Boat Cruise

A boat cruise offers a completely different perspective on the safari, one taken at water level, where the wildlife comes to you. Rather than tracking animals across the plains, you drift quietly along a river or lakeshore while hippos surface metres from the boat, crocodiles bask on the banks, elephants come down to drink and kingfishers dart between the reeds.

The Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park is perhaps the most famous, a natural waterway linking Lake Edward and Lake George, lined with one of the highest concentrations of hippo in the world alongside buffalo herds and extraordinary birdlife. In Murchison Falls, the cruise up the Victoria Nile to the base of the falls is a highlight of any Uganda itinerary, ending beneath the thunder of the Nile forcing itself through a seven-metre gorge, with a separate downstream cruise to the delta offering the best chance of spotting a shoebill.

Elsewhere, Lake Ihema in Akagera delivers hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds against rolling savannah, the Rufiji River in Nyerere is one of the few places in Tanzania offering boat safaris, and Lake Mburo, Lake Kivu, Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Victoria all offer gentler, scenic cruises.

Cruises typically last two to three hours and are usually offered in the morning or, best of all, in the late afternoon, when the light turns golden and animals gather at the water's edge. Boats range from large shared launches to small private vessels, and the pace is relaxed and easy, ideal for travellers who want wildlife without the bumpy roads.