Pangolin Voyager Houseboat

The lower deck of the houseboat features 5 en-suite cabins. Each cabin contains either a large double bed or two singles, fitted with soft Egyptian cotton sheets, as well as elegant African rosewood furnishings. The rooms are fitted with air-conditioning to maintain a comfortable temperature, and a fan.

There are several power points within each cabin suitable for charging electronic devices, but no wi-fi to allow guests a digital detox and immersion within the natural landscape. The en-suite bathrooms include relaxing showers, basins and a flush loo. Guests will also be provided with a range of biodegradable luxury toiletries to reduce waste.

Guests aboard the Pangolin Voyager Houseboat can look forward to 4 delicious meals each day. The middle deck contains a spacious dining area with large windows that allow guests to enjoy the stunning view of the Chobe River and wildlife while tucking into tasty dishes.

Start the day with a light breakfast before your early morning activity, and return to a filling brunch. High tea is served in the afternoons with a selection of treats, and guests are encouraged to indulge in a sundowner as the sun dips beneath the gold and orange sky.

The boat’s chefs will prepare a three-course dinner in the evenings, including a delicious dessert. Enjoy a nightcap of your choice from the ships fully stocked bar, and head up to the top deck to observe the stunning African starscape.

The Pangolin Photo Boat consists of eight seats and specially-fitted camera mounts that give 360-degree movement, allowing guests to capture images from every angle. The seats are arranged down the centre of the boat to allow plenty of space for camera equipment and lenses, and the roof is attached only at the ends of the boat and raised 2 metres above the boat’s bottom so that there are minimal obstructions.

Capture stunning wildlife photographs from the heart of the Chobe River and observe the wildlife as game and predators gather at the waterside to drink, bathe and hunt. Many species of bird also congregate by the river where they can fish, giving twitchers a perfect opportunity to snap an image of the Slaty Egret or elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl.

Chobe National Park is home to over 450 different species of birdlife during the migratory season and, as the famous birder Warwick Tarboten has recorded, over 390 of these species can be seen from the boats alone. The Chobe National Park features a high density of fish eagles and African skimmers, and during the rainy season, colourful carmine bee-eaters.

The houseboat’s knowledgeable guides will also be more than happy to help you see birds of a particular species if you ask them. Look out for the Luapula cisticola, brown firefinch and broad-tailed paradise whydah and enjoy the peaceful birdsong as you drift along the beautiful water.

Visit the small villages that lie scattered along the Namibian bank of the Chobe and meet local people who know the landscape best. Most of the Pangolin Voyager Houseboat’s crew were born and raised in these villages, and will be able to aid you in visiting them. Learn about the local communities, culture and heritage, as well as what it is like to be a fisherman by the Chobe River.

You will need to notify the captain in advance if you wish to visit the Namibian villages. Many of the villages will also have curio and gift shops available, and shopping here will help support the local economy.

Venture onto the floodplains on a guided walk and explore the nearby Impalila Island. Guests will be able to leave the boat and immerse themselves in the unique Chobe landscape. Search for aquatic wildlife and walk among the giant baobab trees where the forest-dwelling birds make their homes.

The Pangolin Voyager Houseboat is a Pangolin Safaris accommodation. Pangolin Safaris is the founding partner of Pangolin.Africa, a non-profit organisation that is passionate about aiding the survival of the African Pangolin. The African Pangolin is the most highly trafficked wildlife species in Africa. To defend themselves in the wild, pangolins can curl up into a ball and guard themselves with their sharp armour-plated scales.

While this protects pangolin from wildlife predators, it makes them a target for humans who hunt pangolins for their scales (which are used in some Eastern medicines) and their meat. Pangolin.Africa is working to educate and raise awareness of pangolins in order to protect them and help rebuild pangolin populations.

‘Through our three-pronged approach of Publicity, Participation and Protection we are working with partners in the tourism, conservation and corporate fields to increase education and awareness around all four African pangolin species; contribute towards much-needed research; and implement protection and rehabilitation projects on the ground’.

‘We also play an integral role in bringing together and supporting other individuals and organisations across Africa who are working in the pangolin conservation space.’

The Pangolin Voyager Houseboat uses solar panels and solar heated geysers to provide electricity and hot water aboard the ship. This lightens their carbon footprint and reduces pollution by using a clean energy source. The houseboat also provides guests with biodegradable toiletries in order to reduce waste.