Chobe Houseboat Trip 23 to 27 July 2021

We are incredibly proud of the innovations that went in to our Photo Boat! Designed by Aliboats of Maun and ourselves, we believe that we have struck the perfect balance between functionality, usability, space and comfort. Each of our eight seats rotate a full 360 degrees and the mounting, designed and built by our very own Guts, is based on a lightweight machine gun mounting used by the South African army. The mounting design is so simple and effective that guests will master its movement in no time at all. Clients travelling with their own lenses simply attach one of our base plates to their lens collar and they are ready to go. Simple and photography friendly! Please note that you will have to have your own cameras and lens (with a collar) to make the most of the photo boat as we don’t supply cameras onboard the houseboat.

The seats are arranged down the centre of the boat allowing maximum storage space on either side for extra lenses and gear. More importantly, a configuration like this limits any potential obstruction by the adjacent photographer. If, for example, we arranged the seat further towards the edge of the boat, clients would have their field of view dramatically restricted when the subject is one side of the boat. With a configuration like that, only half of the guests would have a clear line of sight half of the time which would be frustrating to say the least.

When designing the boat we agonized whether to have a roof. When we operated in the prime viewing months and the height of the dry season, we are glad that we had one fitted! The African sun can be punishing and there is no greater distraction to a photographer than being baked and sweating profusely while trying to compose an image. The roof is positioned as high as possible and is over 2m at its lowest point inside. This height does not affect our ability to capture birds in flight and as there are only supports at either end it means that there is no obstruction on either side for any client.

Dotted along the Namibian bank of the Chobe you will see several small villages which welcome visitors – especially from far away. Most of the crew from the houseboat were born and raised in these villages and if you would like to pay a visit and learn more about the lives of the local subsistence fishing communities please arrange this with the captain when you arrive onboard. There is no charge for this but there are normally a few curios for sale in the village which contributes to the economy directly.

The Pangolin Voyager boasts a sun-soaked deck area, perfect for the days that you would like to kick back with a good book, or perhaps try a new angle to get that perfect shot.

The Pangolin Voyager relocates to a different mooring each day along the river and the sundeck is a great place to enjoy the cruise.

The fishing in The Chobe is best when there isn’t an “R” in the name of the month (May to August) but even then it can be a little hit and miss due to overfishing further up the Zambezi River, which joins the Chobe. The main fish species are Tiger Fish, Bream and Barbel and fishing is on a strict catch and release policy. Fishing can be arranged at an extra charge and needs to be booked in advance. Please talk to your safari planner to organise this for you.