Melany Bendix hopped three borders to get to the Zambezi Queen. It was worth every rubber stamp.
...
The immigration official doesn’t bother to wipe the thin line of sweat slowly snaking down his cheek. Nothing else moves in this small windowless room, not even a fan to push the dense air around in circles. Leeched of all energy, he barely lifts his hand to make the stamp that marks my entry into Namibia, my third border crossing in the last hour.
Walking up the sandy slope to the red tin-roofed room on the banks of the Chobe River that serves as Namibia’s Kasika immigration office was the most energy I would expend over the next two days. All sweat and strife was soon left behind as I boarded the Zambezi Queen, a floating boutique hotel which cruises just a few kilometres downriver from where Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana meet.
The multi-border crossing is a distant memory as I lie back on Egyptian cotton in the privacy of the air-conditioned cabin. (“Cabin” is actually a misnomer — it’s more like the elegant hotel suites the prestigious Mantis Collection, which the Zambezi Queen is part of, is world renowned for.) From the plush queen-sized bed I watch elephant after elephant from the 120 000-strong giant herd of the Chobe National Park grazing on the grassy riverbanks. Through the double volume French doors opening onto the water-level balcony, I’m almost eye-to-eye with hippos popping their heads up, spy-like, through thick lily pads as we cruise slowly by.
The reason they tell you during the safety briefing not to jump overboard in the event of a fire is abundantly clear from where I lie: this river is teeming with wildlife. Crocodiles and hippos in the waters and buck, buffalo and elephant as far as the eye can see on the banks.
In my book, game viewing from the comfort of this cabin sure beats bumping around in open-topped safari vehicles in the icy pre-dawn air. It’s also proving to be the ultimate wind-down after an adventure-packed Vic Falls trip. That’s because it’s all about R&R on this regale houseboat, where attentive staff who know each of the 28 guest’s name within the first hour excel at laid-back luxury.
I eventually force myself outdoors to try my hand at tiger fishing under the guidance of Felix, who has the patience of a saint while teaching the four of us who have never cast a line before how to troll, jig and reel. Felix must have some sort of deal going with the fish, because we each hook a few sharp-toothed beauties with flame-tinged tails before releasing them.
Day two is spent lounging on the top of the Zambezi Queen’s three decks. Offering panoramic 360-degree views, it holds an open plan dining area, comfortable lounges and a bar. This public area is book-ended by a shaded outdoor lounge on the stern (the smoker’s corner) and a small plunge pool with sun loungers on the bow. It is here that a good book and the mid-day sun is making me feel as happily lethargic as the unmoving cotton-wool clouds hanging low overhead.
To break up the R&R I opt for more game viewing on one of the tenders supporting the Zambezi Queen. Energy levels ramp up as the little speed boat revs and whirrs down the river, leaving behind a quick dissolving wake. Engines are slowed and then cut as game is spotted. We’re taken right up to the riverbank, so close to the elephants towering above us that I can see the flies on their hides. Nearby a baby hippo pops up shyly before sinking down under the protection of his mom.
Back on the Zambezi Queen it’s time for the only other serious activity you need rouse yourself for: eating. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are all included in the rate, as are all drinks except premium spirits and bubbles. The chef makes sure you get your money’s worth, and then some. A multi-course gourmet dinner on my last night was a highlight: coconut sweet potato soup followed by falafel with mango chutney and a choice of fillet or line fish, topped off by cheeses and chocolate parfait.
After dinner the bar closes for orders at 10.30pm and generators are cut as the queen of the Chobe beds down for the night. Aside from the occasional guttural rumbling of hippos, there’s nothing but stillness until the chirping of birds and distant sound of engines roaring to life signal the start of another luxuriously lazy day on the river.
