5 reasons why a houseboat on Kariba is my favourite holiday

Posted by Josh Oates on 20 March 2015

If you’ve never been to Kariba before, or experienced nature at its most serene, then a houseboat trip is a great idea. And it’s not like camping – you can sit back and relax while the crew take care of the cruising, cooking and cleaning. Allow me to plant the seed in your head…

Houseboats come with one or two small boats (called tender boats) that you can use to go fishing, game-viewing and exploring. Photo by Josh Oates.

1. The sights

Lions try to take down a hippo on the shores of Kariba. The hippo eventually escaped, minus its ears and tail. Photo by Josh Oates.

Nothing beats a sunset on Kariba while you relax on a tender boat (with drink in hand), watching the ellies nimbly pluck at the grass on the shore; but the sunrises can be equally astonishing. The serene calm and delicate hues are the perfect way to gather your thoughts before starting the day.

Sleeping on the deck of the houseboat at night gives you an uninterrupted view of the Milky Way in all its magnificence. With little light pollution on the remote banks of the Ume River, the night sky transforms into a stargazer’s dream.

The animals abound on the shores of the National Park areas, and lions can sometimes be spotted in the tree line. We were fortunate enough to witness nine female lions attempt to take down a hippo. After a 45 minute struggle, the hippo eventually made it to the water and escaped.

2. The sounds

Houseboats take you to the most remote corners of Kariba, where the scenery is undisturbed by humans. Photo by Josh Oates.

Staying in a lodge or resort on the lake is great, but being on a houseboat puts you in the most remote locations along the shore, and engulfs you in the wild sounds of African nature. Wake up to the klinking of a blacksmith lapwing, accompanied by the wheeze-honking from the pod of hippos parked off next to your boat.

When you’re out on the tender boats, the lapping water slaps the side of the fibreglass, the grassy shores hiss and the tight lines of the fishing rods make an eerie, but soothing melody as the wind passes over them. A fish eagle nearby will call every now and again, immediately followed by the distant cry of its partner.

Return to the houseboat after sunset and keep an ear out for the distant moan of a lion, and the crunching of the pod of hippos now grazing on the shore near your boat.

3. The smells

There is something about the smell of the bush that can’t be put into words. Hardy campers and travellers will know that bush smell – the occasional liquorice pong when matabele ants are around, or the dusty musk that gets carried on the breeze.

Kariba has a distinct smell that comes from a mix of the resilient bush and the warm water. Often the slight whiff of digested grass gets carried on the wind, which is a pleasant reminder that you are in the African bush with nothing separating you from the animals (barring the metal armour of the houseboat of course).

In summer, the petrichor is particularly pungent as massive rainstorms brew over the mainland. The black clouds burst and the temperature drops. The rain cleans everything, leaving sparkling crystals of water on the trees when the clouds part, revealing that orange orb in the sky as it sinks over the horizon.

A lone elephant digs up the roots of the grass on the shore, using its foot. Photo by Josh Oates.

4. The tastes

Experience the most colourful sunsets on the peaceful water with family and friends. Photo by Josh Oates.

Most of the houseboats on Kariba will include a chef. Simply take your food with you and the crew will prepare every meal for you, with efficiency and to the tastiest standards. Cereals and fruit salad are followed by cooked breakfasts. Just as you begin to feel comfortable again as the food digests, a tray of ham and cheese is brought out of the kitchen with salty biscuits and rolls.

Any bream or crayfish you catch during the day will be expertly battered and cooked as a pre-dinner snack. Lasagne, roasts, braais – expect to put on a few kilograms during your trip.

5. The feelings

As the moon ascends in the night sky, it changes from a deep orange near the horizon, to a crisp white directly overhead. Photo by Josh Oates.

The warm water actually offers cool solace from the searing heat as you plunge into the cage off the back of the houseboat. Some boats (the larney ones) will have a jacuzzi or pool instead, but this cage protects you from the nasties lurking in the water.

If swimming in the lake is not up your alley, then take a brief walk on the banks. Some areas are protected, and it is prohibited to walk on the shore, but other are not. Just be very vigilant if you step on land. Lions have attacked people doing exactly this in the past, and crocodiles wait silently in the shallows of the shore. Walking on the sandy grass banks are a good way to get rid of cabin fever though.

After your trip, you will experience boat-legs for a day or two; this is where you feel like you are bobbing up and down when you are standing on solid ground back at home.

Need to know

The prices of houseboats directly correlate to the services and comfort you get. The more expensive ones come with air-conditioned cabins and plunge pools. The majority of boats will cook for you, but you will need to take your own food and drinks, as well as fishing equipment, ice and toiletries. Some boats also require you to buy the diesel you use, others don’t, so keep an eye on on the ‘dry boat’ prices (dry boat means fuel is excluded in the daily rate and you will need to pay for the re-fuelling at the end of the trip; wet boat means fuel is indicated in the daily rate). Don’t forget to include National Parks fees in your budget (US$5-12 per person per day, depending on age and nationality).

Look at www.houseboatsonkariba.com, or www.gokaribahouseboats.com for the deal suited to your needs.