| For those of us who love spending time on the | | | | many houseboats available for rent here, and the |
| water, houseboats really are the perfect solution, not | | | | best time to go depends on what you are interested |
| only for living, but for vacationing as well. All over the | | | | in. The dry season (May - October) offers the best |
| world, you can find houseboats to rent that offer | | | | wildlife viewing, while the rainy season (Nov - April) is |
| every comfort of a hotel, with the added bonus of | | | | prime time for bird watching and for those more |
| ever changing scenery and your choice of where to | | | | interested in the local vegetation. |
| go next. | | | | Another great area to explore on a houseboat is the |
| Perhaps the most well-known option is renting a | | | | wetlands and waterways around Impalila Island, 43 |
| barge in France, slowly meandering your way along | | | | miles west of Victoria Falls, where the upper Zambezi |
| the Canal du Midi while getting off the boat every | | | | and Chobe rivers meet. (This also happens to be the |
| now and then to do some shopping, sightseeing and | | | | only place in the world where four countries meet: |
| sampling the local cuisine. Lovely, yes, but if you are | | | | Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe). There |
| looking for something a bit more exotic and | | | | are many houseboats available for rent here, with |
| adventurous, you might want to give one of the | | | | great features such as bedrooms with huge sliding |
| destinations below a try. | | | | windows that open onto the water (with mosquito |
| The Okavango Delta in Botswana is the largest inland | | | | nets of course, this is Africa after all) so that you |
| delta in the world, featuring many waterways to | | | | can lie in bed and watch wildlife on the shore or |
| explore, and an amazing variety of wildlife. Sit on the | | | | elephants swim across the river. This area is also |
| top deck of your houseboat and watch giraffes, | | | | known for its exceptional bird life and fishing, and if |
| elephants, crocodiles, lions, buffalo and an astonishing | | | | you visit November - April, you might see as many |
| variety of birds (more than 400 species) as you | | | | as 300 different species of birds in just a few days. |
| slowly glide along in the African landscape. There are | | | | |