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A smart, modern houseboat gives a fresh new take on the safari, cruising the waters of Lake Kariba in the warm heart of Africa.
WHY IT’S SPECIAL
Cruising on board a glamorous new houseboat must surely be the most comfortable way yet devised to see wild Africa. Launched in 2018, the African Dream is the finest craft afloat on the 175-mile-long Lake Kariba, created when the mighty Zambezi was dammed in 1959. Measuring 108ft from stem to stern, she can accommodate up to 16 guests at a time in eight luxurious en suite cabins and comes complete with picture windows, state-of-the-art air-conditioning and a hot tub on the sun deck.
Four days on the lake include opportunities to explore the pristine channels of the Gache Gache River with its hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds, and a Land Cruiser safari around Matusadona National Park in search of lions, elephants and other game. Then it’s off by air and private vehicle to Impalila
Island, the only place in the world where four countries meet (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe), to spend another four nights at the Cascades, a luxurious waterside lodge at the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers. There’s time here for a whole-day safari in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, before the grand finale of a stay at Victoria Falls.
YOU’LL NEVER FORGET… Getting to know the wonders of an inland sea twice as wide as the English Channel with elephants roaming along its shoreline; or the “Flight of Angels” over Victoria Falls at the end of the cruise.
INSIDER TIP
Be prepared for a soaking if you follow the paths around Victoria Falls. Even if you hire a poncho on the spot, the spray will still get to you. At least it’s warm and the sight and sound of Mosi-oaTunya (the Smoke that Thunders) is well worth a drenching.
HOW TO DO IT CroisiEurope (020 8328 1281; croisi europe.co.uk) can arrange a four-day cruise and a four-day stay at Cascades Lodge from £4,604 per person fullboard, including domestic flights between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls, overnight stays in Johannesburg and Victoria Falls, and listed excursions.
Return flights with South African Airways (0844 375 9680; flysaa.com) from London to Johannesburg cost from £1,080 per person and have easy onward connections to Victoria Falls.