THE Chobe River dividing Botswana’s Chobe National Park from Namibia’s Caprivi Strip is the home of the soon to be launched Zambezi Queen, a 45 metre luxury river boat.
Offering river safaris, the emphasis is on luxury, pampering, indulgence and personalised comfort.
Launching on August 15, the river boat will have 14 suites, all with private balconies and fans, full length sliding shutters, mosquito screens and fine finishes.
The Zambezi Queen has three levels; on the first is an air conditioned reading room with books on the fauna, flora and history of the area, plus computer facilities with Internet access. Some of this level and the entire second deck holds the accommodation. On the top level is an entertainment deck with dining facilities, unobstructed views, a telescope for exploring night skies, and an open-plan lounge area with wood burning fireplace and bar. All areas are protected by mosquito screens. Two outside areas on the top deck include a shaded area with seating and a pool and sun bathing section.
Guests are collected from either Botswana immigration at Kasane on the banks of Chobe River or Impilila airstrip on the Namibian side. Special arrangements can be made for other land transfer requirements. Included in the price are all meals, local wine and beers with meals and during game drives; water based game viewing on smaller boats enabling close up viewing; land based 4x4 game viewing in Botswana’s Chobe National Park; tiger fishing in season; bird watching from smaller boats and a land based cultural tour of local villages.
One of the Zambezi Queen’s major concerns is the preservation of this unspoilt area, and as such has been designed to use a jet propulsion system which reduces damage to the river bed and enables the boat to operate in very shallow water. At night it switches to a low emission power system for lighting, refrigerators and other requirements. Hot water is provided by solar panels. Taps and showers incorporate modern water saving designs and all waste water is stored in holding tanks, so as to prevent discharging directly into the river.