The New Pangolin Voyager

The Chobe river is the natural border between Namibia and Botswana and the Pangolin Voyager is actually based on the Namibian side of the river with the Chobe National Park as the opposite bank.

The Chobe is unique in that it flows in both directions at different times of the year depending on the flood in the mighty Zambezi with which is converges a few kilometres further downstream.

The houseboat features five identical cabins, each of which can be configured with either double or twin beds. Each has an en-suite shower and toilet as well as air conditioning. There are plenty of plug points for charging batteries and devices. The near floor-to-ceiling windows are fitted with mosquito nets, allowing you to enjoy the sounds of the wilderness as you sleep at night.

The upper level features the living and dining areas, where meals are served, and a well-stocked bar is also located. Large glass sliding doors offer a fantastic view of the river as we cruise between our moorings, either in the lounge or the “reading nook”.

Most cruising takes place after the morning game activity and during brunch, when the midday sun is best enjoyed on the partially shaded deck which has an L-Shaped sofa, six sun loungers as well as a cafe table and chairs.

On board the Pangolin Voyager, you will be well-fed throughout your stay by our lovely chefs. We have designed the menu to reflect the flavours of the region with some classics that will suit every palate. All meals and drinks are included in the charter, and we have a well-stocked bar with soft drinks, wines, spirits and local beers.

The chefs love nothing more than baking so if you are celebrating a special occasion please let us know and we will rustle up a cake. As far as possible, the ingredients we use are locally sourced, and we can cater to vegetarians, vegans, as well as most medically diagnosed allergies and intolerances.

The Pangolin Voyager is nearly fully electric…including the engines…and the roof of the houseboat supports a solar array that can generate all the electricity required to power the houseboat. The only gas we use is for cooking and hot water heating for the showers (so you can have piping hot water 24/7!).

In your rooms, you will find cold filtered water as well as a thermos of hot water (replenished daily) for early morning coffees and late night teas. If you would like a tour of the solar system please ask a member of the crew who will be more than happy to show you how it all works.

The Pangolin Voyager is a trimaran powered by four RAD 40 drives made by RAD Propulsion in the UK. There are two drives at the front (between the hulls) and two at the back. The drives are fully electric and were designed from the ground up to be so (rather than adapting a standard outboard engine to be electric).

During the day, we can cruise between our moorings using the solar energy harvested from the solar array, which is fed directly into the RAD 40 drives. This propels the houseboat at a serene speed of around 4-5kph…..silently and emission-free!

Alongside the Pangolin Voyager, we have an eight-seater photo boat. Each of the seats on the photo boat features an articulated arm and camera gimbal, allowing it to rotate 360 degrees. The expert guides will help get you into a position to photograph the plethora of subject matter that The Chobe has to offer.

The photo boat tends to go out at first light and again a few hours before sunset. Teas, coffees, and cold drinks are packed for the morning session, and ice-cold beverages of your choice are available for the afternoon.

Adjacent to the lounge on the upper level, we have an air-conditioned and darkened editing suite where guests can download, review and process their images. During our hosted photo safaris the Pangolin Photo Hosts will often use this room to hold editing sessions as well as presentations.