The Lake Jozini Experience

Experience the first Houseboat in South Africa - the only one of its kind. Onboard Shayamanzi Houseboats, soak up the stunning scenery of the Lebombo Mountains and superb wildlife of the Pongola Game Reserve on the shores of Lake Jozini (also known as Pongolapoort Dam). Enjoy the calm serenity of the open Lake Jozini waters, the thrill of Tiger Fishing or the adventure of Mountain Biking in the heart of the Zululand bushveld! Shayamanzi is about taking time out to appreciate Africa's special wonders.

CRUISE IN STYLE

CRUISE IN STYLE

Unique African Experiences

Tiger Fishing

Lake Jozini is the only water in South Africa where you find the ferocious fighting Tiger Fish, an African game fish, which thrills you as it jumps out the water, throwing its head from side to side trying to get off your line.


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Game Viewing

Lake Jozini is surrounded by the Pongola Game Reserve and Pongola Nature Reserve, which provide spectacular game viewing from the water's edge. The Game Reserves are teaming with a large variety of wildlife.


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Celebrations

There is no better way to celebrate your special occasion than cruising Lake Jozini, surrounded by your friends and family. Shayamanzi Speciality cakes are available on request, made with love and care by our onboard chefs.


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Corporates

Shayamanzi Houseboats make for a unique executive conference venue cruising Lake Jozini. All relevant conference requirements can be arranged and there is cell phone signal everywhere ensuring access to the office at all times.


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  • We have just returned from a fantastic break. What an experience. Where to start – FOOD!! Fantastic! Crew – top class Alan as the skipper had a great crew. Pampered us like royalty! The boats amenities were great, HOT water in the showers that you could have cooked with. Did I mention the food? The best moments was sharing Bafana Bafana’s win with the crew last night. Only complaint that I have (and it’s our fault) – the cruise was way too short and I still have catch a Tiger Fish! Did I mention the food?

    Edward Jeffrey Martens
  • What an awesome getaway. We were pampered from the time we boarded the houseboat. Alan and his crew made sure that everything ran smoothly. The food was to die for. Cabins were clean and they were on hands to serve and make us feel relaxed and comfortable. I would definitely recommend this trip. A big thanks to Elsabe for organizing and to Alan and his crew for spoiling us.

    Belinda Martens
  • Awesome get away. A must for the bucket list. Staff are very friendly and accommodating. Food is delicious. Lots of game viewing and tiger fishing. our trip was just absolutely amazing. Definitely going to come back.

    Marcelle Rootman
  • OMG, 11’s would be my rating though perfect 10’s in every category for me. Even though I never got to catch a tigerfish, the elephants at play next to us, rhinos chilling on the bank, hippos in the water, cries from the African fish eagle and a soft drizzle rolling in over the Lebombo mountains was all just to overwhelming. Ironically, our captains name was Siya, and as our great captain Siya he was just as friendly, informative and up to speed with all our surroundings as was his crew. Bottom line, I loved every second of our weekend with very minimal sleep not to miss any part of our exciting adventure. A must, make the call, thank me after.

    Santos Kahn
  • Who needs to leave SA when we have the ultimate Luxury House Boat experience on our doorstep. From incredible service, mouth watering meals, fantastic game & bird viewing and to top it all tiger fishing at it’s best. We will be back!

    Mandy Lynn Rootman
  • This is a FANATASTIC way to spend a long weekend away! The sights, sounds and smells will have you captivated in an African setting that is exceptional! I will be back again soon!

    Maraschino Rhodes
  • We loved the houseboat. The service is excellent, the food is great, the rooms are comfortable, game viewing from the water is priceless and the fishing experience is awesome. I highly recommend it and will definitely do it again. The price is worth every cent.

    Kundai Chibarabada
  • Great experience, staff were fantastic, super friendly and efficient. We felt totally relaxed and spoilt the entire 3 days. Enjoyed the game viewing and the highlight of course was the tiger fishing.

    Michele Cloete
  • Experience of a life time, the trip was super relaxing, the staff friendly and very helpful. I would recommend it to everyone I know and prefer it when thinking of my next holiday breakaway. I actually lost my wallet with R890 inside and it was found with all the cash inside, this speaks volumes of how honorable the staff are. Special thanks to Kim and Roger and Sia. Thanks Shayamanzi

    Adriaan Buitendag
  • An experience I will treasure forever! Thank you Siya, Senzo and Chef Mike, you were beyond amazing! We will never forget you! Thank you Angie and Angela, your service, friendliness and professionalism was great! The cabins were clean and beautiful, the food delicious, the wildlife and the entire trip was unforgettable. Siyabonga!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

    Natasha Ludeke Mostert
  • We had an absolutely incredible trip on Shayamanzi 2 last week! I didn’t know what to expect and was absolutely blown away by the experience and must shout out the incredible crew lead by Alan. The food was also amazing… how the chefs prepare such delicious food in such a tiny kitchen!? Highly highly recommend!

    Kara Timperley
  • It’s awesome, peaceful, fantastic, good food, stunning views, its a must.

    Richard Nowitz
  • Personal service and great atmosphere. Switch off to the outside world while on this luxury houseboat enjoying nature while sipping on a gin & tonic.

    Loret Theunissen De Musso
  • Loved it, Great animals, awesome food and sooo relaxing! Thanks so much guys.

    John & Kay Dunlop- Cairns, Austrailia
  • 2 Rad for Mom & Dad! Was great.. Thank you Shayamanzi. And to the tiger that got away – I will be back!

    Charles, 29/12/2012
  • Lovely two days, pity too short. Great break excellent food & company, compliments to the crew for great service & hospitality.

    Estelle, Rees and Leon Reddinghuys, Potchefstroom
  • The service was excellent and the food was great, most relaxing time we have had in a while. Thanks guys

    Franz & Marie Prinsloo, Capetown
  • Best holiday EVER. Thank you for an amazing time we loved our two nights on the boat, wish we could stay longer. We will be back for sure.

    Wez, Levi & Carmen Blumrick
  • Absolute spoil of note! Thank you fantastic food and service. Missed the big “owe” but will be back again some day. Plenty Tigers.

    Peter and Cindy Gauge
  • Great and relaxing, fantastic food and 100% perfect service. Some good fihsing too! Thanks for an awesome time.

    Peter, Aubrey, Jason & Daniel
  • Had a fantastic weekend! the food and the service was excellent as usual.

    The Bell Production Team
  • Thank you for all the wonderful food and fishing we had a great 3 days, and will be back soon!

    Christopher Beach, AKA Storyteller
  • Captain & Crew: Thank you very much for a wonderful experience, Birthday Cake and all! Next time we hope for some “tigers”. Excellent service.

    De Villiers & Dreyers, Ermelo
  • I can certainly recommend the Shayamanzi Houseboat as a pretty unique and enjoyable offsite experience. I specifically selected the houseboat as it promised and certainly did enable a small but senior management team to combine some long business sessions with some light hearted fun. Having everybody on board the boat was especially useful as it forced constant contact of senior management team who were being merged from competing businesses which served as a catalyst to constructive debate. The conferencing facilities were informal but more than adequate for our purposes and the food and staff were excellent. A huge thank you to Kim for her arrangements and hospitality.

    Ian van Schoor, Liberty and Stanlib
  • The cruise on the Shayamanzi II was fabulous. Bramson and his crew are excellent hosts. It was such a relaxing afternoon, evening and morning on the boat, especially after the hectic schedule of Indaba. The meals were delicious, and I must say, the tiger fishing was a highlight for me. This was my first time to Kwa Zulu Natal and I was impressed. Previous to Indaba and the post-tour, I had not heard or seen much about the area. I feel in combination with a safari, the area has much to offer, especially variety. Highlighting the wildlife visible on the lake would also be good. I will certainly recommend Shayamanzi to my clients. Wilde Journeys is a brand new company, so getting established is going to take some time. But, I’ll love every moment of promoting South Africa.

    Denise Nieman – Wilde Journeys , Lindale
  • Our stay at the Shayamanzi Houseboat this May was a unique experience, which was, among other things, due to the friendliness and professionalism of the staff, who was going that extra mile to pamper us. We saw some amazing wildlife.. The suite I stayed in was absolutely beautiful, giving me lots of cozy space and light. The food was excellent. There was plenty of entertainment, e.g. whirlpool, TV & karaoke facilities and books/magazines. In short, it was wonderful. I would like to thank you very much for this absolutely lovely and recommendable experience.

    Sabine Franzke, South African Embassy – Berlin
  • Thank you for a fantastic 3 nights stay on our first trip to South Africa & our first fishing trip. We had a blast, and caught a whooping 13 fish!! See you next time.

    Jim & Hele McPhee, Gold Coast Australia