I recently spent some time in Victoria Falls on the Zambian side and here’s my review of the deluxe country lodges upstream of Victoria Falls.

Why would you stay here instead of closer to the Falls?

• All of the lodges reviewed have magnificent locations on the Zambezi River a few kilometers upstream from the Victoria Falls
• Here you can enjoy the sights and sounds of Victoria Falls and the Zambezi in a peaceful and tranquil setting away from the madding crowds.
• The Zambezi National Park is just across the river, and elephants and hippo can often be seen (and heard) on the riverbank.
• By mid-Sept, the Victoria Falls are starting to look less impressive, especially from the Zambian side. By staying at one of these lodges, with their serene river settings, your focus is not only the Falls but also appreciating the majesty of the Zambezi river.

All the lodges include all meals and a number of activities in their rates. Typically these include guided tours to the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls as well as sundowner boat cruises and guided canoeing on the Zambezi, fishing trips, bird walks, village visits and visits to the town of Livingstone with its craft market. I recommend the canoeing as a relaxed afternoon activity to soak up the atmosphere of the Zambezi river. These lodges support a number of local villages and so visits to local villages and schools are also very popular with guests.

The lodges can book various other tours run by separate companies. These would be at an  additional cost. Activities such as white water rafting, helicopter flights, microlite flights are some of the activities available.

Another recommended add-on is a visit to the amazing Livingstone Island which lies right at the edge of the Falls. You can have lunch or tea on the island and dive into its rock pool just two metres from the very edge of the Falls.

River Club
The River Club is the most upmarket lodge in Victoria Falls and is highly recommended, though a little on the expensive side. Its style is completely different from Tongabezi Lodge (see below) and each lodge would suit different people.

River Club has a distinct Edwardian/colonial flavour, with many pictures of the original homestead and a soft colonial décor. Ten luxurious thatched chalets overlook the Zambezi River and have en-suite facilities including a romantic bath with a view of the river and shower. The rooms are all completely open in the front giving you the best views of the Zambezi (but concertina shutters are being added so you can close the room at night if you prefer). They have full electricity with ceiling fans to enhance the cooling river breezes. River Club has a gorgeous swimming pool overlooking the Zambezi and the homestead with its dining room, lounge and covered veranda is furnished in a relaxed colonial style.

Sindabezi Island
Sindabezi Island was a particular favourite of mine. Imagine staying on a private island in the middle of the Zambezi river accessible only by boat from its sister lodge, Tongabezi Lodge. Sindabezi was recently voted one of UK Tatler magazine’s 101 Hot Places to Stay. It’s an enchanting location – very private and tranquil with lots of birdlife, grunting hippos and elephant activity to keep you company. There’s no electricity so your open chalet is lit by hurricane lanterns at night. I loved my romantic open-fronted chalet with nothing between my bed and the river except a wooden deck. ¼br /> Sindabezi sleeps only ten people and is rustic in style with wood fires and hot bucket showers on demand (only 5 or 10 minutes wait). The chalets have large rustic four poster beds swathed in mosquito netting and each has a separate toilet and an outdoor shower. In the morning you are woken by magnificent sunrises over the flood plains of the Zambezi river.
Your stay at Sindabezi Island Camp begins with either a short boat ride (20 mins) or a guided canoe trip from Tongabezi Lodge down the Zambezi river to the island. The chances of spotting game from Sindabezi are very good as it lies just across the water from Zimbabwe’s second largest national park. Elephant and hippo are often to be seen grazing on the nearby river banks. Sindabezi’s guides use their expert knowledge on the many inclusive activities including bird watching; fishing; game viewing; canoeing; boating; island lunches and picnics as well as guided tours to Victoria Falls.
One of the great aspects of Sindabezi Island is that you can take the whole lodge for exclusive use so it’s ideal for families or a small party looking for complete privacy and is particularly good value. I would also recommend combining one of two nights at Tongabezi or River Club with one or two nights here as the experience is completely different.

Despite my enthusiasm, Sindabezi would not suite everyone. Given the open nature of the chalets, it may not suit you if you’re a little nervous or concerned about the small creatures of the African bush (bugs). As there is no electricity or swimming pool, I don’t recommend it for the summer months (no fans) though your chalet would have cooling breezes at night.

Tongabezi

Tongabezi Lodge is completely different in style from the River Club. It is wilder, less manicured and more African in feel with open expansive views of the river. You choose between one of the four ‘Houses’ or the six cottages. The romantic Houses are furnished with local materials. Dominating each house is the huge, king-size bed. As with the other lodges, each House is completely open to the front affording superb river views and sounds. I’m sure that Tongabezi has more than its fair share of honeymoon couples and your private balcony overlooking the river is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner under the stars. Honeymoon House was the first but it has now been joined by the equally romantic and unique Bird House, Tree House and somewhat unfortunately named Dog House. The bathrooms each have huge open-air sunken baths … very indulgent. If you prefer have a room which is enclosed at night, then you can opt for one of the River Cottages (less expensive). There’s a sixth Garden cottage which has a second bedroom annexe and therefore doubles as a Family suite sleeping four. There is full power in all the rooms.

The central public areas are decorated in earthy African style and include an open-air bar, sitting area and dining area. However dining is usually outside on one of the river decks. The swimming pool is landscaped into a rock face and there are two grass tennis courts and a croquet lawn. There’s also a private Tsala for massages, and honeymooners and other romantics can opt for a private candlelit dinner on a sanpan floating on the Zambezi River under the stars.

Chuma House
Chuma House was named after David Livingstone’s faithful friend and is an exclusive two bedroom villa. Guests have their own private chef to cook all meals, a butler service and a private guide, vehicle and boat for all their activities. There are two en suite bedrooms - one double room with a bath and outdoor shower and one twin room with a bath and in-door shower. The spacious lounge and dining room area,  outdoor verandah, deck area and private swimming pool all have lovely views of the Zambezi River.

Islands of Siankaba
If you don’t mind being further away from the Victoria Falls, then I would also recommend the Islands of Siankaba, a romantic forest retreat built on two pristine islands in the Zambezi River 47 km upstream from the falls and 30 km from the Chobe National Park. On the smaller island, nine luxurious en suite teak and canvas guest chalets nestle in the tree canopy, overlooking the river, and come complete with ball and claw baths. Mokoro trails, nature trails and village walks are complimentary activities, while the full gamut of options at Victoria Falls can easily be arranged.

Islands of Siankaba is well priced compared to the other lodges discussed above and if you choose to stay here, we would book a visit to the Victoria Falls with your transfer so that you see the Falls before going to your lodge. As it is further away from the Falls, this means it is closer to the Botswanan border and Chobe National Park so its well worth considering if you are heading into Botswana afterwards as your transfer times will be much shorter.

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My recent blogs have been on my visit to Zambia and today I am focusing on walking safaris in the South Luangwa National Park which is one of Africa’s premier wildlife sanctuaries. The brooding Luangwa River meanders through the luxuriant valley, supporting thousands of hippo and crocodile and sustaining the park. South Luangwa has one of the greatest game concentrations in Africa. Elephant, a wide variety of antelope, buffalo, kudu, zebra, Thornycroft’s giraffe and wildebeest occur in great numbers, as well as over 400 bird species. Lion, wild dog and hyena are also common and the park is famed for its excellent leopard sightings.

Walking Safaris were pioneered in Luangwa and it is still one of the finest places for game walking in Africa. Expert guides lead you through the bush, giving you the opportunity to observe the game at close quarters and gain fascinating insights into the ways of the wild. 

Several bush camps offer walking safaris. I stayed at some in the southern part of the Park. Ideally you split your time between two or three of these camps to enjoy the different terrain and then you walk from one camp to another (with your bags being taken by vehicle so that it is waiting for you on arrival.)

I stayed at Bilimungwe Bushcamp.

Bilimungwe is an intimate little camp with just four chalets. It is very shaded (so well recommended if your safari is in September or October) as the camp lies under a magnificent Mahogany trees on the edge of a small plain. The camp has a very pleasant and unpretentious ambience – the four reed and thatch chalets are comfortable and well-appointed with two double beds and en-suite shower, toilet and double vanities. The rustic dining area and fully stocked bar are constructed on a raised deck with views of Bilimungwe’s permanent water hole which attracts abundant game. Manda, the resident guide at ‘Billies’, recently won first prize at the prestigious Safari Guide of the Year awards in London, just to give you a sense of his well-ranging knowledge. Bilimungwe offers both walking safaris and night drives by game vehicle. The waterhole also offers the possibility of bird-watching and wildlife viewing from your raised deck. Bilimungwe is one of the furthest camps from the airport so we recommend that you perhaps stay here last (as the return transfer never seems to take as long as the arrival transfer!)

I also visited Chindeni camp, which is 7km away from Bilimungwe. It has a picturesque setting on the edge of a permanent lagoon with the Nchindeni Hills as a magnificent backdrop.  Chindeni’s four en-suite luxury tents have raised decks from which you can view the resident game or simply enjoy the serenity of the lagoon.  Each tent has two queen-sized beds, shower, toilet, double vanities and polished floors. This camp has one resident guide and also focuses on walking safaris with night drives by game vehicle. The permanent lagoon also offers the possibility of bird-watching and wildlife viewing from your raised deck. Given the tented accommodation I would not recommend staying at this camp as the season progresses into October as the tents get very hot and also the lagoon in front of Chindeni shrinks in size as the dry season progresses until it dries up completely by mid October.

Next I visited Chamilandu camp which is one of the most popular camps. This is probably because of its stunning setting in one of the Luangwa Valley’s prime river locations. It’s a small camp - three treehouse chalets (2-metre high) are very open and airy. They are simply but stylishly decorated with wrought iron four poster beds with mosquito nets and open air bathrooms with shower, vanity and toilet. Each of these reed and thatch chalets has a bird’s eye view over the waters of the Luangwa River and Nchindeni Hills beyond.  A series of seven ox-box lagoons nearby yields a particularly high diversity of species and attracts abundant wildlife. As with the other bush camps there is one resident guide and the camp offers both walking safaris and night drives by game vehicle. Chamilandu is closer to the airport with a transfer time of approx 1½ to 2 hours. Given their airy nature, the treehouses could be a little cold at night during the middle of the winter (if you are someone who feels the cold) but the cooling breezes would be welcome as the temperatures rise towards late September and October.

Tips
The bush camps vary in price and one of the reasons is the number of guides. If a camp has two or more guides, then you can choose to enjoy a walking safari or a game drive. If your small bush camp has one guide only, this offers a very intimate exclusive experience but you will be expected to participate in both game walks and game drives. To put it bluntly, if everyone else in the camp has come to enjoy a walking safari, and you don’t want to walk, then this puts a strain on the safari atmosphere and the camps ability to satisfy all their client’s expectations.

If you are not sure that you want to go on a walking safari, either opt to stay at one of the central lodges, such as Nkwali, which focus more on game drives, or better still, spend a little more and stay at a bush camp which offers the choice of walks or game drives, such as Tena Tena or Nsefu. 

Consider combining a walking safari at a bushcamp with one of the central lodges. These lodges focus more on game drives and though larger, offer more creature comforts such as swimming pools. Many visitors spend a couple of nights spinning off a few rolls of film here, where animals are relaxed and used to vehicles, then head into the wilderness.

Best Time to Go
As you will have gleaned, the South Luangwa gets very hot as the dry season continues. I would say that October would be too hot for most people for a walking safari. The ideal time for walking is probably late July to mid September. In July it will be cool in the mornings but you’ll be able to walk in comfort for hours if you wish. By mid September, it will be warm as you leave the camp early and you will typically be quite hot by the time you finish your walk at 10.30 or 11am.

For More information on Zambia, visit our main website at: http://cedarberg-travel.com

Ginny, from our UK office, and I recently visited a number of the camps in and adjacent to the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia and I recommend that this game reserve should be included in any Zambian safari.

The Lower Zambezi National Park, as the name would suggest, lies on the northern banks of the magnificent Zambezi river, a few hundred kilometers from Victoria Falls. The remote Lower Zambezi National Park is an exceptional beautiful park with the river on one side and a mountainous escarpment on the other. It is a rich and beautiful water sanctuary for wildlife - great herds of elephant, buffalo and impala, and small groups of warthog, zebra and baboon are drawn to the river and this in turn attracts lion and hyena. Behind the river’s floodplain grasslands rises the picturesque wooded escarpment. This effectively acts as a barrier for animal movements and ensures good game viewing in the valley.

One of the particularly appealing aspects of the Lower Zambezi National Park is the variety of ways that guests enjoy game-viewing: on foot, in open vehicles and, most characteristically, by canoe, enabling you to glide silently among animals quenching their thirst.

Due to the heavy summer rains which make the game reserve impassable for even 4×4 safari vehicles, most of the camps open between April and May and close at the end of October to mid November. Some camps stay open longer, and this trend will continue now that Jeki airstrip has an all-weather surface, but you should be aware that activities would be restricted to the river with boat cruises, tiger fishing and canoeing on offer.

An ideal time to visit would be between late July and early September. As you continue into late September and October the temperatures rise. As the water levels in the side channels drop, the hippos become slightly more stressed and therefore canoeing is not recommended for those of nervous disposition.

There are only a few camps in this park which means that you should book early. Each has their special charms.
Sausage Tree
Sausage Tree Camp lies on the banks of the Zambezi River within the National Park and is probably one of the most romantic camps. The main lodge is under canvas with a seating area overlooking the river. To the side is a pleasant swimming pool and sun loungers for relaxing during the day. The camp has no boundaries and the animals are free to wander straight through and around the camp making the comfort of your tent the ideal game-viewing spot. Accommodation is in six spacious Bedouin-style tents dotted along the riverbank. The tents are well-spaced ensuring privacy. (You need to allow 5 minutes to walk from the furthest tent to the ‘mess tent’.) They’re decorated in a minimalist style with solid Zambian teak furniture and four-poster beds, each serviced by its own Muchinda (private butler). Each tent has a charming open-air en suite bathroom with shower. The honeymoon tent has a double four poster bed and an outdoor bath as well as shower.

One of the key selling points about Sausage Tree and Chiawa (see later) is that activities are extremely flexible. With a range of guides, vehicles and boats available, you can choose between game drives, day or night game drives, walks, boat cruises, canoeing and fishing for the infamous tiger fish on a catch and release basis. You can even combine activities - for example, enjoying a sundowner boat cruise in the late afternoon followed by an early evening game drive. Good food is also an important part of your stay at Sausage Tree, with delicious lunches in a variety of settings, courtesy of Honore, their Congolese French-trained chef. Highly recommended (but pricey).

Chiawa
Chiawa Camp also lies on the river banks within the Lower Zambezi National Park under the shade of ancient mahogany trees. Eight spacious, shaded safari tents are elevated on timber decks, each with twin beds with en suite facilities, insect screens, mosquito nets and solar-powered lighting. The superior tents are more romantic and stylish : particularly spacious with a king sized bed, pure cotton linen, Molton Brown products, indoor and outdoor shower, double basins and ball and claw baths with glorious views.  The thatched lounge & bar area, with observation deck, and dining room overlooks the river. Chiawa Camp also has a viewing hide, overlooking the confluence of the Zambezi & Chowe Rivers, affording excellent, peaceful viewing of birds and the large mammals as they come down to the river to drink.

As at Sausage Tree, they can be extremely flexible with activities given their range of vehicles, guides and boats available. Activities at this owner-run camp include day and night drives in open 4×4 vehicles, game-viewing by pontoon boat, nature walks with professional armed rangers, tiger fishing, sunset boat cruises and, the highlight, canoeing to view game at close quarters, particularly elephant.

Note: Currently there is also a honeymoon tent but that is being converted into another Superior Tent in time for the 2007 season.

Old Mondoro
Old Mondoro Bush Camp lies on the banks of the Zambezi some 25 to 30km downstream of Chiawa Camp and Sausage Tree Camp (its joint owners). Although boating and canoeing are also available, Old Mondoro concentrates on the exceptional walking opportunities in this pretty part of the National Park. This is ideal walking country with vast open flood plains and groves of Mahogany trees, and bird-rich lagoons and laced with an extensive lagoon system. This area is excellent for leopard, wild dog and serval, as well as for zebra and kudu. It doesn’t have as many elephant or buffalo as further upstream but the other species makes up for it. Of course lion & hyena are also seen regularly, with occasional roan and eland sightings! Old Mondoro Bush Camp reflects the wild spirit of this unique part of Africa and is an unashamedly rustic camp. You’ll enjoy the very different ‘back to the bush’ atmosphere of Old Mondoro compared to the more sophisticated Sausage Tree or Chiawa.

Accommodation is in four reed chalets with canvas roofs and partially open sides. These are  left open during the day and blinds are lowered for privacy and security at night. Each chalet is built around an ancient winterthorn tree and lit by paraffin lanterns (no electricity). En suite bathrooms have flush loos, wash basins and showers with running cold water only. Hot water is delivered on request to old-fashioned canvas buckets.

Chongwe River Camp
Chongwe River Camp is situated on the confluence of the Chongwe and Zambezi Rivers, on the edge of the Lower Zambezi National Park. (The Chongwe River is the boundary of the Lower Zambezi National Park) so there is a short river crossing to get to the National Park This friendly unassuming camp is attractively situated on the banks of the two rivers with views to the escarpment in the north.  It lies under a canopy of Albida thorn trees. Eight tented chalets under thatch are large and comfortably appointed with spacious en suite open air bathrooms. All the bathroom fittings are made from natural materials found near the lodge. There’s a small bar and simple lounge with reading books and tea/coffee facilities available. All meals take place on the terrace overlooking the river. Activities at the camp include game drives, bush walks, sundowner boat cruises and fishing.

Chongwe House
I’ve written elsewhere about the Safari Houses of Zambia, of which Chongwe House is a prime example so I won’t go into huge detail here. But the essential point is that the luxurious Chongwe House, with four en suite bedrooms, would be the perfect base for a large family party, two families traveling together or a group of friends. This is as luxurious as it gets in Zambia and Chongwe House is full of funky design and relaxed luxury.

It is completely self contained with its own private staff (hostess, guide, chef and batman), allowing you complete exclusivity and flexibility. Guests are free to, not only design their own meal menus, but also their game-viewing rhythm. You walk into a double volume sitting and dining area which opens out onto a large deck with a curvy swimming pool for relaxation.  Two bedrooms are on the ground floor and two are upstairs. Every bedroom is individually decorated with its own en suite open flowing bathroom, semi-outdoor bath and four poster beds. Game viewing takes place on foot, by boat, by canoe or on night drives. As there is a guide and a boatmen, the house party can sometimes split to enjoy different activities with some people heading off on a game drive whilst others enjoy some relaxing tiger fishing.

Kasaka River Lodge
Further upstream lies Kasaka River Lodge, one of the most reasonably priced lodges in the Lower Zambezi. It is divided into two parts. The wilder side has several very comfortable tented rooms, including a delightful honeymoon tent complete with four poster bed and outdoor bath. The other side has a swimming pool and lawn and here are some more tented rooms and some spacious two bedroom family chalets which can sleep up to six.

In the family chalets, each bedroom has a spacious en suite bathroom and there;s a small sitting area with two extra beds. Outside there’s a large teak deck for relaxing during the day. Each family chalet has its own guide and vehicle so that it is ideal for family safaris.

Kasaka River Lodge  is about 20 to 30 mins by vehicle to the National Park for game drives, but its river setting means that it has equal access to the river for boat cruises and tiger fishing. Given its location, its focus is more on the river than on game-viewing by vehicle.

For more information on Zambia visit our main website at: http://cedarberg-travel.com/

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