09:45 Travel writing and Bradt guides — how an accidental career took off13:25 The Angola Kwanza River expedition — how Oscar became an expedition kayaker18:10 Why Madagascar? Five years of planning a first descent20:55 Finding the source of the Mangoky — a river with no agreed starting point23:35 The 200km portage — when the worst-case scenario gets worse27:05 The Klepper kayak — a century-old design built for expeditions31:00 Crocodiles, pirogues, and 50km days on the main Mangoky47:25 Schistosomiasis, team dynamics, and 28 days of isolation49:00 Finishing on the Mozambique Channel — a surprise ending and a French feast55:00 Pay it forward — Our Kids Are Future Madagascar Oscar Scafidi — travel writer, history teacher, expedition kayakerWebsite / expedition: kayakthemangoky.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ScafidiTravelsDocumentary: https://youtu.be/KlVlWQcZlA8Book: Kayak the Mangoky Charity: Our Kids Are Future Madagascar — educational charity supported by 25% of book profitsFor full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/podcastSend us Fan MailSupport the showThanks For Listening.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.Please visit AdventureDiaries.com/GO For more authentic stories of Adventure Exploration and the natural worldThe Adventure Diaries Podcast also covers a broad spectrum OF topics withIN the fields of Adventure, Exploration, Micro-adventure, Survival, Mental Resilience, Conservation, Scotland, Hiking, Solo Travel, Cycling, Nature, Storytelling, Mountaineering
