Being let down on the Lake Kariba Houseboat Excursion- Zimbabwe

The Absolute Safari - Sept 8 - 10

For the most part, all African overland tour companies follow the same route. Some may stay in a place for one night, others two nights. What sets Absolute Africa apart is the opportunity to spend two nights on a houseboat in the middle of Lake Kariba. Lake Kariba is the world's largest artificial lake by volume. It was filled between 1958 and 1963 following the completion of the Kariba dam. Fish eagles, cormorants and other water birds patrol the shorelines, as do large numbers of elephants and other big game species including lion, cheetah, leopard, and buffalo.

I was looking forward to this trip away from tent life. A chance to swim in the lake, go fishing and take boat safaris searching for hippos, crocodiles and elephants.

A few months before the safari, I received an email that the houseboat excursion may not go. The houseboat company was under new management and may not be available. In hindsight, definitely foreshadowed the issues that would plague us for the next few days.

We arrived at the edge of the lake and boarded our two boats. Not wanting a stuffy cabin, I opted to sleep outside on the top deck. Anchors up, we were on our way for the two hour drive across the lake for our first night. We toured our boat, found the swimming pool with ______ no water and missing the net so we couldn't swim in the lake.

After lunch we had a sunset cruise

Later on we watched Australian Rugby on a laptop. Things we do for sports. We asked the crew what time was best for animal viewing and they said morning. So at 7:00am we boarded the boats for the lake game drive ...... But no animals were around. Turns out the best time to see them was in the afternoon. Strike two. We were all ready for the afternoon fishing trip until we found out the crew forgot the fishing poles. Strike three.

It was a hard lesson to remember but throughout this journey, there'll be times that activities don't happen as planned. Weather could be bad. The outfitter could be incompetent. Trips could be oversold. Staying positive will be key in those unfortunate circumstances. An amazing African sunset is a great solution.