Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge

We did a trip through Kgalagadi, Botswana to Caprivi. Fantastic accommodation and service everywhere. All bookings were paid in advance and nowhere did the accommodation differ from what we expected. What a shock when we arrived at Caprivi houseboat Safari Lodge! There's no houseboat. It's better described as tented accommodation. The only protection inside is a mosquito net above bed that has seen better days. The rest of tent and the open bathroom has wide gaps for swarms of mosquitoes and that in a malaria area! Beds are old and everything looks dilapidated. The fishing boat that we were told we had to pay in advance, had no roof, looks old and one can only hope its safe. The restaurant has no a la carte menu. The only option was a tasteless lasagne which was burnt at the bottom. After voicing our complaints we were told no money will be refunded. Our only option was to loose all our money, walk away and find liveable accommodation elsewhere in Katima. Moral of the story - be very careful when proprietor insists on advance payments. Much nicer and better priced accommodation elsewhere in Katima.

Exactly what we expected! The accommodation, food and river cruise were exceedingly above our expectation!

Amazing situation on the Zambezi River, sadly let down by accommodation and food. General feeling of complacency and neglect by management/ owners, lack of attention to detail, dated furniture, grubby bathrooms. Chalets need a big overhaul … a repaint for a start , gaping holes in wooden flooring allowing anything in, mosquito nets were useless. Canvas window are ugly and a waste of time. Management wonder why they are not busy anymore? The stairway to the boat is really dangerous due to lack of railings, and staff were not there to assist to busy on their phones before evening boat ride.

As per the title, this is a review of a 2 night camping boat safari, NOT the guest house. It started and ended in Kasane (Botswana) and required us to cross into Namibia for the duration of the cruise on the Chobe river. The boat was small and basic but surprisingly well equipped - fridge, toilet, charger points, seating, table, sink & shower (though we didn't use the latter) and a roof top tent. It was also equipped with Ivan who steered the boat, spotted animals & birds from afar and cooked all our meals expertly on a fire on the (Namibian) bank where we camped both nights. He was excellent and looked after us very well. We saw crocodiles (at very close quarters!) and hippos aplenty - both much better seen from the river. Also lots of ellies crossing or coming down to drink, buffalos, baboons, a lioness, etc etc This is very different from the 3 storey houseboats and the small boat allows much more intimate animal encounters. It was also a lot cheaper, though still quite a lot of money (but I understand the logistics and fuel costs in coming all the way from Katima before/after our cruise). The catering was much better than we had expected (huge steaks, cooked breakfast, salads for lunch). All in all a great experience to complement self-drives in Chobe Riverfront.

We were only here for one night and it was a great stay. The facility is very lush and if you are a birder, you will find lots of species around the ground and along the river. We did the river ride and it was lovely. Dinner was a wonderful feast and topped off with a fantastic crème caramel. The beds are comfy and they provide peaceful sleep for mosquitoes. We loved having the front of the cabin open and sleeping under the mosquito net. Be sure to verify that the hot water is turned on. We failed to do that and the cold morning shower was quite a wake up.

Our family enjoyed the atmosphere of the lodge. It had such a relaxing vibe, friendly staff, affordable activities, comfortable room and lounge with stunning views. We enjoyed tiger fishing on the Zambezi and Curt was an excellent bird guide, showing us all the local birds. We highly recommend the lodge, the rooms were a great experience, rustic, so cool sleeping in a reed tent kind of set up. Fabulous, we will be back.