Zimbabwe: Cruisin and snoozin on Lady J

Posted on 6 March 2010

Brett McDonald is a Zimbabwean who loves his country and region, and believes that when Zim “comes right”, tourism will take off like a mad tigerfish on a sparkling lure.

His tourism company Flame of Africa offers tourists trips on Lady Jacqueline, a 65 foot houseboat which can be hired, along with captain, chef and deckhand. It’s perfect for a holiday for a large family, a bunch of friends – or even if you’re wanting a romantic break just for two. Currently moored at Binga on the western part of Lake Kariba, Lady J is easily accessible from Vic Falls.

What’s great about houseboating on Kariba…you’re not fixed into a lodge’s schedule, or crammed into a land rover during game drives, or sharing facilities with all the other strangers. The boat is a house…and it’s yours to enjoy as you wish. The captain – Stephen Letaba – can take you wherever you want, so the itinerary is entirely up to you. Plus, it’s easier to see wildlife from the decks of a houseboat, because the animals aren’t usually afraid of boats…as they are of cars and 4x4s, which have been used to hunt and harass animals in the past. So you can get really close to the ellies, buffalo, and other wildlife on the shore. Just don’t jump in the water, cos some estimate that there is one adult crocodile for every 300 feet of shoreline in Kariba!!

We spent three nights and days heading east from Binga, going really slowly so as to enjoy the scenery, as well as the cooler wind which blows out over the lake during the day. January is HOT in Zimbabwe, and even more so down in the lower elevations of the Zambezi Valley.

We came across various families of elephants, some of whom had swum across to the islands in the middle of the lake to eat the summer grass and leaves. Fish eagles were everywhere…that famous call of theirs always puts me in a great mood.

A day on Lady J goes something like this: Wake up at sunrise, and go fishing on the motorised tender boat. If you’re not a fisherman, you can go photographing wildlife. If you’re not a photographer, sleep in. At about 10am, you return to a full breakfast on the top deck, cooked perfectly by Albert the chef. From 11am to 4pm you sleep, read or sit in the tiny on-board pool at the front of the boat. At 4pm, you crack the first of many ice-cold beers (or Gin & Tonics), and watch the sun descend to the horizon. If you like, you can combine fishing and drinking. The funny thing is, you never feel like doing anything more than this…you’ll be so zoned out by the combination of sun, water, fresh air, wild animals, spectacular scenery and complete lack of other people, that days fly by without you doing anything (except eating, sleeping, looking at wildlife and fishing).

During the day, Stephen Letaba, the captain of the Lady J, will navigate to another part of the lake, where the whole process will start over again. I wish I could have spent more time on the boat…there is so much to explore on Kariba. I particularly enjoyed mooring at the mouth of the Senkwi River…from there, we boated up the river course, exploring the narrow inlets, and admiring the massive Baobab trees that grow right on the shoreline. The western end of Kariba is apparently quite different to the eastern end, which is more famous, thanks to the floodplains which host lots of wildlife. So the western end is more hilly, and not as well-explored. So although you won’t see as much as wildlife, you’ll see fewer people too. In fact, for four days, we saw no-one else, except one or two local fishermen in their dugout canoes.

A big advantage of going houseboating from Binga is that you’re much closer to Vic Falls…instead of it taking you two days to get to Kariba in the east, you’ll drive for about 4 hours to Binga. It’s much easier.

Want to explore Zimbabwe yourself?
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority / Britz 4×4 Rentals / Tracks4Africa.co.za / Accommodation






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