African Queen

Is it a floating wilderness lodge? Or a Manhattan cocktail bar? The Zambezi Queen, a gorgeously converted casino boat, redefines the African safari by injecting serious contemporary cool into the wilds of the Botswana-Namibia border – and then floating it down the Chobe River, dubbed ‘the Galapagos of Africa’. So, as well as herds of elephant outside your bedroom window, you can expect clean linear design, floor-to-ceiling glass and Dean Martin crooning ‘Volare’ while you sup single malt on funky leather sofas. With room for 30 guests and excellent scoff and vino, the Zambezi Queen travels with small satellite boats for epic tiger fishing and close-quarter game encounters. Cocktail hour will never be the same again. An 11-day trip, including the four-day cruise, and tented river camps in Botswana and Zambia costs from £4,695pp.
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