Phillippa (houseboat)
Dry-boat houseboat charter · Houseboat: based in Kariba town, cruises the Matusadona shore · Kariba Houseboat Cruises
A drawing, because nobody has sent us a photograph of Phillippa (houseboat) yet. Send five and this page changes the same week.
Budget
Outside the gate
Owner not confirmed
A four-cabin dry-boat houseboat with a splash pool, booked through the same contact as Osprey. At $350 a night for the boat it is the lowest published houseboat price we found. No website of its own and no owner stated.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The lowest published houseboat rate we found, $350 a night
- A splash pool on board
- Same reliable booking office as Osprey
Cons
- Dry-boat hire: bring your own food and drinks
- No website of its own
- Park fees are extra
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 Phillippa (houseboat)
$350 per boat per night. $350 per night dry 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 Phillippa (houseboat)
How much does Phillippa cost?
$350 a night for the boat, the lowest published houseboat rate we found on this shore. It is a dry-boat charter, so you bring your own food and drinks, and park fees are extra on top.
What does the Phillippa houseboat have on board?
Four cabins and a splash pool, booked through Kariba Houseboat Cruises, the same office that handles Osprey, by email at karibahouseboatcruises@gmail.com. No website of its own exists, so confirm everything about your charter in writing before you pay.
Is the Phillippa houseboat good for families?
The houseboat has no website, so we found no child policy; ask when you book. At $350 a night it is the cheapest houseboat rate we found, with four cabins and a splash pool, which can suit a budget-minded family group.