Africa reads differently from a boat. On the Chobe and the Zambezi, game comes down to drink in the late afternoon and a boat puts you closer than any vehicle can, at eye level and without engine noise. In the Okavango, a mokoro is poled through channels barely wider than the hull, which turns a game drive into something closer to birdwatching at walking pace. Water-based activities also suit travellers who find long drives tiring, and children who do not.