Our family river safari on CroisiEurope’s Southern Africa Safari-Cruise is the ultimate in luxe adventure — a daily encounter with Africa’s wildlife treasures on both land and water.
We moved, in total comfort, through nature’s beauty under the watchful eyes of expert guides. Our group of 15 was fine company: smart, engaged, and ranging in age from 19 to 80. They hailed from Belgium, Switzerland, France, and the U.S.
Water bookends every day, from the lap pool at the stylish 54 on Bath Hotel in Johannesburg to our last shore excursion at the world’s largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. It was hard to imagine that each day would be better than the last, but that’s exactly what happened on this well-choreographed safari cruise.
A Perfect River Safari Itinerary
Days alternated between safari vehicles careening over sand mounds in national parks and boating along tranquil rivers to study elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and birds. There was time to savor our grown children, learn from new friends and be grateful for sharing this unforgettable experience.
Casual snacks, served with South African wines and stemware, followed excursions, allowing time for reflection. Nights began with a sundown briefing over cocktails and ended socially around delicious meals at a communal table.
Over nine days, we slept in a posh city hotel, exquisitely remote riverfront bungalows, an intimate luxury river cruiser, and a large safari lodge. Each of our stunning accommodations focused on sustainability rather than ostentation.
We climbed in and out of 4WDs, strapped into bush planes, boarded small tenders, and walked swaying gang planks. Every excursion shared a goal: make Africa’s natural treasures accessible to all.
Days Filled with Unexpected Delights
Day 1 began with an introduction to African history in Johannesburg. After a welcome lunch, guide Jean-Paul took us on a driving tour. Our first stop was the compelling Apartheid Museum with its Nelson Mandela gallery. We drove through Soweto, the township where anti-Apartheid violence helped bring down the country’s brutal segregation system.
Chobe National Park by River Cruise and Land
Early the next morning, we flew to Botswana for a Chobe River Safari.
Day 2 was a parade of animals. Impala, kudu, eland, elephants, giraffes, lions (mostly napping) on land. Cape buffalo, hippopotamuses, and warthogs along the distant shores of the Chobe River. We witnessed a leopard sleeping in a tree near a recently consumed baby elephant carcass.
Chobe National Park protects nearly a quarter of all the elephants in the world. We met many of them.
Our Riverside Home from Home in Namibia
The Chobe River defined the following days as we cruised between the park and our remote lodge on Impalila Island, Namibia. Our bungalow had all the mod-cons. The stocked rattan minibar featured three types of coffee maker and a selection of fine wines. Out on the deck, we lounged in the private plunge pool, watching monkeys leap from the trees to the thatch roof. At night, hippos serendaded us; at dawn, two Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbills pecked at their reflection in our glass doors.
Titi, the local Lozi tracker, led us on a walking tour of his village, Kamavozu, which adjoins the lodge. We watched dancers and saw school buildings donated by tourists. Titi explained that, because the bride price of cattle is so high, few take advantage of the island’s polygamy laws which permit an unlimited number of wives.
From Botswana to Zimbabwe, from River Safari to Safari Cruise
The last morning’s Chobe River safari from the Kaza Safari Lodge to Kasane, Botswana uncovered a bloat of hippopotamuses playing with their young in the shallows. (Fun fact: Hippos can’t swim; they walk on the river bottoms!) Titi, steering the tender, knew just where to ram into the sandy shore to dislodge a sleeping crocodile. Once the crocodile bolted, a stunning morning snack of savory pies, spring rolls, and grilled wings appeared.
Soon, our chartered bush plane was following the Zambezi River east to Lake Kariba, where we met our river cruiser. Even from 11,500 feet, the enormous Victoria Falls cascade, separating Zimbabwe from Zambia, was impressive.
Sailing Lake Kariba on a Zambezi River Safari
Day 6, we awoke aboard the Zimbabwean Dream in Changa Bay. Tree skeletons — mopane and date palms – dotted the horizon on the largest manmade lake in the world. Lake Kariba, 136 miles long and up to 25 miles wide, is the result of a dam that harnessed the Zambezi River for hydroelectric power. An altar to Nyaminyami, the fish-headed serpent river god thought to regulate its flow, contrasts with its sophisticated Western engineering.
Our cruise introduced us to the lake’s herds of impala, elephants, myriad birds, and hippo families. We cruised past Matusadona National Park, whose name means “place of great dung.”
Land Safari in Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe
We rose early the next day for a game drive through Matusadona and came face to face with Jenje, the dominant male lion in the area. Our guide, Brentley, reassured us we’d be safe as long as we stayed in the safari jeep. He added that lions stalk their prey from farther away, moving at a speed of 100 meters in six seconds.
He answered our many questions, including:
- Why do zebras have black and white stripes? Flies hate the pattern and leave them alone.
- Why are impalas called MacDonalds? The darker hair on their hind quarters looks like the Golden Arches symbol.
- What’s the difference between grazers and browsers? Grazers (like wildebeest) eat low grasses, while browsers (like elephants and kudus) enjoy the leaves at the tops of trees.
Getting to Know the Zimbabwean Dream
Tours of the bridge and mechanical room of the RV Zimbabwean Dream were equally interesting. A product of CroisiEurope’s long shipbuilding tradition, it has a draft of just 90 cms, ideal for Lake Kariba’s fluctuating water level. We learned that Capt. Stephen, who joined the CroisiAfrica team in 2018, enjoys traveling, singing, dancing and studying French with the Duolingo app.
In the machine room, we marveled at the two water tanks which take Zambezi River water and use reverse osmosis to purify it for cooking and cleaning.
Victoria Falls, a Wonder of the Modern World
Day 8, we boarded another 10-seat Cessna to the touristy town of Victoria Falls. Our final lodging was the grand Victoria Falls Safari Lodge overlooking a national park.
That afternoon, our family joined a Black Rhino Tour in a private game reserve conserving these animals in the wild. In one last thrilling game drive, we saw seven of the reserve’s eleven rhinoceroses, plus giraffes, warthogs, and kudu. As the sun began to descend around 6:15, our guide, Nixon, stopped for a Sundowner. It was our family’s moment to contemplate all we had experienced together.
The Natural Wonders Never Cease
The next morning, we hiked to Mosi Oa Tunya, the Lozi name for Victoria Falls which means “smoke that thunders.” The spectacular sheet of water falls at more than 132 million gallons per minute over basalt cliffs that stretch more than a mile. It did not disappoint.
We passed David Livingstone’s statue on a numbered circuit of the cliff walk at this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Through the mist, we could just make out the tiny figures who had paid US$150 each to canoe out to Devil’s Pool. They could honestly say they had ‘bathed’ in Victoria Falls.
And we thought we had so much to boast about!
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