Temps de lecture : 5 min
Table of Contents
Points clés à retenir
- Nine-day safari cruise from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, via Chobe and the Zambezi.
- Chobe National Park delivers elephant herds at water’s edge and a river-facing lodge where the wildlife comes to you.
- Victoria Falls arrives as the final act: a mist-soaked, thunderous crescendo best seen from the Zimbabwe side.
The first light over Johannesburg is copper and thin. We are nine travellers, a guide and a single, unspoken question: can a river cruise hold the same thrill as a land safari? By the time we reach Victoria Falls, the answer will be obvious. For now, we are South Africa-bound, passports stamped, bound for Chobe.
Days 1-2: Johannesburg to the Chobe River
The journey begins with a flight from Johannesburg to Kasane, the small Botswana town that serves as the gateway to Chobe National Park. The landing strip is a strip of tarmac surrounded by scrub; a herd of impala grazes beyond the perimeter fence. We are met by our guide, a man named Themba, whose quiet authority suggests he has done this a thousand times and still loves it.
A short transfer brings us to the Chobe River, where our home for the next three nights awaits: the Zambezi Queen, a houseboat with the silhouette of a boutique hotel. Our cabin is compact but considered: a wall of glass facing the river, a bed dressed in Egyptian cotton, a shower with pressure that surprises. From the upper deck, the view is pure Chobe: a slow, green ribbon of water, fringed by reeds and punctuated by the slow blink of a crocodile.
“The river is the best road,” Themba says as we cast off. “No dust, no bumping. The animals come to you.” He is right. Within an hour, we are watching a breeding herd of elephants – perhaps forty strong – descend to the water’s edge. The calves are comical, all knees and trunk, and the matriarch keeps a watchful eye. The boat drifts within twenty metres, engine off, and for a moment the only sound is the slosh of water and the low rumble of elephant conversation.
Dinner on board is a revelation: a three-course menu that leans on local produce – a butternut and ginger soup, a fillet of Zambezi bream with lemon butter, a dark chocolate fondant. The wine list is small but sharp, with a Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch that costs less than a cocktail in London. We eat on the top deck as the sun drops behind the Namibian treeline. It is the kind of evening that makes you forget what day it is.
Day 3: Chobe National Park – Land and Water
The day begins with a game drive in Chobe National Park, a 11,700-square-kilometre wilderness that boasts one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. We leave at 6 am, when the air is still cool and the light is soft. Within minutes, we have ticked off impala, warthog, and a pair of bat-eared foxes. But the real prize is the park’s famous elephant population – over 50,000 – and we find them in a clearing, tearing at acacia branches with surgical precision.
Back on the boat for lunch, we swap stories with the other guests: a honeymooning couple from Sydney, a retired diplomat from Geneva, a photographer from Cape Town. The conversation turns to the next leg – Victoria Falls – and expectations run high. “You will get wet,” Themba says, smiling. “Even in October, when the water is low, the spray is like rain.”
The afternoon brings a sunset cruise along the Chobe River, this time with a focus on birdlife. We spot fish eagles, kingfishers, and a goliath heron standing motionless in the shallows. As the sky turns to apricot, we toast with gin and tonics and watch a pod of hippos yawn. It is a cliché, perhaps, but it is also perfect.
Day 4: Crossing into Zimbabwe – The Zambezi
After breakfast, we bid farewell to the Zambezi Queen and transfer by road to the border. The crossing from Botswana into Zimbabwe is efficient, if not exactly glamorous – a queue of trucks, a stamp, a wave. On the other side, we are met by a representative from CroisiAfrica and driven to our next vessel: the African Dream, a river ship that will carry us along the Zambezi to Victoria Falls.
The African Dream is a different beast: larger, sleeker, with a swimming pool on the sun deck and a restaurant that seats all guests at a single sitting. Our cabin is a suite, with a king-size bed and a balcony that opens onto the river. As we sail, the landscape shifts from the flat plains of Chobe to the wooded banks of the Zambezi, where elephants come to drink and fish eagles call from the treetops.
The highlight of the day comes after lunch, when we visit a local village on the Namibian side of the river. We are greeted by the headman, a man with a kind face and a firm handshake, who shows us the school and the clinic that CroisiAfrica helps to support. It is a reminder that tourism, done well, can be a force for good. We return to the ship in silence, each of us lost in thought.
Dinner is a festive affair: a boma under the stars, with a buffet of grilled meats, salads, and traditional sadza. The wine flows, the stories grow taller, and by the time the coffee arrives, we are all friends. Tomorrow, we will reach Victoria Falls. Tonight, we simply enjoy the river.
Book it. Now. CroisiAfrica offers a nine-day safari cruise from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, with departures throughout 2026 and 2027. The discerning traveller knows: some journeys are not just seen, but felt.