Ellies! Hippos! You’re on a “Zambezi Queen” River Cruise!
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“See the hippos!” Gilbert, our Zambezi Queen guide, points to a jumble of large round boulders in the mud flats.
One boulder moves. We make out red-rimmed eyes and little piggy ears. Sure enough, it’s a hippo. It stands up, waddles sideways, and then plops down on top of other boulders, creating a grey ripple of hippo flesh.
“You’ll see lots more hippos in the afternoon when they wake up to feed,” says Gilbert cheerfully.
Then he turns the boat toward a herd of long-tusked elephants on the riverbank, busy splattering mud over their bodies with their trunks.
When it came time to write this Zambezi Queen review, it was the hippos and elephants that stood out the most for us.
A Chobe River safari in Africa can be lovely. But what’s the point if you don’t get gob-smacking game viewing, like you do on a land-based Chobe safari?
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Spoiler alert! Contents of this Zambezi Queen review
Getting to the Zambezi Queen river boat
About this elegant Chobe River cruise boat
Not much “cruising” on the Zambezi Queen cruise
Zambezi Queen review
We’d left our mother vessel, the Zambezi Queen, and were zipping along the Chobe River between Botswana and Namibia on a small aluminum boat.
We ducked into reedy shallows…
To watch an eight-foot Nile crocodile sleep in the sun (then leap into the river with a huge splash).
To see Egyptian geese, black-and-white kingfishers, white egrets and yellow-billed storks preening and fluttering about mauve water lilies.
To spot hippos and elephants.
These enthralling sights are just part of the rich game viewing and bird watching experienced on an African river cruise aboard the Zambezi Queen.
And all this adventure is delivered in style!
Zambezi Queen houseboat
Part of the Zambezi Queen Collection, the Zambezi Queen is 138 feet (42 meters) long.
Built in the early 1990s, the luxury Chobe houseboat was taken over by the Mantis group in 2012 and reinvented for today’s river safari guests.
(The Mantis Group manages a collection of five-star boutique hotels, eco-lodges and yachts around the world.)
Two- and three-night Chobe river cruises can be booked on the Zambezi Queen. And it offers one of Africa’s most unique safari experiences.
African safari river cruises
Normally on safari, you stay on land in a lodge or tent.
On the Zambezi Queen, however, you float on the water, soaking up the life of the floodplain.
Staterooms on this Chobe houseboat
Resembling a houseboat, the Zambezi Queen has 14 spacious staterooms on the lower two of its three decks.
Ten standard staterooms range from 215 sq. ft. (19 sq. meters) to 235 sq. ft. (218 sq. meters), while four master suites are a generous 300 sq. ft. (28 sq. meters).
They’re all lovely, with white walls decorated with sepia photographs of wild animals, gauzy curtains, small balconies and deliciously comfortable king-size beds with quality linens.
Ensuite bathrooms have faux wood floors and glass showers.
All staterooms have air-conditioning to keep you cool at night too (but you don’t really need it between May and September).
The only thing you have to be careful about on this Chobe houseboat is closing your balcony doors and outside metal shutters when it gets dark.
(After leaving the doors open and lights on one evening, we returned to find a bug party in our cabin – hey, this is Africa. But the staff kindly cleaned our room all over again.)
At 10 pm, the main lights are turned off, and the boat’s power is switched to back-up.
Getting to the Zambezi Queen river boat
The journey to get to the Zambezi Queen is quite the adventure in itself.
The vessel awaits in the Chobe River on the Namibia side of the river.
Following our lion-oriented South African safari, we flew from Johannesburg to Livingstone, Zambia, where we were driven to the banks of the Zambezi River and ferried across to Kasane, Botswana.
(You may fly directly into the new Kasane International Airport in Botswana.)
After getting your passport stamped, you’re guided to a vehicle for transfer to the Kasane Immigration Office.
There, Zambezi Queen staff help you through passport control to exit Botswana and board a motor boat to cross the Chobe River to the Namibian Immigration Office.
Keep your eyes peeled, as you could spot ellies or other wildlife!
After getting your passport stamped from the Namibian office, you clamber back into the boat for a high-speed ride to the Zambezi Queen.
Going through passport control and immigration has never been so much fun!
Welcome to this elegant Chobe river cruise boat!
Once we were onboard, smiling Namibian staff (mostly women, wearing bright orange turbans and long dresses) greeted us with African songs.
Then we were ushered upstairs to the top deck for a glass of champagne.
And what a view awaited us up there!
The entire top deck, consisting of the lounge, library and dining room, is one open room.
As it’s completely open on three sides, you have unobstructed views of the African scenery. (At night, staff roll down see-through screens and turn the air-conditioning on.)
Sipping our champagne, while reclining against zebra-striped cushions on a cream sofa, we watched an amazing tableau of perhaps 20 elephants munching away on a grassy river island.
Occasionally, they’d splash each other with water.
The setting sun cast a golden glow over the scene, a refreshing breeze kept us cool and the travel rigors of the day just melted away.
Game viewing and more on the Zambezi Queen river cruise
Water-based excursions
We saw plenty more elephants on “water game drives” throughout our three-night African river cruise.
These small boat excursions brought us even closer to the river-based wildlife.
Crocs, comical-looking warthogs drinking from the river, mother and baby elephants, hippos galore (as promised by Gilbert) and an Audubon-worthy abundance of birds that would make serious birdwatchers swoon – we reveled watching all.
Chobe National Park excursion
A half-day is also devoted to a game drive on land in Chobe National Park.
The second biggest park in Botswana, Chobe has one of the largest populations of wildlife on the African continent.
Climbing into a six-person open Land Cruiser with a shade roof, we set off along red-sand tracks through the park.
The dry ochre-colored savannah, pockmarked by enormous “upside-down” baobab trees and thorny shrubs, was quite a contrast to the lush green scenes of the river.
So were the animals we saw.
Gangly giraffes, their heads peering over acacia trees.
Baby baboons, chasing each other and hitching rides astride their mothers.
Graceful impala, bounding across the bushland.
We kept an eye out for lions.
But we didn’t see any. (Lions usually sleep during the day and hunt at night.)
Rural village visit
You also have the opportunity to visit the rural Namibian village from which the Zambezi Queen staff are hired.
You learn how the local people live in clay huts and cook on open fires, and you can buy hand-beaded jewelry, wood carvings and other souvenirs from them too.
Not much cruising on Zambezi Queen cruises
With all the activities, the Zambezi Queen doesn’t do much actual cruising.
It mostly just glides along at a leisurely pace between two moorings about 15+ miles (25 kilometers) apart. In this sense, it’s more like a houseboat than a river cruise.
Indeed, we wished our Chobe river cruise was longer – so we could chill out more on a lounge chair or soak in the outdoor hot tub on the upper back deck, watching the wilderness scenery slowly unfold.
Dining onboard
We also still hanker for another slice of the heavenly lemon meringue pie served for dessert one day.
Focusing on quality not copious quantities, the food is delicious, with salads, quiches and fish for lunch and international specialties for dinner.
The last night is a special buffet of typical African foods – like spicy lamb stew and creamed spinach in peanut sauce and oxtail.
And the staff, dressed in grass skirts, coax all the guests to join them in traditional singing and dancing.
Still, for us, the river life stands out the most.
We couldn’t get enough of the elephants on the riverbanks, the rainbow-colored birds strutting in the grasses and the hippos, waking us up with their ho-ho-ho grunting – only in Africa…
The Chobe Princesses
If you prefer an even more intimate Chobe houseboat, you can book one of the three smaller Chobe Princesses.
After refurbishment, they joined the Zambezi Queen Collection in 2015.
They also underwent another facelift in 2019, with upgrades to the bathrooms and pool decks installation of new beds and furnishings.
Two of the Chobe Princesses are 60 feet (19 meters) long and have four staterooms.
The third Chobe Princess is slightly bigger and has five staterooms.
Like the Zambezi Queen, staterooms have king-size beds and air-conditioning.
Staterooms also have large sliding windows overlooking the ever-changing river views.
And each houseboat has a plunge pool too.
The Chobe Princesses also have their own smaller “tender” boats to take you out on daily river excursions.
Things to know about this Chobe River safari
Some details you’ll want to know:
- Tour packages: Many guests take a Zambezi Queen cruise as part of a longer African safari tour packaged by AmaWaterways.
- Cruise length: If traveling independently, the Zambezi Queen and Chobe Princesses are typically booked for two or three nights.
- Rates: Your river cruise includes all excursions, a premium selection of South African wines and boat transfers from the Kasane Immigration Office in Botswana.
- Boarding time: Staggered transfer times are offered on the hour between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. If you take the 1:00 pm or 2:00 pm transfer, you’ll be greeted with lunch. (Snacks are offered if you take a later transfer.)
- When to go: The best time to book this African river cruise is during the cooler, dry season from May to November.
- Malaria prevention: Take anti-malarial precautions, as the Zambezi Queen and Chobe Princesses are in a malaria area.
Other Zambezi Queen reviews
We’re not the only ones who love these river cruises.
The Zambezi Queen Collection clinched the title of “Africa’s Leading River Cruise Company” at the 2024 World Travel Awards – a prestigious honor it’s claimed for seven consecutive years.
Previously, it’s won the title of the “World’s Leading Boutique Cruise.”
Booking your Zambezi Queen luxury African river safari
River cruises
For more information about the Zambezi Queen and Chobe Princesses, see the Zambezi Queen Collection website.
Victoria Falls
When in the area, be sure to also visit nearby Victoria Falls, one of the world’s seven natural wonders:
- On the Zambia side: The top-rated Royal Livingstone Hotel is just a 10-minute walk from the thundering waterfalls.
- On the Zimbabwe side: We loved our stay at the Victoria Falls Safari Club. It offers an exclusive hotel-within-a-hotel experience. (And it was fascinating to attend the unique vulture feeding experience!)
Read more of our Africa posts
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→ Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
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Photo credits: 5, 13, 15 to 17, 19 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Remaining photos the Zambezi Queen Collection
About the authors
I just read your blog about your river cruise/safari on the Zambezi Queen. My husband and I are booked for May 6th and we can’t wait! Your pictures and descriptions indicate we are in for an experience of a lifetime.
I’m struggling to pack the right clothes!
I went to REI and Eddie Bauer to buy what I thought would be the perfect safari wardrobe. Then I read I shouldn’t wear black or dark blue because it attracts the Tsetse fly. I took it back and exchanged everything for beige, khaki and green clothes. Based on what I’ve read, it sounds like we need to cover ourselves from head to toe and wear long sleeves and long pants to avoid being bit by bugs.
What did you wear or wish you had packed? We look forward to your suggestions!
Yes, you’re going to have an amazing experience!
Because we were doing other safaris on this trip too, we had to pack everything into one squishy duffel bag each (to fit into the small safari airplanes). So our wardrobes were limited!
For game drives and boat excursions, we’d wear light-weight, safari-style pants and shirts – to protect against bugs as well as the sun. Beige and khaki colors are cooler and blend in with the scenery better (you don’t want to spook the wildlife with bright colors). A safari hat is essential for sun protection too.
I (Janice) also packed linen pants and a couple of prettier T-shirts and blouses (plus leather running shoes) for dinners. I also had flip-flops, a swimsuit and a cover-up.
Other guests on the boat dressed pretty similarly (i.e., casual), as most were also doing additional safaris – so they too were restricted in what they could bring.
The main point is to dress comfortably and bring quick-drying clothes.
Enjoy your trip!
Have you actually been to the Royal Livingstone hotel?
I haven’t, but I read on another travel blog that it was a budget experience at 5 star prices and that they absolutely would not recommend it.
Yes, we stayed for several days at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. See our blog post. Don’t think of this as a budget experience – it’s definitely a top luxury resort! It’s a larger resort, however, not a small boutique hotel. We found it a great place to recharge (with all the convenient luxuries – air conditioning, plush bedding, lots of space, public swimming pool with lounge chairs by the river, restaurants, etc.) after one safari and before going into the bush in Zambia on another safari.
Wow. Luxury in a place you’d least expect. It’s fantastic that such ventures would support the locals economically. I’m sure it must be a great experience.
It was a highlight of our African visit! And we miss the wonderful views we had of those elephants…
WoW what a unique experience. A safari has been high on my list for quite some time now and this river safari sounds perfect.
What an exciting experience you two just had! What a lucky couple you are, I wish I had been there too :) Thanks for sharing this with us, at least we could live it through your eyes.
Great photos…
Great review, I can’t wait for one of our clients to travel on this amazing way to see an incredible part of Africa. Thanks for the great preview.
What a fascinating way to take a safari! I never realized that you could do so over water.
I’m interested in a Zambezi river adventure without a single occupancy fee.
There’s no way to say this politely… but those single supplements suck for solo travelers, don’t they? The “Zambezi Queen” charges a 30% single supplement. See their rates.
Oh, what a perfect way to go on safari! And your photos are awesome!!
I had to share this on social media. It’s such a cool alternative to the usual safari! Must go someday. I loved my Rhine river cruise and this looks even more relaxing.
Oh my!!! I want to do this so much! What a fantastic experience.
I’m not to keen on ocean cruises but this sounds fabulous, such a wonderful way to discover Africa’s wildlife. Would love to do this myself one day.
Have to chime in and agree with everyone else’s opinions about how utterly amazing this sounds. What a different way to visit this part of the world and get up close to so many animals. The thought of gently gliding along on a small luxurious boat, as opposed to the bumpy jeep ride….Well I would happily take part in either, but you can guess where my first choice would be. Dreamy!
This looks absolutely amazing! What a magnificent way to see incredible wildlife and scenery. Like an over the top luxury version of The African Queen. Wow!
This is incredible! Seeing this kind of wildlife is so high on my wishlist of things to do! How lucky you are to have experienced it!
Your journey on the Zambezi Queen sounds intriguing. I see you can sign up for as few as two nights, which is what I would probably do since I’ve never been to Africa and definitely want to do the safari camp thing, too.
This trip looks amazing! I have yet to travel to Africa, but I really would love to see the wildlife like this! I’m curious if you’ve done any larger boat cruises in Africa? Or do you tend to like these smaller ones instead? Thanks!
This was the only “cruise” we’ve done in Africa (apart from Nile River cruises in Egypt). But we understand a few small cruise ships do some cruises calling in at Cape Town, Madagascar, the Seychelles and elsewhere. We could happily explore other places in Africa by cruise ship :-).
Wow! Looks like a “dream come true” journey combining both luxury and amazing wildlife. We’ve yet to visit Africa but it’s on our radar and, with posts like this, our interest is increasing. Stunning photos.
I’m reading this in Cape Town, South Africa. We will be heading northeast to a game reserve near Kruger National Park later during our trip. The Zambezi Queen seems like a pretty awesome alternative to a land-based safari lodge and the price is actually comparable to some we’ve seen. However, I must confess that we have a bit of a visceral reaction to the idea of small boat touring in Botswana. The University of Pennsylvania where my husband works is associated with a teaching hospital in Botswana and quite a few Penn docs have done teaching rotations there. Unfortunately, one was pulled out of a small boat and eaten by a crocodile. Shudder. He might have had a hand in the water—-but still……..
Oh, horrible. The small boats on the “Zambezi Queen” are wide, steady, aluminum motor boats (not the dug-out canoes or “makoros” in Botswana) – they looked very safe to us…
I have always been attracted to far-away lands and countries with exotic resonance, like Botswana, or Namibia… Unfortunately I haven’t been able to travel to Africa so far. Your post sounds so intriguing and your photos are so inviting that I wish I could go there someday.
This looks beautiful – magical really. In 2008 I cycled from Tanzania to Victoria Falls – camping mostly so as a treat at the end I did a three night safari in Botswana at a beautiful lodge. I remember the ferry boat ride across the river – where Zimbabwe and Botswana share a border. Interesting to see that the wait was a week for the truck drivers. Truly a fantastic part of the world to visit.
This is was a wonderful read and had me smiling the entire time! I travel quite a lot, but have yet to make it to Africa. It is my hope to touch the continent next year and then return again when my husband gets out of the military (as they will not issue permission for him to go there at this time…gotta love the military). Thank you for such a great experience through your eyes!
Wishing you a lovely Africa trip when you visit (hopefully) next year…
What a breathtakingly beautiful river safari! Must have been so special to see the elephants on the riverbank and the hippos popping their heads up! I’ve only been on a river safari once in Tanzania and found it so magical – I would love to explore this area one day!
It was incredibly special… Now your river safari in Tanzania sounds interesting ??
Thank you! It was quite special – we were in Selous which is much less populated than the bigger safari areas like Serengeti – it was just so peaceful and we also spotted hippos and crocodiles whilst taking in the scenery – I think someone that day had spotted a leopard hiding on a rock on the banks but we weren’t quite as lucky with that! Still just magical though :)