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Kayaking the Mangoky (Madagascar’s Longest River) + Balancing Career and Travel with Oscar Scafidi

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What does it take to become the first person ever to complete a full source-to-sea kayaking trip down Madagascar’s longest river?

Oscar Scafidi is a history teacher, travel writer, and expedition leader who has lived and worked across more than 30 African countries since 2006. He has written guidebooks to Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Tunisia, and holds a Guinness World Record for the first source-to-sea kayak expedition along Angola’s Kwanza River. In 2022, he and a fellow expedition partner completed the first source-to-sea kayak trip along Madagascar’s longest river, the Mangoky, an adventure now documented in his book and film.

In this episode, I talk with Oscar about his years living and working across Africa, and the story behind his recent Madagascar kayaking adventure.

This conversation moves between two very different worlds: the classroom, where Oscar spends his days teaching, and the wild, unmapped stretches of Africa where he pushes himself to the edge. There’s a real thread of humility running through it, a reminder that no expedition succeeds without the people who make it possible along the way. It’s also a great reminder that a regular person with a full time job can still build a life full of big, audacious adventures. If you’re drawn to stories of grit, humor under pressure, and what it feels like when a plan falls apart in real time, this one’s for you.

Have you ever pushed yourself into a situation where you genuinely weren’t sure how things would turn out? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

Tune In To Learn:

  • How a string of rejected job applications accidentally launched a two-decade career in Africa
  • What it was really like moving straight from Western Europe into a country facing serious political instability
  • How teaching and travel writing compete for Oscar’s time and attention
  • Why staying humble matters when writing about places that aren’t your own
  • What it takes to prepare for a multi-week kayaking expedition with almost no prior experience
  • How a mountain range with no water nearly ended the trip
  • Advice for handling corrupt officials and checkpoint shakedowns without losing your cool
  • Why local guides and communities deserve more credit than the explorers themselves
  • What’s next for Oscar’s expedition career

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