In addition to the excellent options for Chobe River Houseboats on the Chobe River, the lesser known and equally exciting Okavango Spirit Houseboat offers a houseboat experience in Botswana itself on the panhandle of the Okavango Delta.
It is a classic wilderness getaway for a big family or a group of friends, or even for you and your partner. The houseboat is sold on a per person per night basis and can accommodate up to just 14 people. Children aged 6 years and older are welcome and are charged 50% of the adult rate, sharing with the adults, and children under 18 years are charged 50% for all activities. It ties in nicely with an extension to other safari camps in Botswana or even a visit to the Victoria Falls.
Operating on the remote & meandering waterways of the upper panhandle of the Okavango, known for its excellent fishing and birding. It is also conveniently located close to other activities including the remote Tsodilo Hills and Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park.
Guests fly from Maun by light aircraft to the Shakawe Airstrip, a flight of about 60 minutes. Here you are met by the crew and transferred by motorboat to the Okavango Spirit for boarding and orientation. From here the boat slowly takes in the vistas and wildlife as it moves to its first overnight mooring spot.
Accommodation is in 4 double and 3 twin en-suite cabins each with glass doors to capitalise on the changing views and each with a private deck. The boat’s communal deck stands 3 meters high and in this vast, flat wilderness affords excellent views for sunrise & sunset – the ideal setting for the meals & laughter you will share with your group.
Guests have the option of enjoying the boat’s viewing deck or the environment of your private cabin. The more energetic can take to the tender boats with a guide and enjoy some fishing or bird or game viewing before returning to the houseboat for sundowners & dinner.
Between Aug - Oct each year the Okavango Rivers plays host to the ‘barbel run’ - as the flood waters begin to recede, the water drains into the main channels and the small fish run the gauntlet of the prowling barbel and tigerfish. This of course makes for some chaotic fishing for fishing enthusiasts.
However apart from the excellent fishing (catch & release) which is done from the tender boats, guests can also enjoy birding or guided walks on some of the small islands for birding and tree spotting.
Other exciting activities include ‘off-boat’ day excursions. The first is a trip to the Tsodilo Hills, a remote cluster of rocky hills that rise sharply above the vast Mopane veld of northwestern Botswana. This world heritage site is home to a vast collection of rock art done over thousands of years by the San-Bushmen who inhabited this wilderness. Another ‘off-boat’ excursion involves a morning game drive across the border into Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park home to an abundance of wildlife including lion, elephant, roan, kudu, leopard, and wild dog to name a few.
10 Jan – 31 March 2026
$ 250 per person per night sharing
For 8 to 14 guests please enquire about the extra per person rates
April & 01 Nov - 19 Dec 2026
$ 270 per person per night sharing
$ 270 single room supplement
May & October 2026
$ 310 per person per night sharing
$ 310 single room supplement
June, September & 20 Dec - 09 Jan 2027
$ 395 per person per night sharing
$ 395 single room supplement
July & August 2026
$ 405 per person per night sharing
$ 405 single room supplement
Accommodation
All meals
Two water-based activities per day
Flights to and from Shakawe Airstrip
Conservation, Community and Reserve Fee ($32 pppn)
Beverages
Guest laundry
Transfers
Gratuities
Fully comprehensive personal travel insurance
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