News from the Zambezi Queen

The Zambezi Queen (Chobe Botswana) and the Stanley & Livingstone Private Game Reserve (Victoria Falls Zimbabwe), both part of the exclusive Mantis Collection, not only featured in the January edition of leading lifestyle magazine House & Leisure, but also blew South Africa’s favourite celebrity, the inimitable Jeannie D, and Janez Vermeiren, away on the Top Travel Show.

The Zambezi Queen also held its own in the acclaimed DeKat Magazine where it was voted one of the three top properties to visit when travelling in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. The Zambezi Queen also features in the Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 2014 World's Best Awards survey.

In line with the Mantis philosophy of keeping our products updated and fresh, the Zambezi Queen received a mild facelift in time for the New Year’s festivities and she was looking radiant for the important guests we hosted!

Our big news however for 2014 of course is the re-launch of the Pride of Zambezi which is undergoing a significant refurbishment during the months of January/February. Although we are keeping the extent of the changes closely guarded until mid-February, we can entice you with a mock-up image of what will surely be the most contemporary, fresh and modern looking vessel on the Chobe.

During December we hosted cellar master for Graham Beck Wines, Pieter Ferreira, on-board for our wine appreciation weekend.

Guests for this special departure included former President Thabo Mbeki who combined his stay on-board with the Stanley & Livingstone Private Game Reserve in Victoria Falls, highlighting this perfect combo-stay! Celebrity rugby player Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira was also spotted here.

On an international platform our properties were universally well received at PURE Life Experiences that Kaila Roux attended in Marrakech. Kaila then joined Andre Barnard Jnr where they hosted social events in Barcelona, Milan and Amsterdam, attended by top operators selling Southern Africa. The two then stopped off in Paris to experience the city of lights between sales calls before Andre jetted off to Cannes for the ILTM.

Zambezi Queen receives World’s Best Boutique Cruise Award

During November 2013, Group Marketing Manager for Mantis Collection, Ignus le Roux collected the World’s Best Boutique Cruise award at the glamorous World Travel Awards ceremony held in Doha, Qatar for the Zambezi Queen. We are delighted to have received this for the second consecutive year!

Zambezi Queen’s guests get involved with local community

We get a real kick (no pun intended) when our guests get involved in the local community! Jenny Flournoy's children sponsored fantatstic soccer jerseys, shorts and socks recently, in honour of their parents' wedding anniversary, celebrated on-board the Zambezi Queen!

Zambezi Traveller Website:
Zambezi Queen

Zambezi Explorer Cruise Company appoints Keychain Hospitality

Zambezi Explorer Cruise Company has announced the appointment of the Keychain Hospitality to manage its operations in Victoria Falls. The new management arrangement will see Keychain Hospitality join the top class operational team on the ground to further enhance this amazing range of experiences for our guests.

The Zambezi Explorer Cruise Company is an operation based in Victoria Falls that specializes in offering the discerning traveller a luxury cruising experience on the Zambezi River above the mighty Victoria Falls.

The company has a fleet of four boats offering a variety of experiences and cruises. The flagship vessel is the luxurious Zambezi Explorer, which offers eco-friendly cruises, as facilities on board are entirely solar powered and include WiFi and wheelchair accessibility.

Voted as the top activity in Victoria Falls on Tripadvisor, the vessel boasts three decks with a total capacity of 150 guests. The signature deck offers a VIP cruise with gourmet hors d’oeuvres and premium beverages. The two lower decks provide guests with a five star cruise offering a wide range of snacks and drinks.

The Zambezi Explorer is available for breakfast, lunch, sunset and dinner cruises, as well as corporate conferences, weddings and specialized functions.

The Zambezi Reflections has recently been refurbished and redesigned to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner cruises, offering a fine dining experience whilst cruising the Zambezi River.

The Explorers’ Riverside is the most breathtaking riverbank venue the Victoria Falls has to offer. Our manicured lawns meet the river with over 110m of river frontage, creating a lovely ambiance with spectacular views. Our riverside is used as a venue for lunch, dinner, private events and weddings. Since the Zambezi Explorer picks up guests at the jetty along side our lawns, it is ideal for combining your riverside event with a cruise.

There are two other vessels, which are available for hire for private dinner cruises, corporate functions or group cruises.

Keychain Hospitality is very proud to add this prestigious operation to its portfolio, and intends to position the product as the premier experience of its type in this amazing location.

Zambezi Traveller Directory:
Zambezi Explorer

Bridging the Zambezi

The Dona Ana Bridge, Tete (Image credit: Gigi Giumbeau)

The latest issue of the Zambezi Traveller looks at the theme of Bridging the Zambezi through a series of linked articles focussing on the various transport crossings over the Zambezi.

When David Livingstone made the Zambezi River and the Victoria Falls known to the wider world through his explorations of the region, he envisaged the Zambezi as 'god's highway' - the route by which Christianity, Commerce and Civilization would reach the dark heart of Africa and banish the scourge of slavery. Whilst the Zambezi dashed his dreams - the Cahora Bassa rapids blocking navigation to the interior - it would be another man, Cecil Rhodes, who would build his own transport link from the southern Cape to the banks of the Zambezi. Whilst Rhodes's vision of a Cape to Cairo railway never materialised, the bridging of the Zambezi at the Victoria Falls remains one of the most significant events in the economic development of the region.

Read about the Bridging of the Zambezi here in this interesting series of articles:
Bridging the Zambezi
Bridge in the mist
The banana bridge
The dam that became a bridge
A tale of two bridges
The arteries of Tete
The bridge of high treason
Swinging high

Read more articles from this issue:
Zambezi Traveller (Issue 14, Sept 2013)

The perfect sunset cruise

Photos and text by Zambezi Traveller blogger Peter Roberts

Last week I had the pleasure of joining staff and passengers onboard the Zambezi River's newest boat, the impressive Zambezi Explorer. Launched with great fanfare on the river last month (All aboard the Zambezi Explorer), the boat had already made waves with its long journey, by road, from Harare to Victoria Falls. We profiled the boat in the Zambezi Traveller Issue 11 (March 2013) - Luxury cruise boat due in May.

The boat is, literally, impressive on several levels. First, it has three decks, the first triple tier boat on the Zimbabwe side of the river (Zambia already has two three tier boats). Secondly, its size - the Zambezi Explorer is the largest boat on the river, making me wonder when a boat becomes a ship. Then there is the experience of the cruise itself. From arrival at the riverside jetty site, to departure, every detail has been thought of to make this a cruise to remember. The boat even boasts wifi, with electricity generated from solar panels, and the engines are quieter and more fuel efficient than many smaller boats, making this one of the quiestest, smoothest, and most 'eco-friendly' cruises on the river. And did you catch that word luxury in the previous paragraph? This product changes the game for Zambezi River cruises in term of experience, with the highest standards of service and comfort, and providing all the ingredients for that perfect sunset cruise.

The height of the top signature deck has one immediate great advantage over other boats, giving the observer a different perspective on the river and its channels and islands. Photographers in particular will enjoy this higher vantage point, giving more depth to photographs. The space on board is also a bonus, giving the the freedom to move around easily looking for that perfect angle and light.

We'll let the photographs tell the rest of the story!

Zambezi Traveller Directory:
Zambezi Explorer

Photos and text by Zambezi Traveller blogger Peter Roberts