Location & Facilities

The majestic Ichobezi is a newly built, state of the art luxury safariboat operating on both the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers. At 18 metres long and boasting four twin en-suite cabins for guest use - all decorated in tasteful African style - this unique boat offers the guest comfort, space and versatility.

Electricity
220V and 12V supplied.

Accommodation & Rates

Guests board The Ichobezi onto the accommodation deck that comprises six bedrooms, two of which are reserved for your crew. Each spacious double guest bedroom can be configured either as twin or double and has en-suite bathroom facilities and sliding windows opening onto the water. In order to prevent mosquitoes from entering the rooms, each window is spanned by a transparent mosquito screen.

Electricity (220V and 12V) is supplied to each bedroom, ensuring the functionality of all electric shavers, dryers and lights. Spacious cupboards with shelves and hanging space are provided in each bedroom.

The onboard chef, will be sure to delight you with his mouthwatering cuisine. After the early morning activities of game viewing or fishing, a brunch is served on the upper deck in a relaxed atmosphere. A three course dinner is served in the evening amidst the sounds of Africa, and would typically consist of either fish, beef or chicken as a main course.

The bar is fully stocked with South African and Namibian wines and beers, as well as a large selection of spirits and liqueurs. Please be sure to advise us at least two weeks in advance of your cruise of any specific drink that you would like stocked on The Ichobezi. Bottled water and soft drinks are also readily available.

Rates
Rates in ZAR/ Per person sharing per Night

Green season:      01 Dec 2009 – 31 March 2010  R2250.00
Shoulder season: 01 April 2010 - 30 May 2010    R2600.00
High season:        01 June 2010 to 30 November 2010 R3500.00

Children under 12yrs sharing - Green season R1125 / Shoulder season R1300 / High season R1750

What is included
Accommodation, all meals, house wines and local beers, all soft drinks and water, Park fees, fishing licenses, Namibian Tourism levies, all activities including game viewing by boat, all fuel, fishing, bird watching and guided walks and all water based transfers from Kasane river border post.

What is not included
International flights, Transfers to Kasane River border post, Beverages not specified, items of a personal nature e.g. gratuities, travel insurance.

Children
Not suitable for children under 12 years of age.

Credit cards
All major credit cards accepted

Activities

Games and Game viewing
Relax and enjoy a variety of games including Scrabble, Thirty seconds, Drafts, Chess, Backgammon, Playing cards and Trivial Pursuit.
Game viewing by boat into the Chobe National Park is a remarkable experience - where huge herds of elephants come down to drink together with an extensive array of other game such as buffalo, giraffe, leopard, lion, kudu, waterbuck, puku, lechwe, impala and baboons. The evening boat trip provides the guest with the unforgettable experience of witnessing a true African sunset, while being surrounded by herds of Elephant and supping on a cold sundowner.

Bird watching
Bird watching is a year round pleasure with over 400 recorded species and a combination of water birds and woodland birds on the island. It is an excellent place to see all the summer migrants from September through to March. There is a wide variety of habitats covered by the vessels and all guides are competent birders.

Fishing
World famous for their Tigerfish and Bream, the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers will delight and challenge both the angling enthusiast and the novice. With over 100 kilometres of rivers and waterways available to guests, we offer you the best possible chance of experiencing the thrill of landing a legendary Tigerfish or the satisfaction of catching any one of the many other species found within the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers. The lodge is particularly renowned for the quality of its guides and their success in finding those elusive spots that will yield the best catches. 

The Impalila area is unique in that it offers year round Tiger fishing. This is due to the giant flood plains upstream which hold the annual Zambezi floodwaters, keeping it warm and nutritious and allowing incredible fish breeding habitat. During the winter months, floodwaters recede, leading to ideal Tiger feeding conditions when the rest of the river systems are too cold for Tigerfish activity.

Please remember that there is a strict catch and release policy in place which is in line with the conservationist ideals of the area.

For those looking for an even greater challenge, the unique rapids within the river systems offer unrivalled experiences for those wanting to enjoy the skillful art of fly-fishing. Knowledgeable guides, excellent boats and high-quality equipment all combine to make any stay with the Ichobezi River Lodges an anglers idea of Utopia.

How to get there

International Flights go to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) or Livingstone (Zambia). Transfers between Vic Falls & Livingstone airports and the Kasane immigration office can be arranged.  Guests are then collected by boat from the Kasane immigration office in Botswana for the short trip across the river. Kasane is also readily accessible by road from both South Africa and Namibia.  

Private charters also regularly fly directly onto Impalila Island from Victoria Falls and elsewhere, where there is an excellent 1400 metre all weather gravel airstrip. The co-ordinates of the airstrip on Impalila Island are S17° 46’ 48’’ E025° 11’ 23’’. The reference is FBKE (Kasane 031 3.6nm).