Chobe National Park Full Day Safari + Boat Cruise(botswana)

We had a great time during our half-day game drive in Chobe. We were picked up from our hotel in Victoria falls and drove to the Botswana border where another car transfered us to the jeep at Kasane. We had a complimentary buffet lunch in a luxorious resort that we enjoyed a lot. After that our game drive started. The driver was so funny and made our day. We saw a lot of different animals up close and were around 1.5m away from a lion, giraffes, elephants, antelopes and more.

This is a wonderful experience to have the Safari in the morning, then lunch and a boat cruise on the Zambezi River in the afternoon

To anyone reading this, I sincerely recommend not booking with this company. After waiting an hour past the scheduled time, they messaged me saying that due to a lack of participants, the tour would not take place. It’s disappointing, painful, and sad to be treated this way after all the investment involved and traveling from so far—Latin America, in my case—and everything it takes to save for a trip like this. Don’t do it; look for another company. If they did it to me, they can do it to anyone. Stay away from this place.

The Chobe National Park day tour from Victoria Falls Zimbabwe is a must experience, especially the water safari in the Chobe River, Botswana by Mr. Xhate of Kalahari Tours which was FUNtastic! Mr. Figo of Africa Travel Tours drove us to the Botswana border, a 70-km ride that takes an hour. During his drive from 7:00-8:00 am, we saw elephants & giraffes through the Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe. Both Messrs Figo & Xhate pointed to us the Botswana Zambia bridge where four countries’ - Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe - borders meet. At the border: > We went through the Zimbabwean immigration. Their wash room has no toilet paper so bring your own; > Before going through Batswana Immigration, we had to disinfect our shoes as well as vehicles’ tires; > On Mr. Xhate’s drive to Kalahari Tours’ breakfast of coffee/tea, donuts, cupcakes & sweet clementines(?), we saw mango, banana & papaya farms; > From 9:00ish to noon, Mr. Xhate steered a boat for 10 guests along parts of the Chobe River and brought us as close as it’s safe to see impalas, hippos, nile crocodiles, birds, geese, cape buffalos, elephants herds crossing parts of the river; > the right side of the boat at the beginning of the safari is Namibian land; towards the conclusion of our water safari, Mr. Xhate touched our boat at the edge of Namibian land; > Around 12ish, we had a delicious lunch at Cresta Mowana’s Serondella buffet restaurant with lovely Chobe River views. Their shredded goat meat dish was the best. They also has tuna pasta, salads, carrots & peas, chicken, pork, beef & three desserts; > From 1:20 to 4:00 p.m., Mr. Xhate took us on a game drive of a portion of the Chobe National Park where we viewed the Chobe River, baboons, birds, impalas, puku antelopes, sables, herds of hundreds of elephants by our safari vehicle and from afar & more giraffes; > We headed back to the gate a bit past 3:00 pm then went through both countries’ immigration (Batswana Immigration wash rooms have toilet paper) in time to meet Mr. Figo at 4:30 for the hour drive back.

The trip was very interesting, Chobe national park is impressive, even in super dry conditions. Plenty of elephants and kudu antelopes. The organisers could do better in time management. We left Victoria falls around 7pm, then on border had to change vehicles, take more people, there was a lot of waiting involved. In the end, our afternoon boat trip had to be shortened. So a message to organisers: leave early and have all cars ready and instructions clear on how much time visitors spend where.

I have booked the full day excursion safari and river cruise in the Chobe National Park in Botswana, it is a must for nature lovers! We enjoyed our excursion , Simon collected us from our lodge and drove us to Zimbabwe border to enter Botswana , guided and helped us . He also accompanied us all day at Chobe Safari Park , lunch at one of the CRESTA Mowana-Safari Resort & Spa , beautiful resort . It is where we started our river cruise to Botswana River. I will highly recommend Simon - Africa Beast Safari, his professional, great customer service . Overall what a fantastic day and service . We really enjoyed and we returned back to our lodge safely .

I have booked the full day excursion safari and river cruise in the Chobe National Park in Botswana, it is a must for nature lovers! We enjoyed our excursion , Simon collected us from our lodge and drove us to Zimbabwe border to enter Botswana , guided and helped us . He also accompanied us all day at Chobe Safari Park , lunch at one of the CRESTA Mowana-Safari Resort & Spa , beautiful resort . It is where we started our river cruise to Botswana River. I will highly recommend Simon - Africa Beast Safari, his professional, great customer service . Overall what a fantastic day and service . We really enjoyed and we returned back to our lodge safely .

Very well organised tour by our guide Simon Very punctual and well organised in all aspects. Highly recommended this tour

We only had a short amount of time in Victoria falls region, so we went with Simon and Africa Beast Safaris to visit Chobe National Park for a day trip. Simon was incredible and he made it incredibly easy and enjoyable to cross over to Botswana and experience both a land tour via an open air 4x4 and also a boat tour on the Chobe river. All of our guides on both of those excursions were amazing. On the 4x4 tour we saw lions, lots of antelope, lots of elephants, water buffalo and more. The boat tour was what our family enjoyed the most. It was incredible getting up close and personal with hippos, giant crocs, elephants, birds and buffalo. We would highly recommend this tour. Plus lunch was amazing!

I carefully researched tours and tour companies before booking a day trip for my family from Zimbabwe to Botswana for the Chobe day trip. It's a lot of money for the day and I feel like Africa Beast was the best company of them all. It seems like most of the companies offer the same day trip including transportation to the park, a game drive, meal at a lodge, a boat ride through Chobe river and then transport back to the hotel/lodge you started from. The main thing I noticed is that many tours cost a bit more, and then you have fees to enter the park on top of your tour fees. Africa Beast had all park fees included and beat the other guides prices. We even had the owner of the company transport us personally to the game driver at the Botswana border. We then easily went through the day with our guide DC, we saw lots of animals, but we saw lion for the first time, and 3 of them at that. We live in South Africa for 3 months of every year and have been on countless drives but this is the first time to see lion in the bush! We also saw cape buffalo, elephant, hippo, Crocs, kudu, impala, monkeys, baboons, birds and more. We learned that the rhino have been removed from the park due to poaching, but the rest of the big 5 can potentially be seen. No sign of any leopard during our day time drive, but what an absolute delight so see a lioness and 2 males! The lodge that Simon arranged for our lunch was absolutely beautiful and the lunch was very nice. Be advised that the lodge provides food with the tour, but not beverages. There is a little gift shop so I was able to get some earrings as a souvenir from that country, and after eating we just sat in an outdoor lounge and soaked in the view of the river. From the lodge we departed for the river ride portion of the tour. DC got us up close again to Crocs, hippo, buffalo, and elephant. He also explained how we were in an international waterway with Botswana on one side and Namibia on the other. On our way back to the lodge he pointed out a Namibian fisherman padding standing up in a canoe. The only other thing to note aside from paying for beverages is that a $10 US tip per person is suggested for your game driver. It was good to know ahead of time what the appropriate amount was for DC. Overall, it was a fantastic day that Simon organized and was well worth the price for the experience we will never forget. Don't hesitate to book with Africa Beast Safari!

By accident we came upon Africa Beast Safari while we were in a world cruise in early April this year (2024) as we wanted to go overland for safari and tour Victoria Falls. Simon, who runs Africa Beast Safari is incredible! Simon responded to our inquiry promptly and professionally and we booked for six days...Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park and Hwange National Park. Simon took care of EVERYTHING...our transfers, hotels, guides, safaris, boat cruises, helicopter ride, Boma dinner and an awesome traditional village tour. One we booked our tour with Simon he arranged ALL the details. Every guide was on time and very professional. We always felt safe and we absolutely had a BLAST! Our accommodations were so amazing and the food excellent! Way beyond our expectations! We saw so many animals and felt that we had truly immersed ourselves into this beautiful country. Simon even took us to dinner and we had the privilege of really getting to know this amazing man...he is now our friend for life. If you are looking for a great experience with no worries Simon is your man! We highly recommend Africa Beast Safari!

Brilliant, not commercialised so you will only be with a ranger and see the big five 😉.just make sure your jeep has comfy seats or you will suffer . There are brick toilets on this tour which is a good send if you have a weak bladder .

Had a brilliant brilliant day doing a water and land safari. Water Guide Vincent was fantastic. Knowledgeable, insightful and what a set of eyes, could tell a Crocodile from a log at 250m with out Binoculars. Saw loads of families of elephants (including one that was 1 week old!) Hippos, Crocs, Water Buffalo, Birds (Including an Eagle), Impala and a heard of Zebra. On the Land Safari, more Elllies, Impala, Lions, Giraffe and a Jackal. Food at the hotel was superb, Fillet steak for Lunch!! Even crossing in Botswana was good fun - the bridge and the people. One of the best days of my Life

Hotel pickup at 7am on Zim side. After other hotel pickups, border emigration/ immigration, stop at hotel launch, started boat safari at 9:50am. Saw loads of elephant, some crocs, kudus, hippos, and buffalo. You will miss much without binoculars! Returned to base hotel at 12:40 for lunch buffet (which was decent) and started overland park Safari at 14:10. Saw a few female lions (which apparently are 50/50 to see), a couple hundred elephants (some scary close), some giraffe, hippos (in distance), loads of impala, some mongoose, and vultures/ eagles. Left park at 16:30. Back at hotel 17:30. The positives: the friendliness/ knowledge of guides. The boat Safari is pleasant, but not great (the elephant river crossing was great though). The negatives: mixed value-for-money. If you’re an elephant-lover, it will be great. But the park Safari is only about 2 hours. You will not see cheetahs or rhinos. I wished that the land safari was much longer (maybe 4 hours) so please start earlier! Just managing expectations.

One of Africa’s great wildlife parks, Chobe stars in many ways. Time in Savuti was rewarded with lions and wild dogs. The northern sector has big elephants and the wide Chobe River, with large herds of cape buffalo, zebra and impala. The lions were really good, following a dozen from near the bush, across a road and down to the river road where their approach caused five errant buffalo to gallop back to the herd. Some of the roads look quite new. Wish some of the signage could have been renovated.

Simon was extremely helpful & answered my emails very quickly .He also was accomodating in changing our booking due to a health issue. On the way back from the airport on arrival I needed cash and he was very patient while I had to go to 3 different ATMs to get the money ( in US $ or Zim $) . The pickup on the day was punctual & the border crossing very smooth, after the drive to get there. The guides were knowledgeable . We did the safari on two successive days - each providing a different experience and explanations of the alternate guides. The drive on the second day was in a fairly big vehicle with the guide in the cabin in front ,talking through a window- not a great arrangement . We saw lots of game including lion and a special view of crocs feeding on a buck they had killed.

I can not recommend Africa Beast for any tour given my recent experience. I left extremely disappointed in how they misrepresented themselves and the poor quality of the company they handed us off to. To begin, I was told by Africa Beast that they had room for the Chobe tour but in reality they made a deal with another company to add me to their tour to make a commission. When I went to pay I was confused as all the staff were wearing outfits with another companies name, I asked them what was going on and they told me the 2 businesses "help each other out" but that they also are a good company. I searched all the platforms for reviews and this other company has no reviews on ANY platform that I can find. Unfortunately, I had already paid and the tour was the next morning, so was left with little option. On the day of our tour, the tour company cut corners to save a few dollars at every opportunity. First, our driver showed up with no water for anyone on the drive to Botswana which took an hour and a half with pickups. When we transferred to the safari guide in Botswana he had a barebones offering of only 5 small waters for 6 guests and a few soft drinks for an open air safari in 90 degree weather. Then our guide tried to take us to some ratty hole in the wall b&b to pre-order our lunch instead of taking us to the river lodge we were promised. I challenged the guide and told him we were supposed to be at one of the river lodges for a buffet lunch and he pretended to be confused but quicky enough we had our "reservation" and were on our way. Since the guide pays cash to the restaurant after lunch ( I saw this happen), they pocket the difference, the cheaper the lunch, the more they keep. The other guests were just as angry as we were and couldn't believe what was happening. At our buffet lunch we were told NO DRINKS INCLUDED and we had to pay for these ourself even though the tour says all drinks are included. Many guests chose to order no drinks at all because they had no idea how much they'd be charged. The tour itself was just ok, the guide was nowhere near as good as our guide in South Africa, he had a few facts on the more common animals but often didn't stop to explain the lesser known animals we were seeing or simply drove past them. My takeaway is that Chobe is so full of animals that it doesn't matter who you book with, you'll see plenty. With that said, I can't recommend booking with Africa Beast or Fuhara Safaris as you just don't know what you're going to get. For $180 USD this is not acceptable service.

The Botswana camping experience booked through Chobe 4x4 was truly unforgettable. The campsites were well-maintained and equipped with all the necessary amenities. The staff was friendly and helpful, making sure that our needs were met at all times. The highlight of the trip was definitely the game drives through Chobe National Park, where we were able to see a wide variety of wildlife in their natural habitat. The guides were knowledgeable and provided us with valuable insights into the different animals and plants that we saw. All in all, it was an incredible experience that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for an adventure in the African wilderness.

We had a wonderful time on the full day safari to Chobe. It was the perfect day and exactly what we were hoping for in terms of a game drive & boat while exploring Vic Falls.

This was a fantastic day trip to see sooooo many animals! Chobe is a beautiful park and we were lucky to see four of the "big five" in one morning! After our very enjoyable game drive, we enjoyed a lovely lunch at a local restaurant, and then saw more animals on the river cruise. All in all, a great way to spend a day and very convenient to our general location, Victoria Falls.

This tour was absolutely INCREDIBLE. We saw dozens of animals all throughout Chobe during the morning tour, including a leopard, crocodiles, and more! Our guides were very knowledgeable about the landscape, local conservation, and the different animals. Thank you!

After picking us up at the airport, we sat down with Simon to organize our 5 day family holiday at Vic Falls. All the activities and transport was perfectly arranged by Africa Beast Safaris and we can definitely recommend them for a stress free experience. Local knowledge and contacts make all the difference!

We had a fantastic time with Simon and Beast Africa Safaris. They are professional, always on time, personable, enthusiastic, and very knowledgeable. The game drive in the morning was great we saw dozens and dozens of elephants, buffalo, and hippos among many other species. The lunch provided at the lodge was also very good. The boat ride in the afternoon was my favourite part. We saw about 100 elephants, and two different prides of lions and even watched a whole herd of elephants swim cross the river right in front of us. Overall we couldn't be happier with our experience. It's great value, and a ton of fun. When we come back we will be booking with Simon again.

It was an amazing day. We were able to seen a lot of animals. The guide was so kindly. We did a car drive and a small cruise.

I booked a trip to Chobe NP in Botswana with Africa Beast Safaris. The service was great and I realised the value for money. We saw lots of animals both on the boat and on game drive. I will definitely bring my whole family and rebook with Africa Beast Safaris. Thumps up to Simon.

We went on safaris through Kruger National Park, South Africa prior to Botswana’s Chobe National Park. Both safaris offer amazing game spotting but Botswana is unique as it included a boat ride on the Chobe River. The animals are abundant and you really don’t have to look too hard to spot them. Botswana provides a glimpse of the fascinating lives of game that inhabit the Chobe River and the surrounding area, especially the plethora of birds. If you are a bird watcher, you will be in heaven! The boat ride through the Chobe river in the morning followed by mid-day lunch break was the highlight of our trip. The river scenery is beautiful and serene. The afternoon safari in a 4WD was a bit rough as the dirt roads are more rugged and less paved but that also adds to the experience. Our driver and operator were also patient and professional. We recommend Botswana for a well-rounded safari experience!

We joined this full day safari from Victoria fall after we spent 3 days there. The drive came to our hotel right on time and drove us across the border. The day was short while in the Chobe national Park. We saw lots of animals and enjoyed a good lunch with game meat!

this was a wonderful trip that you may take as a add-up to Victoria Falls. The driver was punctual in picking us up. We had the chance to see many animals in the park and the afternoon boat cruise along the Chobe river made it possible to see more that you could not see from land! I recommend it!

From the moment we were picked up - very much on time - it was all so well organised, plenty of cold bottles of water available, easy crossing into Botswana, having first checked everyone had the correct visa, then onto Chobe lodge to board the boat, which lasted about 3 hours - soft drinks, beers and cookies served on the boat . We saw crocodiles, hippo, eagles, Malibu stocks, and more elephants than I have ever seen anywhere else. The boat captain was very knowledgable and keen to make sure we got as close as possible to everything - including the 2 day old baby elephant. After a very nice lunch we boarded the jeep for our afternoon game drive and our driver David was amazing. He enabled me to get the most amazing shots of the leopard and lions. People need to remember this is not a zoo with animals appearing to order, it’s just luck and the expertises of the driver. We saw vultures, giraffes, more elephants, lions, wart hogs, water buffalo, hippos, crocodile, more elephants, monkeys, baboons, eagles- we could not have asked for more. Truly memorable

There is no “big 5.” Where to start. I’ll start from the beginning. 1. Late start- we were delayed the 1st time because two of the travelers decided to finish their breakfast at the hotel. What made it worse is that we were told it would be 2 minutes but we waited 13 minutes. Honesty would’ve been better; 2. Delay #2- the same 2 guests were not prepared to cross into Botswana. They did not get a KAZA visa upon entry into Zimbabwe. Everyone else was prepared. #1 and #2 resulted in us starting the tour almost 30 minutes late when we were supposed to get to the starting place a few minutes early. 3. There were no biscuits on the boat- LIES. 4. Rhinos are an endangered species so there is no option to see the “big 5.” MORE LIES!! The whole experience was not entirely negative so I gave them 2 stars. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and pleasant. We did not see a leopard which I believe is not entirely their fault but I wish they would’ve disclosed that it was unlikely we’d see one.

Simon is a wonderful guide and a great resource for your time in Zimbabwe! He is always willing to help out and get you going where you need to be. The boat safari was absolutely incredible and we saw more animals than we could imagine. The hippos (over 50), elephants, crocodiles, birds, lizards, buffalo, and more kept us entertained the whole time. The game drive in the national park allowed us up close encounters of many other animals as well!

Excellent service/accommodations. I would use again. Simon and Loco were great. Sorry I forgot one name💕

Working with Simon certainly made things easy for us. We booked our airport transportation as well as our Chobe trip with his company and we enjoyed our experience tremendously! Simon is a motivated young man who is building his young company by providing outstanding service. He met us early each time and was extremely professional and kind. I wish he was in the USA as I would use his company for our travel plans all the time. Thanks again Simon.

Simon organised for us the Zambesi sunset Cruise, the day trip at Chobe in Botswana, a rhino walking safari in Zambia and the transfer from the Vic Falls airport. Everything was excellent and absolutely aligned with the agreed plan...simply unforgettable! Simon is pleasant, reliable and professional, Africa Beast Safaris is strongly recommended!

My wife and I initially did not plan to do a trip to Chobe National Park and it ended up the highlight of our stay in Victoria Falls.Can definitely recommend and Africa Beast Safaris were very professional

I did the Chobe Day Trip from Victoria Falls tour, and it was an impeccably organized tour. Simon, my driver and organizer, was very friendly and easy to talk to, as well as make sure everything I wanted was in order once we crossed over the Botswana, and was also very attentive. His connections on the other side was a very good one, and resulted in one of the best safaris I've ever had. Could not recommend Africa Beast Safari and Simon more. They are a lot better than most of the name brand companies in the area, and with an unbeatable price too.

Wonderful experience. Fantastic landscapes and animals. People prepared and attentive to everything. Fabio guides with in-depth and fascinating stories.

We stayed 2 days at Chobe Bush Lodge thus having the opportunity to do both boat safaris on two different days and also the one with Jeeps. I would say there is no boat comparison all life!!!!! Also because you can get much closer to animals and you really see an infinite amount of them. I have to say that from one day to the next a lot really changes, since animals rightly move. On the first day many buffalo, crocodiles, various types of birds and not only naturally. The second day elephants to never end, hippos, giraffes. Incredible sunset, unique experience. As for the safari with the Jeep I must say that it was extremely uncomfortable, not cushioned enough so it broke our back a bit...... Animals seen not very close, but this is also a thing to do. Jackal puppy too funny. Lion a little in the distance, giraffes, elephants, two very nice owls, eagles, warthogs, baboons etc.

This national park is one of the 5 best rated in Africa because it allows us to sail near animals , it is absolutely necessary to take the package that accumulates 3 hours of park and 3 hours on the water of the river where all animals come to drink

It was a super fun day. In the morning we did a boat safari and saw crocodiles hippos water buffalo and waterfowl. In the afternoon we had a nice lunch at Chobe Marina Lodge hotel. Afternoon we left with a jeep safari and we were able to admire many animals. Afterwards we were brought back to our hotel.

Huge park full of fauna that you can really see very close up: you sail on the Chobe river and you see everything: elephants, hippos, buffaloes, gazelles and various antelopes, crocodiles; many predators inside. Here there are 80% of Africa's elephants and around 440 species of birds have been recorded: it is the world of photographers. It is ideally divided into three large areas: the Chobe River Front (river), the Linyanti Marshes (very reminiscent of the Okavango) and the Savuti, rich in fauna. I recommend not taking the 3/4 hour trip because Chobe really offers a lot: it is better to stop in a nearby lodge and stay overnight, so as to spend at least a couple of days in the Park.

We booked the Chobe Safari + Airport Transfer at Africa beast Safaris. Friendliness and punctuality are very important. The trip to Chobe Park was an unforgettable and fabulous experience. I would book here again immediately and can recommend Africa beast Safaris without restriction. Many greetings from Bad Saulgau to the whole team. Claudia and Stefan

A great one-day safari tour- half a day we drove an open jeep along the river and very closely watched elephants, buffalo, various antelopes, baboons, warblers, birds, then there was lunch in a nice place, and then we took a boat down the river, there saw hippos, a little crocodile, again elephants splashing and playing in the water. It's a pity you're not lucky enough to see the big felines. Good organization in terms of transportation and border crossing, all quick and clear. Great people: sympathetic, friendly and willing to cooperate and help with any questions! I recommend it!