Top 6 Best Safari Lodges & Camps Near the Zambezi River

By Philip Briggs

Coursing along Zimbabwe’s northern border with Zambia, the Zambezi is the longest waterway in southern Africa, and one of the wildest and most atmospheric anywhere in the world. Highlights include the iconic Victoria Falls (the only African inclusion among the official Seven Wonders of the Natural World), the vast watery expanse of Lake Kariba, and several national parks inhabited by lions, elephants, hippos and other African wildlife.

Our Zimbabwe expert Philip Briggs recently spent several weeks revisiting the country, and here he reports back on some of the most alluring lodges and camps situated close to the mighty Zambezi.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

1. Mana River Camp, Mana Pools National Park

Mana River Camp

Mana River Camp is a semipermanent camp set in a tract of riverside forest on the elevated bank of the Zambezi as it flows through Mana Pools National Park. This peaceful African riverside setting is completed by a view toward a small forested island where hippos graze and waterbirds flit through the foliage. The spacious and comfortable tents come complete with en suite hot showers (fed by donkey boilers) and small private balconies offering serene river views framed by giant mahogany, fig and acacia trees.

When it comes to wildlife viewing, Mana River Camp has a particularly convenient location on a part of the floodplain known for attracting large concentrations of elephant and buffalo, and for regular sightings of lion and African wild dog. Guided walking safaris and canoe trips are on the activities menu.

Mana River Camp Tours

2. Ingwe Pan Camp, Mana Pools National Park

Ingwe Pan Camp

Ingwe Pan Camp falls under the same management as Mana River Camp, and the two complement each other perfectly when it comes to getting a balanced overview of Mana Pools National Park. Set in the impenetrable, low-canopied jesse-bush thicket typical of the park’s interior, Ingwe is constructed around a small natural pan that holds water all year through and is shaded by tall trees.

The birdlife is fantastic, and ranges from African pygmy goose and African jacana on the lily-covered water to weavers, babblers and starlings chattering in the trees. Other wildlife often comes to drink, particularly during the Dry season, when the leopards (ingwe) for which the camp is named are regular nighttime visitors.

Accommodation is in eight ecofriendly luxury standing tents set on stilted wooden platforms around the pan. The camp lies in a private concession, which guarantees that sightings in the immediate vicinity (a good place to look for the localized Sharpe’s grysbok and nyala antelope) never get crowded. And when things are quiet locally, you can always head out to the reliably rewarding Zambezi floodplain, only 30 minutes’ drive to the north.

Ingwe Pan Camp Tours

3. The Victoria Falls Hotel, Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls Hotel

It’s hard to believe today, but the grand old dame of Victoria Falls started life as a modest hostel for workers during the laying of the Cape-to-Cairo railway and construction of an associated bridge across the Zambezi Gorge. It became a hotel in 1904 and it has since blossomed into one of the most prestigious addresses anywhere in Africa.

It has a long association with the British royal family: among its very first guests, back in September 1904, were a daughter and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, while in 1947 it housed King George VI and the future Queen Elizabeth II. Today, the fine Edwardian architecture and grandiose interior are complemented by a broad terrace and mature landscaped gardens that run down to the edge of the Zambezi Gorge.

If your budget runs to it, The Victoria Falls Hotel is far and away the most attractive place to stay in the town with which it shares its name. And if your pockets aren’t so deep, it’s still worth finding time to enjoy a leisurely high tea on the terrace, soaking up the regal period character and views over the serene garden.

Victoria Falls Hotel Tours

4. Rhino Safari Camp, Matusadona National Park

Rhino Safari Camp

If bragging rights to the world’s largest waterfall weren’t enough, the Zambezi is also punctuated by the most voluminous lake ever made by humans. This is Kariba, which came into being in 1959 following the construction of a hydroelectric arch dam in the remote Kariba Gorge. Today Kariba is the setting for the underrated Matusadona National Park and delightful Rhino Safari Camp, which stands in a private concession overlooking a floodplain teeming with hippo, elephant, buffalo, antelope and other wildlife.

This unpretentious, old-school bush camp accommodates guests in stilted, open-sided wooden tree houses where all that separates you from the magical African night is a mosquito net. It is one of only two camps actually situated within the park, which means that you see very few other visitors on game drives, boat trips or guided walks. The camp is named after the black rhinos that were regularly encountered in the vicinity prior to being poached out in 2016, but the rest of the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant) is still present.

Rhino Safari Camp Tours

5. John’s Camp, Mana Pools National Park

John’s Camp

This classic old-style mobile camp lies on the banks of the lower Zambezi as it flows through Mana Pools National Park, which like Victoria Falls has been inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Aside from a tall viewing platform in a fig tree at the far end of camp, there are no permanent structures here. There are just six large en suite standing tents, complete with bucket showers and shaded balconies, spaced out along the shady riverbank.

Plenty of wildlife passes in front of the camp during the day, while evenings around the campfire offer stunning stargazing. Activities are scheduled around the interests of individual guests, but generally focus on the top-notch guided walking safaris for which Mana Pools is renowned.

John’s Camp Tours

6. Tsowa Safari Island, Zambezi National Park

Tsowa Safari Island

If you’re after a tranquil riverside retreat within easy day-tripping distance of Victoria Falls, look no farther than Tsowa Safari Island. Situated in the remote northwest of Zambezi National Park, this exclusive small lodge occupies a densely forested island alive with birdsong, chattering monkeys and grunting hippos.

Buffalo, elephant and a variety of antelope are frequently seen on sundowner cruises on the Zambezi, while game drives away from the river might provide exciting encounters with lion, giraffe, eland and sable antelope. Drives can also be extended to incorporate a visit to the wondrous Victoria Falls, which is by far the most scenic landmark anywhere on the Zambezi, indeed on any river in Africa.

Tsowa Safari Island Tours