Name: Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge
Address: Hippo Road, Katima Mulilo, Katima Mulilo, Katima Mulilo, 9000, Namibia
Rating: 8

Smoking areas

Garden

Terrace

No elevators

General

Laundry

Safe-deposit box

Dry-cleaning

Services and amenities

Breakfast

Restaurant

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Hiking

Barbeque

Recreation

Parking

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Temperature control for staff

Personal protection equipment for staff

Extra decontamination measures

Personal protection equipment for guests

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the cottage

Katima Mulilo Airport

Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge

Katima Mulilo

As per the title, this is a review of a 2 night camping boat safari, NOT the guest house. 
It started and ended in Kasane (Botswana) and required us to cross into Namibia for the duration of the cruise on the Chobe river. The boat was small and basic but surprisingly well equipped - fridge, toilet, charger points, seating, table, sink & shower (though we didn't use the latter) and a roof top tent. It was also equipped with Ivan who steered the boat, spotted animals & birds from afar and cooked all our meals expertly on a fire on the (Namibian) bank where we camped both nights. He was excellent and looked after us very well. We saw crocodiles (at very close quarters!) and hippos aplenty - both much better seen from the river. Also lots of ellies crossing or coming down to drink, buffalos, baboons, a lioness, etc etc
This is very different from the 3 storey houseboats and the small boat allows much more intimate animal encounters. It was also a lot cheaper, though still quite a lot of money (but I understand the logistics and fuel costs in coming all the way from Katima before/after our cruise). The catering was much better than we had expected (huge steaks, cooked breakfast, salads for lunch). All in all a great experience to complement self-drives in Chobe Riverfront.

Camping boat safari from Kasane

Our family enjoyed the atmosphere of the lodge. It had such a relaxing vibe, friendly staff, affordable activities, comfortable room and lounge with stunning views. We enjoyed tiger fishing on the Zambezi and Curt was an excellent bird guide, showing us all the local birds. We highly recommend the lodge, the rooms were a great experience, rustic, so cool sleeping in a reed tent kind of set up. Fabulous, we will be back. 

Adventure and Relaxation 

Excellent stay with very friendly and helpful staff. Setting is perfect. Good, honest food, nothing fancy, but tasty and enjoyable. Boat guide was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to point out birds endemic to the area. We were also impressed with Curt's concern for the environment and the rehabilitation of snakes that he undertakes.

CHS Review

Thank you Curt for an amazing stay and great birding. The location and stay was wonderful. The pillows and beds were the most comfortable out of our 3 week stay in Namibia. Highly recommended and thanks for the amazing memories.

Caprivi House Boat bird trip

Magical camp in the jungly riverine forest overlooking the Zambezi. Just the right balance of rustic and glamorous. Timo was a wonderful calm host and found us incredible birds like finfoot on the sunset boat trip, yellowthroated leaflove nearby and wood owl in the camp. 

Magical camp with epic birds

We stayed 2 nights. The meals are delicious. Breakfast is fine too. Nice place to relax and load the battery for Botswana. 

Perfect spot for fishing if you want to.

We certainly come again when we are around.

Nice staff and host.

Perfect place to stay. Super!

We had booked one night as a stopover before crossing to Botswana.
The staff is very frienly and the lounge area is very cosy and allowes you to chat, relax and to have a good time. The fish we had for dinner was amazing and  room is functional. Unfortunately the mosquito net was quite worn out and greeted us with a cloud of bloodsuckers when going to bed. After a chemical warfare sleep quality was okay but an intact net would have made our stay a lot more comfortable.

Beautiful Camp, friendly staff but mind the mosquitos

We stayed here for 3 nights during our recent tour of Namibia. Our original itinerary was for just 1 night in a lodge. However, we later added 2 nights camping. Unfortunately, when we arrived there was extensive local flooding and the campsite was particularly under water. We did camp the first night, however, conditions deteriorated and the lodge kindly upgraded us to a lodge. The conditions were so bad that the access road became impassable, so the lodge arrange to take our vehicle to a nearby hotel where it remained for the next 3 nights, we were ferried to and from the vehicle by the lodge. This meant that our local itinerary was sadly curtailed to the area around the lodge and the surrounding fields, most of which were under 2 feet of water. As we were birding this wasn’t a disaster but it did prevent us from exploring farther afield. 
On the upside the staff at the lodge and in particular Conor, went well and beyond the call of duty in making our stay as pleasant as possible. On the first night there were no staff available at the restaurant, due to the flooding, so we were allowed the free use of their kitchen and prepared our own meal. Very pleasant meals were available for the remainder of our stay. Thankfully the bar was available (Help yourself and enter details of drinks in book) as was free Water, Tea & Coffee. Our accommodation consisted of individual cabins with a bedroom area and en-suite bathroom. There was also a full width patio looking out over the Zambezi River and across to Angola.
During our stay Conor took us out birding on the river and walking through the flood plains. 
Given the afore mentioned restrictions, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. Lovely location and Free WiFi. Highly Recommended. 

Beautiful Location - Very Friendly Helpful Staff

One of the best birding locations we stayed at in Namibia. Curt and his staff were great and Curt went out of his way to ensure that we got to see all the special birds and lifers we wanted to see. Birding at this lodge and the environment is incredible. Accommodation and dining is average, but sufficient. A swimming pool would be a good idea as the permanent tents are quite hot and there are no air conditioning. The morning river cruise with Ivan was incredible and informative and worth every cent. This lodge is a must for any serious birder visiting Namibia.

Wonderful, Wonderful Birding

We spent one night here in campsite #3.  It was ok, but not great.  The biggest issue was the loud blasting music coming from their neighbors.  The facilities worked, but were a bit run down.  Wifi worked ok sometimes.  The owner is a nice guy, and definitely means well.  The view of the river is great.

Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge

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