Beyond its small radius of busy streets, yammering hawkers and sprawling hotels, Victoria Falls is surrounded by pure African bush meaning you can have your safari cake and eat it. Especially if you stay at The Elephant Camp.
At The Elephant Camp you are in a private concession within the Victoria Falls National Park with a view of the Vic Falls spray rising up like a ground-level cumulonimbus. About 10km from the falls and 15km from the airport and surrounded by nature you have the best of both worlds.
Accommodation at The Elephant Camp is in enormous tented suites that are more like private villas. With a view of the Batoka Gorge you have a private plunge pool and two lounge areas - inside and out, a massive bed and a luxurious en suite bathroom with a wonderful open-air shower at the back. The entire front of your suite rolls up to let in the view and enhance the bush experience yet, being so spread out, you are in total seclusion and the whole scene just sings with romance.
The main living area is another enormous deck under canvas with comfortable sitting areas, a large shaded viewing platform that makes the most of the waterhole at your feet. The food is a feature at Elephant Camp and you can dine either with the other guests or al fresco at your suite. The service and ambience are refined, elegant and utterly professional. All you need to do, in the words of any Zimbabwean is to "just enjoy".
4 additional suites are found at The Elephant Camp West, a secluded wing which offers an intimate and exclusive atmosphere ideal for smaller groups and families. Away from the main camp, its more private but still offers the same incredible hospitality and safari experience.
The Elephant Camp is home to the Wild Horizons elephants and a stay here includes incredible interaction with these amazing animals. A rescued cheetah offers his gorgeous profile for photo shoots and the grounds have walking trails with the many indigenous birds as your guide.
2 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included
5 Star
Lodge
Spoken Languages: English
No. Rooms: 12
Special Interests: Adventure, Big 5, Birding, Hiking, History & Culture, Indigenous Culture / Art, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife
Ngoma Safari Lodge feels like you're a million miles from anywhere but in fact you're less than an hour from Kasane International Airport in Botswana's northeast corner. The lodge is built high on a ridge above the Chobe River.
See that elephant? You should see lots. And you’re watching from the comfort of your suite. Zebras and giraffes often meander past too.
From the main areas you'll still see the river. This old Chobe sure keeps on giving. Look up and you'll see an ancient baobab too. This is one of Africa's most recognisable tree species. Individual trees can live for 2,000 years. Who's not astonished by that? They also have more than 300 uses. The leaves, rich in iron, can be boiled and eaten like spinach. The seeds can be roasted to make a coffee substitute or pressed to make oil for cooking or cosmetics. And, wait for it, the fruit pulp has six times more vitamin C than oranges. Impressive stuff.
Anyway enough about the tree and more about the lodge - you'll have a lounge area, bar and open decks to hang out on. The viewing platform is good for game spotting too. It's open-air and overlooks a watering hole which is popular with buffalo, zebra and giraffe.
In the evening, you can eat around an open fire or arrange a private dinner.
All food and drinks are included. They go to town here. Breakfast is a gourmet offering almost too pretty to eat. Lunches are lighter, or take a picnic if you're out on safari and dinner can be three courses featuring local fish and game. You'll even get a spoonful of sorbet between courses.
Children aged 10 and over are welcome with many board games and young rangers' safari activities on offer. And a final selling point, the local community benefits financially from the lodge. Win-win.
Think rustic with an ethnic flair. This is an eco-friendly boutique lodge with thatched roofs and stone floors.
Ngoma Safari Lodge has 8 private suites in individual huts. These span out from the main lodge across a ridge and have river views. Two suites have Indian day beds so can be converted into triples.
Inside they use fabrics made by the Ndebele tribe of southeastern Zimbabwe for the beds and Zulu artefacts such as work tools and ploughs to decorate. You’ll have a Nespresso coffee machine and powerful showers both indoors and out. The bathroom is big and includes a huge bathtub, dressing table and double sinks. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a constant movement of animals. Outside is a private deck and plunge pool, occasionally drained overnight by thirsty elephants. Eek
2 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included
5 Star
Safari Lodge
Spoken Languages: English
No. Rooms: 8
Special Interests: Big 5, Fishing, Flora, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife
