7-Day Victoria Falls & Hwange Safari - Standard - NETT

Batonka Guest Lodge is a hybrid of a boutique hotel and owner-run guesthouse on the outskirts of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side. In a quiet spot with immaculate gardens, you're close enough to explore the falls.

The Batonka has 27 rooms arranged around a swimming pool and an immaculate garden; a large living area houses the reception, curio shop, dining room, lounge, bar and huge shaded verandah.

Decor is simple and stylish with a nod to the elegance of colonial times and a full-on yodel to the sophistication of modern times. Mozzy-netted four-poster beds dominate the large rooms and the en suite bathrooms are enormous - all have extra-big shower units, some also have bathtubs. Tiled floors, ceiling fans and air conditioning take care of the temperatures and the water is solar-heated. A large flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi tick the downtime box as does the small balcony overlooking the garden.

Claire and Rowan and their delightful team make the difference between a well-priced, well-appointed guesthouse and the highlight accommodation of your holiday. Batonka quickly made its mark, which is hardly surprising given their pedigree. We have every confidence these high standards will be maintained.

So in Batonka Guest Lodge you’ve got a well-priced, comfortable and friendly place to stay. What more could you want? How about one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World a pleasant half hour walk away?

Victoria Falls is one of those experiences that never gets old. Through a dense rainforest of its own making you hear the roar long before arriving at the sheer cliff opposite the thundering cascade. The power and scale of the world’s largest waterfalls are at once exhilarating and just that little bit terrifying. And of course, in addition to spending a day exploring the waterfalls from all angles, there is a silly amount of additional activities to choose from. Your hosts will book all your activities for you and even lay on a shuttle for the purpose, the only difficulty will be in choosing what to do.

Hwange Bush Camp is a small tented camp found in a quiet and largely untouched northern region of the Hwange National Park. You pretty much have the area and the abundance of wildlife all to yourself.

It’s a rustic tented camp, comprising of only seven canvas abodes that look out onto the pristine bush and immerse you right into the wilderness. It’s all about the exceptional game viewing and a real African safari experience on guided game drives and bush walks.

The camp itself is nothing spectacular, especially if you were thinking luxury, but that’s not what staying here is all about. It’s really about the wildlife and animal encounters and your tent is but a place to rest your head after a busy day in the bush. Now that’s not saying it’s rudimentary, it’s actually rather decent and covers all the necessities done in a tasteful and comfortable manner. You have flushing toilets, a bush shower with hot water and solar power. A snug bed, clean linens and a spot to put your feet up both inside and out.

The main area offers a lounge, dining area, bar and campfire. All the essentials are catered for, the food is delicious cooked over a wood fire and the setting is everything you would expect of a remote area of Zimbabwe’s largest National Park. It’s quiet and the safari experience is both exclusive and authentic.

You’ll sign indemnity on arrival so if telling you this is the real deal is not enough, that should be. No children under the age of 12 are allowed on walking safaris. This is a big game destination and you’re in for a true African safari for sure. There’s no mobile connectivity or WiFi here, just connecting with nature and getting lost in your surrounds.

Sounds pretty good. Let’s go, but before we do though, best take cash along, there are no credit card facilities here. We told you it’s remote. This is a bush camp at its best. If you’d like to push the limits even further, they also offer fly camping – a multiple night camp out experience in a dome tent combined with a walking safari between mobile camps.  

Somalisa Expeditions is a classic safari camp of old world charm. The essence of a mobile camp with all the additional comforts of a luxurious permanent lodge. In the heart of the Hwange National Park. In a private concession. A real safari adventure that immerses you in the bush and gets you up close with wildlife. Elephants are everywhere.

A sincere Serengeti-style tented camp with a vintage feel. The camp is spectacular, the people even more so and the wildlife continues to raise the bar. There’s more than just something special about this place. It’s everything that makes it what it is.

The way it’s designed to allow you to truly explore the bush. The elephants that come to quench their thirst daily at ‘elephant’s pool’. The service-minded staff and the finer details that make this camp authentic without compromising on comfort. You’ll be left in awe. It’s both humble and proud.

Wood, canvas with touches of copper and gold are a reminder of a bygone era. Perfectly transformed to the modern world without losing the essence of a classic safari camp. You’re in the African bush here and it’s incredible. From your private deck look out onto the dry grass and acacia savannah. You’re likely to spot the elephants and lions have been known to come close too.

This camp is for the wildlife enthusiast. The adventurer who wants it as real as it gets and real it is out here. It’s all about the raw Zimbabwean wilderness along the Kennedy Vlei Line. The seasonal Somalisa pans in a pristine private concession. A game rich area where the highlight is a guided walking safari. That says it all.