Peregrine (houseboat)
Houseboat charter · Houseboat: based in Kariba town, cruises the Matusadona shore · Zambezi Drift
Budget
Outside the gate
Locally owned
The second of Zambezi Drift's original two houseboats, from a business that describes itself as proudly Zimbabwean and family owned. Peregrine sleeps sixteen in six cabins and bunks on the top deck, with four shared bathrooms and a splash pool.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Marketed as perfectly designed for family and friends
- A splash pool, Boma fire pit and Weber braai on board
- Owned and run by a Zimbabwean family business
- Six cabins plus top-deck bunks for extra guests
Cons
- Fans rather than air-conditioning in the cabins
- About $600 a night on average; confirm the current rate
- Four shared bathrooms rather than en-suite cabins
- No child policy found on the operator's site
What's here
- Swimming pool
- Bar
- Family rooms
- Solar or 24h power
- Self-catering
Read from Peregrine (houseboat)'s own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Matusadona National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryThe trust's conservation levy for an international adult.
- $30per person, per day
- VehicleForeign-registered car or 4x4, per day.
- $5per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $195 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
The ZimParks 2026 gazette gives $24 for an international adult, not $30. We use the trust's levy because that is what operators pass on in 2026. Confirm with reservations.matusadona@africanparks.org.
The full fee schedule for Matusadona National ParkRates at Peregrine (houseboat)
About $600 per boat per night. $600 per night average for the boat (VisitKariba listing, read 24 September 2026). Park fees are extra.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative rates read in September 2026 from each property's own website or rate sheet, and where noted from an agent or the VisitKariba directory. Watch the basis: lodges quote per person per night, houseboats per boat per night, and several Kariba town places per room or per unit. Park fees are extra almost everywhere, at $30 per international adult per day on the trust's levy, and houseboats add their own park and lake charges.
Questions about Peregrine (houseboat)
Is the Peregrine houseboat good for families?
Zambezi Drift markets it as perfectly designed for family and friends, with six cabins plus extra sleeping space on top-deck bunks for up to 16 guests. We found no published child policy, so confirm ages when you book.
What does the Peregrine houseboat have on board?
A fully equipped kitchen, a bar with an ice maker, a splash pool, a Boma fire pit and a Weber braai. Cabins use fans rather than air-conditioning, and there are four shared bathrooms rather than en-suite ones.
How much does the Peregrine houseboat cost?
About $600 a night on average for the boat, according to its VisitKariba listing, though you should confirm the current rate with Zambezi Drift directly. Park fees are charged separately on top of that figure.