The Best Place for Boat Cruises in Africa : Get up close and personal with a hippo, observe zebras sipping on cool water, and watch elephants navigate narrow waterways. On your African boating safari, take a boat trip to experience wildlife in a completely different way. Several-hour excursions or multiple-night stays aboard a houseboat, river cruise ship, or yacht might be considered boat cruises in Africa. unlike the common game drives, walking safaris and hot air balloon safaris, boat cruise gives you a unique African safari experience that involves wildlife watching while on a boat ride in water, whether its lakes or rives.
Smaller motorboats and larger day-cruise boats with an open floor and movable seats are both possibilities for day trips. These boats allow you to get up and move about to enjoy the view. Where to go for the boat cruises in Africa? What are the best places for boat cruises in Africa? There are many African destinations that offers fantastic boat cruises safaris to make you safari tour remarkable. Here are some of our top 7 picks best places for boat tours in Africa.
- TANZANIA
Despite being known for fantastic game drives in famous Serengeti national park, hiking safaris in mount Kilimanjaro national park and beach safaris in Zanzibar island, Tanzania is also one of the best destination in Africa that offer and where you can enjoy amazing boat cruise safari. The following are some of the best places to go for boat cruises in Tanzania
Mafia Archipelago
The Mafia island chain is conveniently located for boat travel because it is tucked away in the Indian Ocean not far from Tanzania’s main land. To see Arabian ruins from the oldest town in the archipelago, take a boat to Chloe Island. Alternately, travel to Juani to see the ruins of the fabled ancient city of Kua. Take a whale-watching boat from August through November to look for humpbacks.
Selous Game Reserve
Consider an unforgettable boat safari on a Rufiji River instead of a conventional game drive—one of Tanzania’s best safari experiences. The Selous Game Reserve is a top destination for wildlife, and the water element significantly enhances your journey with amazing sights of hippos, crocodiles, and a wide variety of waterfowl.
Zanzibar Island
Off the coast of Tanzania’s main land lies a paradise-like group of islands known as Zanzibar. Here, you can travel between islands while sleeping on an opulently furnished yacht or dhow sailboat. Alternatively, you may stay on one of the larger islands, such as Unguja or Pemba, and go on boating trips during the day or go dhow sailing after dusk.
As a shelter for Aldabra giant tortoises, Changuu Island, also known as Prison Island or Quarantine Island, is a well-liked stop on half-day or day-long excursions from the archipelago’s two major islands. The largest marine protected area in the archipelago is the Menai Bay Conservation Area, which is located on Unguja’s southwest coast. You’ll love searching for dolphins and awe at the variety of birds you can see here.
- KENYA
Like Tanzania, Kenya is also known for its amazing wildlife safaris in Maasai mara national reserve and Amboseli national park. Kenya mainly offers game drives to witness the great wildebeest migration in Serengeti-mara ecosystem. Despite being famous for its fantastic game drives, walking safaris, horseback riding, hot air balloon safaris and cultural tours, Kenya is another best African destination where you can enjoy boat cruse safaris. The following are some of the best place in Kenya to enjoy boating and canoeing safari
Lake Baringo
A boat ride on Kenya’s Lake Baringo is particularly beautiful due to the islands’ cone-shaped shapes. Swim between them to observe hippos lazing around. Then, fly along their shorelines to see shorebirds breeding there. Fish eagles, Verreaux’s eagles, darters, cormorants, and a sizable colony of goliath herons are among the birds that are frequently seen.
Watamu Marine National Park
Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve, which is 90 miles north of Mombasa in the Indian Ocean, is home to 600 kinds of fish, 150 species of hard and soft coral, and a wide variety of intriguing crustaceans and mollusks. One of the more popular attractions is swimming with whale sharks, manta rays, octopuses, and turtles.
Traditional sailboats called dhows that have cozy cabins are available for guests to spend the night on the water. Discover the fascinating land flora and fauna that are dependent on the ocean during the day by sailing ashore, diving, or snorkeling.
- UGANDA
An African safari won’t be complete without visiting and exploring Uganda, also known as the “Pearl of Africa”. Unlike its neighbor Tanzania and Kenya which are popular for great wildebeest migration, Uganda is mainly know for chimpanzee and gorilla trekking together with Rwanda and DRC. Uganda is home to magnificent gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park. Also Uganda is another best African destination that offers unforgettable boat cruises safari experience and here are some of the best places for boat cruises in Uganda, The Best Place for Boat Cruises in Africa
Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park
In Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the most popular activities is a safari cruise along the Kazinga Channel. Elephants, bison, waterbucks, and Ugandan kobs all like taking a dip in the banks. Hippos in large breeding groups are likewise quite simple to locate. Keep an eye out for fascinating shorebirds, including water thick-knees, yellow-billed storks, plovers, pink-backed pelicans, and white-bellied cormorants as you get closer to Lake Edward.
The Nile River, Murchison Falls National Park
Visit Murchison Falls while cruising down the Nile to witness hippos, crocodiles, and an amazing assortment of water birds. The scenery is breathtaking for this unforgettable safari experience. As you get closer to the falls, gorgeous papyrus wetlands give way to woodlands. From the boating safaris, Murchison Falls can be seen in all its glory.
Boat Cruise in Murchison Falls National Park BOTSWANA
These Botswana locations provide a variety of options to experience the wilderness, including motorboats, fully furnished houseboats, and small river cruise ships. The following are some of the best place to go for boat cruises in Botswana
Chobe River
The Chobe River supports a distinctive ecology with one of Africa’s highest densities of wildlife. Explore the Chobe riverfront in the Serondela region of Chobe National Park, which is close to Botswana’s borders with Namibia, Zaire, and Zimbabwe. Hippos can be frequently seen on land during the day in only a few locations across the world. Elephants are also common and like to visit the lake to drink and take a bath.
Okavango Delta
A huge wetland covering hundreds of square kilometres is located in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. It is an oasis in a dry land that is home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife. You will undoubtedly come across one magnificent species after another as you navigate through its numerous seasonal lagoons and canals. Aardwolves, Thomson’s gazelles, blue wildebeest, giraffes, white rhinos, and leopards are just a few of the creatures that find solace in the extraordinary natural environment, which has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
- MOZAMBIQUE
Bazaruto Archipelago
Off the coast of southern Mozambique is a charming group of small islands known as the Bazaruto Archipelago. A voyage aboard a traditional dhow sailboat is a great way to explore this 500 square mile marine park, whether you are staying near the coast or on one of the archipelago’s bigger islands. From the deck, you might encounter bottlenose dolphins, dugongs, or humpback whales. And you’ll like setting out to explore gorgeous beaches or go snorkeling among the coral reefs of the islands.
Gorongosa National Park
Rivers that originate in the neighboring mountains and plateaus feed Gorongosa, which is situated at the southernmost point of the Great Rift Valley. Crocodiles and hippos reside in the lake there. After the rainy season, when the lake reaches its maximum size of 200 square miles, it attracts a huge diversity of migratory species.
- ZAMBIA AND ZIMBABWE.
Lake Kariba
About 100 miles below Victoria Falls, in the border region between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Lake Kariba is home to hippos, crocodiles, and brilliant fish. Elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, Cape buffaloes, and antelope might be present along the shore. Also abundant in this area are birds. You may take overnight river excursions like the Zimbabwean Dream, which has luxurious accommodations, a Jacuzzi, and fine cuisine, in addition to day trips here, The Best Place for Boat Cruises in Africa
The South Luangwa National Park
There are some of the highest wildlife populations in Africa in this park near the Luangwa River. Animals congregate near riverbanks and the park’s numerous lagoons. On a boat excursion, you can observe several different creatures, including Thornicroft’s giraffes, elephants, Cape buffaloes, and numerous hippos.
Victoria Falls
A sunset cruise along the Zambezi River is a wonderful way to unwind after seeing Victoria Falls, which are located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Enjoy local drinks, food, and friendly conversation while surrounded by stunning surroundings. Numerous birds can be seen, and you can possibly encounter hippos, crocodiles, or even elephants, The Best Place for Boat Cruises in Africa
- NAMIBIA
The Caprivi Strip and Okavango River
Namibia is known for its deserts, but much of its northern border is bordered by water-rich regions. The Caprivi Strip, a slender panhandle that protrudes from Namibia’s northeastern corner, has the highest density of rivers. It is highly recommended to go along any portion of the Okavango River, which begins to flow west of Caprivi and then across it. A portion of each of the Zambezi, Cuando (Kwando), and Chobe rivers can be found in Caprivi.
Walvis Bay
The word “whale” in Dutch is where the name Walvis Bay originates. That’s what you might encounter on this section of the Namibian coastline if you go during the appropriate season. Even when whales have moved on to other migratory destinations, dolphins and Cape fur seals can still be seen year-round, making for a fascinating experience on the ocean, The Best Place for Boat Cruises in Africa
On your day boat cruise, savor sparkling wine and fresh oysters while keeping an eye out for Heaviside’s and bottlenose dolphins. You might see humpback whales, southern right whales, or leatherback turtles depending on the time of year. Pelicans, flamingos, and many other seabirds are also common sights.
