The term safari typically evokes images of dusty African savannahs and bouncy 4×4 rides in pursuit of the iconic Big Five—lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo. While this classic game-drive ritual has its place, a different breed of water-based adventures is gaining momentum.
In Africa, swapping wheels for hulls can save time. In Rwanda, for instance, traveling aboard the Kivu Queen uBuranga, the first motorized houseboat on Lake Kivu, cuts travel time for gorilla trekking jaunts in the Volcanoes National Park at or searching for chimpanzees in the Nyungwe Forest National Park. Plus it’s just a much more pleasant way to travel.
In other parts of the world, the only way to see marine wildlife is by boat. “Cruises are great for visiting more areas and seeing a variety of landscapes,” Allie Almario, the Galapagos and Amazon safari expert at Philadelphia-based Premier Tours, told Robb Report. “Going by boat in the Amazon, for example, allows you to navigate the tributaries easily. Of course, the wildlife there is completely different than Africa.”
We’ve curated our favorite water trips to animal-laden lands, whether it’s traveling in a houseboat or go-anywhere superyacht, drifting along rivers, or cruising to the world’s most remote polar regions. Accommodations range from intimate five-star island hideaways to brand-new superyachts to more communal, high-end river boats. What they share: A wildlife-focused itinerary that not only provides opportunities to witness water-dwelling species but also diverse marine life and exotic birdlife, all from the comfort of a luxurious floating camp.
Here are 12 of our favorites.
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Botswana, Sitatunga Island
Image Credit: Great Plains Conservation The latest in Great Plains’s water-based reserve collection, this private island camp is surrounded by waterways can be accessed only by boat or helicopter. Sitatunga Island blends traditional safaris with boating, thereby elevating the freedom and peacefulness of observing the Okavango Delta’s primal residents. Gliding along in the 22-footer motorboat or mokoro—a traditional dugout canoe—covers more ground, while delving deeper into the landscape. In the new five-star resort, four opulent wooden suites (one a very large double) are equipped with poster beds, open screened sides that offer exceptional wildlife viewing, espresso machines, wine and liquor, plunge pools, and Peloton bikes. Each suite also has a professional camera for capturing hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and hundreds of exotic bird species. Add to that gourmet meals, exceptional service, and halcyon sunsets over the Okavango River, and this could be the most exclusive water safari in Botswana. Surrounding camps from other providers such as Jao, Xigera, and Vumbura, also embrace a similar ethos, combining land and water safaris. Best time to visit Sitatunga: low season (October through February). Cost via Premier Tours: $13,690 per person, including all internal flights and helicopter trips to and from the island. Travel to/from Botswana not included.
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Costa Rica, Cocos Islands, ‘SuRi’
Image Credit: Cookson Adventures Cocos Island, flung 340 miles off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, has lush mountainous landscapes, countless waterfalls, intriguing cloud forests, and an ocean full of incredible diving. It’s so wild, in fact, that it inspired Jurassic Park. While you won’t find any T-Rexes, park rangers keep an eye on the several species that call the island home. But most of the wildlife is in the ocean, including marine mammals such as humpback whales, sea lions, and bottlenose dolphins. The shark-infested UNESCO waters are best explored aboard the 208-foot explorer SuRi, which offering a nature-themed itinerary from diving with marine biologists alongside the sharks, manta rays, and turtles to kayaking with dolphins to secluded beach hikes among vast bird species. Outfitter Cookson Adventures also offers hands-on involvement with conservation projects, such as geotagging whale sharks. Best time: June-December. Cost: Private charter. from $350,000 per week. Travel not included.
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Antarctica, ‘Hanse Explorer’
Image Credit: EYOS Expeditions Uninhabited by humans but filled with wildlife, the vast white continent provides an incomparable wildlife experience. Bypassing a long cruise through Drake Passage, EYOS offers the option to fly in to join the 156-foot, ice-classed Hanse Explorer for exploring the continent’s most remote waters. The vessel’s six staterooms allow a group 12 to venture into the ice with expert guides specializing in the Antarctica environment. Penguin colonies, whales breaching across the yacht’s bow, and herds of seals offer some of the best polar experiences available. After excursions and, of course, the famous polar plunge, you can warm up in the Finnish sauna and then enjoy more sea views from the sundeck Jacuzzi. Best time: November-March. Cost without travel: Private charter, from $235,000 per week.
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Stella Maris, Galapagos Islands
Image Credit: Aqua Expeditions Straddling the equator, the Galapagos Islands promise year-round, water-based wildlife adventures. The volcanic archipelago is home to species found nowhere else on Earth, from blue-footed boobies and giant land iguanas to Galapagos penguins and hundreds more. A visit aboard superyacht Stella Maris will let any visitor realize how Charles Darwin came up with his theory of evolution by natural selection. The 164-footer has seven well-appointed cabins for relaxing between island visits. Cruising amid the wild things—which change dramatically from island to island—offers a slew of activities, from trekking alongside giant tortoises to tender rides through mangroves to hanging out underwater with boisterous sea lions and hammerhead sharks. The yacht’s guides understand the diversity of the islands, unveiling each creature’s history. Best time: December-May. Cost without travel: Aqua Expeditions can arrange a full-yacht charter from $218.500 per week.
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Norway, Svalbard, ‘Scintilla Maris’
Image Credit: Pelorus Yachting Frozen for months but passable from April to August under 24-hour daylight, this archipelago is abundant with Arctic wildlife. The unusual 150-foot Scintilla Maris, recently converted from a Damen trawler vessel, is the ideal launch pad for Svalbard. Its seafaring capabilities let it weave into the ice floes of this archipelago. Wildlife highlights include seals, reindeer, arctic fox, and the main attraction, the polar bear. They can be viewed up close from the Zodiacs or from heated seating in the yacht’s dedicated observation area, 39 feet above the water. The boat’s vibration-free hybrid propulsion extends the comfort while in electric-only mode, creating a tranquil environment for wildlife encounters. These waters are also a crossroads for multiple whale species, making whale watching one of the highlights. Best time: May-August. Cost: Pelorus-arranged private charter starting at $160,000 per week.
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Australia, Great Barrier Reef, ‘Beluga’
Image Credit: Ocean Alliance The world’s largest coral-reef system reveals an aquatic ecosystem that is best explored by water, thanks to 9,000 species below the surface. Though the Great Barrier Reef is experiencing significant environmental challenges, much of it remains a treasure trove for snorkelers and divers. The 113-foot Beluga takes up to 10 guests throughout June and July to the only place one can swim with dwarf minke whales. The yacht has a 40-foot chase boat, aptly named Minke, with ten sets of dive gear. The crow’s nest at the top of the yacht is the perfect place for more whale watching under way. Best time: November-April. Cost without travel: Ocean Alliance charter from $75,000.
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Borneo, Sabah, ‘Kudanil’
Image Credit: Pelorus Yachting, Getty Images Teeming with life, Sabah’s east coast is one of Southeast Asia’s top wildlife-watching destinations. Superyachts aren’t just for the ocean here: An animal-centric itinerary onboard the 164-foot Kudanil, cruising into the navigable Kinabatangan River, presents some of the world’s rarest species. The river bank includes wild orangutans, the almost extinct Borneo pygmy elephant, the proboscis monkey, and many reptiles and birds. Back in the ocean, as a dive and surf vessel, Kudanil can extend the trip, heading to Sipadan for world-class scuba diving. Best time: May-October. Cost without travel: Pelorus-arranged private charter from $140,000 per week.
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Alaska, ‘La Datcha’
Image Credit: LaDatcha Expeditions Along the scenic, remote Inside Passage, wildlife encounters in Alaska are the norm, from wild mink, brown bears fishing for salmon, and harbor seals to pods of orcas and humpback whales. The 252-foot expedition yacht La Datcha offers flexible itineraries through these waters, focusing on the wildlife but also showing the best of the fjords, dramatic island bays, and remote areas that would be otherwise inaccessible except for an explorer vessel of this caliber. Its designated expedition room is filled with specialized gear for onshore and tender excursions. La Datcha‘s helideck and enclosed hanger also allow exceptional wildlife-viewing far above water levels. Best time: June-August. Cost without travel: Private charter from $940,000 per week.
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Botswana, Chobe River, ‘Zambezi Queen’
Image Credit: Mantis Collection, Getty Images Winding through Africa’s wilderness is the Chobe River, this tributary of the Zambezi gives a different perspective of life on the plains. Especially if you’re aboard the Mantis Collection’s 138-foot Zambezi Queen houseboat. If it isn’t impressive enough to see Africa’s wild creatures on land, this vessel lets you wake to leopards drinking and elephants bathing from one of the 14 suites’ private balconies. Tenders bring the action closer for water-based game viewing and, if you’re so inclined, the vessel offers angling for local gamefish. A birder’s paradise, this area of Botswana is home to over 450 bird species. After a day of wildlife spotting, the vessel offers gourmet African-themed dinners. Best time: June-October. Cost without travel: Luxury suite (per person, per night sharing) $932.
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Botswana, Chobe River, ‘Chobe Princess’
Image Credit: Mantis Collection, Getty Images Mantis also offers smaller vessels within its portfolio for a more intimate experience of the Chobe River. Moored on the Namibian side, Chobe Princess is part of a trio of similar houseboats available exclusively for families or private parties, with two offering four suites and five in the third. Cruising along the Chobe National Park, the floating safari provides ideal viewing of this game-dense area, with fishing, photographic safaris, birding, and cultural tours. The boat also has a plunge pool and beautiful views. Best time: June-October. Cost without travel: Luxury suite (per person, per night sharing) $716.
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Peru, Amazon, ‘Delfin I’
Image Credit: Getty Images, Delfin Cruises Aboard the 67-foot Delfin 1, eight guests gain exclusive access to the world’s largest protected flooded forest—Peru’s Pacaya Samiria National Reserve—accessible only by boat during the rainy season. Navigating through the watery wilderness, the basin’s showstopper is the mystical pink river dolphin found only in these waters. From the shaded observation deck or one of the four plush private-suite terraces, the land also reveals sloths, capybaras, and pygmy marmosets. Night-time safaris via tender reveal the jungle’s nocturnal transformation with black caimans, bats, frogs, and other nocturnal creatures lining the shores. Delfin Cruises partners with local guides to benefit Amazonian communities. Best time: November-May. Cost without travel: 5 days/4nights, Deluxe suite, $6,500.
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Rwanda, Lake Kivu, ‘Kivu Queen uBuranga’
Image Credit: Mantis Collection, Getty Images The Kivu Queen uBuranga has recently pioneered motorized yachting on Lake Kivu’s waters. The lake is a gateway to Rwanda’s kaleidoscopic biodiversity, though it won’t have the big game like northern Botswana. Besides the overarching sense of tranquility, exploring by boat considerably reduces travel times for gorilla trekking jaunts in the Volcanoes National Park or searching for chimpanzees in the Nyungwe Forest National Park. Going by boat is also much more pleasant than having to wander on dusty, remote backroads. Onboard, one can relax in one of the 10 cabins, kick back in the lounge, or unwind in the wellness center. Best time June-September: Cost without travel: Mantis-arranged travel: 2/3 night stays (per person/per night/sharing) from $1,500.
