I went on a safari cruise in East Africa, and it was an unexpected highlight of my 3-week trip

• On a three-week trip to East Africa, I mainly experienced safaris by vehicle.
• One afternoon in Uganda, I swapped the safari truck for a boat.
• It was an unexpected highlight of the trip and offered new perspectives on animals.

Within an hour in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, I witnessed a giraffe's treacherous water crossing. Minutes later, I was a few feet away from a male lion with a shaggy mane.

These were the moments I had dreamed of.

For years, these dreams were limited to a traditional safari. I pictured myself bumping along on dirt roads in an open-air vehicle, searching for zebras, elephants, and rhinos.

One of the most unexpected highlights of a three-week safari trip wasn't in a safari vehicle. It was on a boat.

I spent an afternoon in Uganda on a safari cruise

After a week in Tanzania, I headed to Uganda for a safari with the outfitter Volcanoes Safaris. The focus of the weeklong trip was gorilla trekking at Bwindi Lodge and chimpanzee trekking near Kibale Lodge.

Tucked into my itinerary was a cruise through the Kazinga Channel, a 20-mile-long channel that links Uganda's Lake Edward and Lake George.

It was a nice break from the safari vehicle. I was on week three of enjoying "African massages," a joke you'll hear from nearly every guide about how the bumpy rides mimic a vibrating massage chair.

For one afternoon, I got to float on the King Fisher, a Sun Tracker pontoon. The experience was booked through Volcanoes Safaris with Mweya Safari Lodge, where a private cruise for two people costs $210 per person. (Business Insider received complimentary admission to the cruise.)

After settling into comfy leather chairs, we left the dock and adventured out.

We cruised while spotting new animals in a new environment

Floating on the water offered a new perspective compared to driving through open plains and bushy areas.

If you're on a safari around the Serengeti National Park, you might be limited to staying on designated roads, waiting in traffic for an opportunity to view animals, and watching animals quickly disappear behind foliage.

That wasn't the case in the water. There was no traffic or waiting. We had the whole channel to explore. During the three-hour experience, I spotted one other safari cruise, and sure, animals could disappear beneath the water's surface, but they eventually had to pop back up.

Plus, seeing animals in a new habitat was thrilling. I watched an elephant bathing in shallow waters a few hundred feet away from a small fishing village. I watched baby hippos swim and hide from our enormous boat. There were crocodiles — a creature I hadn't seen yet — and unfamiliar reptiles and birds I had yet to spot.

A safari is more than just a drive

While a traditional game drive is a quintessential element of a safari vacation, the cruise was a refreshing reminder that it can involve more than just a vehicle.

During my three weeks, I traveled in the bush on foot, by boat, and by car. Each experience provided new perspectives, new animal sightings, and a new appreciation for these valuable ecosystems.