Reviews of Ichobezi Houseboats
(95%) From 20 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Great River Cruise
Observing game and birdlife from a river setting made this a unique experience which will be remembered for ever.
The boat crew were very friendly, attentive and informative making our stay a lovely experience
Didn't use the houseboat
We liked the lodge so much that we didn't go on the houseboat but stayed at the lodge.
Read more about the whole safari
lovely for 1 night stay
We quite liked the houseboat but wished we had stayed in the lodge for a further night as the service and rooms were better, having said that it was worth the experience
Read more about the whole safariIchobezi Houseboats review
loved it and wish we had more time on the boat. but understand that wasnt an option. the Host i believe his name wasEarnest, was wonderful, very accomodating, thought ahead about our needs, had a meal waiting for us when we arrived. He was also very positive and enthusiastic for Namibia! Wow! nice touch. loved seeing the animals from the water . waking up , laying in bed and looking out the window as elephants came down to drink was a memory i wont forget!
Read more about the whole safariIchobezi Houseboats review
An idyllic way to spend time on the Chobe River.
Ernest and the team were fantastic! So many elephants, crocs and birds that we lost count.
Even saw some lions on our last morning.
Good viewing platform for birds and animals
The boat came as a nice change from the other camps.
Due to the very high flood levels much of the land was under water - it would probably be better to visit the Chobe river in the dry season.
We had a few problems with the outboard motors on the tender boats which threatened to disrupt the programme.
We enjoyed the company of our fellow guests but this could be a problem if you are not used to living at close quarters on a boat.
Ichobezi Houseboats review
Picked up at the jetty at Garden Lodge spot on time and taken to Namibian immigration on Impalila Island before joining the boat. A very slick transfer. For our first night we shared the boat with a Swiss couple and the four of us were then joined by another British pair.
Although the boat can take 8 guests, this might be a bit crowded as there are only a couple of sunloungers and deck chairs.
Cabins were spacious and comfortable, though bathrooms were small (not surprising on a boat). Food was generally excellent and the self-service bar open all day.
Ernest and his crew took excellent care of us and we enjoyed both the slow cruising on the houseboat along Chobe NP and individual game-viewing trips on the tender boats. These also take you back to Kasane via some very 'interesting' immigration posts.
A lovely experience towards the end of our trip – highly recommended!
We thought 2 days was ideal though 3 might be nice – any more and you'll be repeating the experience.
Ichobezi Houseboats review
Really great crew on the boat. Actually it would have been nice if they could join the guests more often, but probably that was too difficult to combine with all the work on the boat.
The boat covered a smaller distance than I had expected but I don't think it mattered much. The shorter tours on the smaller boats are the best - we had Cletius as a "personal guide", he was very helpful, listened to what we were interested in and was too modest about his own knowledge.
Ichobezi Houseboats review
Ernest, the houseboat manager, spent an entire day with us on the river in the smaller boat. It was wonderful. We sat watching elephants up close for hours, just quietly. Magical. We also watched a pair of lionesses and one male make a charge on a cape buffalo herd, without success because a big bull kept fending off their charge. It was spellbinding. My husband is a photographer and Ernest and all the other staff guides were just excellent at holding the small boat steady so he could get the shot. They were exceptionally attentive and considerate.
The houseboat itself is beautiful, the food amazing (thank you Chester!!!), the company just excellent and I can can't say enough wonderful things about the staff. Whatever we wanted to do, we did. We will definately do this again, for more nights (3 were just not enough) and try for October when the elephant show is really hopping. We also met the owner who traveled with us a short ways, what a great guy. We had since recommended the houseboat to everyone we talked to, it's a wonderful way to see Chobe while staying away from the crowds. I probably think about this part of the trip once or twice every day now that we are home...with longing. I'd go back in a minute. And I wish you had more Excellent buttons I could check!
Highly recommended for a mini-break
Having the best room on the boat made these two days the highlight of the entire holiday for me. The food was excellent and the rooms cleaned and tidied very discreetly. I cannot praise the crew too highly.They were all exceptionally polite, attentive and always very smartly dressed. Nothing was too much trouble for them.
We would have enjoyed a little more time actually travelling on the river.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
