Boating safaris

A boating safari offers a quiet, tranquil way to explore, in tune with the river’s rhythm. Guided by experts, it brings you eye level with the wild and offers a deeper connection to the landscape. While the game viewing is exceptional, the magic also lies in the moments between: pausing to cast a line in the water, drifting to a remote sandbank for a sundowner, or gliding towards an island where a bush lunch awaits. These are unhurried hours, shaped by the flow of the river and the changing mood of the day.

In the Lower Zambezi, boating is at its best from April through November. Water levels are ideal, and the river becomes a pathway through some of the richest wildlife areas in the park. Elephant sightings are exceptional and it is not uncommon to glide past wild dogs on the move, lions resting in the shade, or leopards emerging in the cooler hours. The river also attracts a dazzling array of bird species.

In the South Luangwa, boating is seasonal, available only when the Luangwa River floods between January and April. During this time, high water levels open up vast stretches of flooded woodland and channels, making it possible to reach hidden places that are inaccessible at any other time of year. Boating here feels like entering a different world, where trees rise from the water and everything seems to move in slow motion.