The Magic of Zimbabwe in Luxury

Delight in a fully-immersive dining experience on the tranquil and serene banks of the Zambezi River, sheltered under a twinkling canopy of stars. The riverside dining experience offers an authentic African barbecue-style dinner surrounded by the wilderness of the Zambezi National Park.

Expect an array of delicious items on the menu, with a touch of traditionally Zimbabwean flavours, all freshly prepared on open coal fires. The hotel’s extensive range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is served by attentive waiters set to ensure an unforgettable experience. Guests often get the opportunity to dine in the company of meandering hippos, buffalo or elephants.

The Riverside Dining Experience is available to all in-house guests of Palm River Hotel and Ilala Lodge Hotel exclusively and is available throughout the year, weather conditions permitting.
Advanced reservations for the Riverside Dining Experience are essential.

Absorb the splendour of being on the mighty Zambezi River and relive the historical journey taken by David Livingstone with a cruise aboard one of the Ra-Ikane luxury boats.

A variety of cruises are offered, including breakfast, lunch and sundowner cruises, as well as private charter cruises. Each Ra-Ikane boat has its own crew, made up of a friendly and knowledgeable captain, guide and waiter to ensure that you can sit back and enjoy the ride.

Cruise along the mighty Zambezi River, upstream of the Victoria Falls. Minimum 2 & Maximum of 16 passengers. Small and easy to navigate close to the banks for enhanced bird and wildlife viewing.

- Breakfast cruises - continental breakfast, tea, coffee, juice
- Lunch cruises - cold meats, cheeses, breads, salads & drinks.
- Sunset cruises - drinks, snacks

Lead by one of our experienced guides, you’ll see magnificent wildlife indigenous to the area. Your guide will show you the hidden spots best for game viewing and give you an insider’s knowledge. With years of experience our African Bush Camps guides are known for being some of the best in the business.

Awaken your senses and discover all that the bush has to offer on a walking safari. Accompanied by one of our experienced walking guides, explore the wild for one to two hours. For a full day walking safari, a private walking guide will need to be pre-booked with us.

Hwange National Park offers some of Zimbabwe’s best birding. Delight in the call of the racket-tailed roller or the kori bustard, and photograph the majestic Martial eagle. Or simply sit back and enjoy their beautiful songs.

Working together with the communities located in the areas surrounding where we operate gives locals an opportunity to be self-sustainable. By sharing knowledge there has been a decrease in the human-wildlife conflict. Take the opportunity to visit the locals and become accustomed to their way of life.

Away from the comfort of a safari vehicle, all your senses are suddenly awakened when you are on foot. Our walking guides will accompany you through the bush while teaching you about animal spoor, interesting insects, plants and the geology of the area.

Lead by one of our experienced guides, you’ll see magnificent wildlife indigenous to the area. Your guide will show you the hidden spots best for game viewing and give you an insider’s knowledge. With years of experience our African Bush Camps guides are known for being some of the best in the business.

The Lower Zambezi River is the perfect setting for an adventurous canoeing safari. Paddle along the tranquil waters of the Zambezi River and take in the pristine scenery of Mana Pools National Park from a unique angle. On your canoeing safari you’ll get the chance to see wildlife such as hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and incredible birdlife.

Try your hand at fishing from the banks of the Zambezi River. Fish for tiger, bream (tilapia), vundu, and many other species on a catch and release basis.

Delight in the call of the African skimmer, photograph the Southern carmine bee-eater or the Narina trogon. Or simply sit back and enjoy their beautiful songs.

Lead by one of our experienced guides, you’ll see magnificent wildlife indigenous to the area. Your guide will show you the hidden spots best for game viewing and give you an insider’s knowledge. With years of experience, our African Bush Camps guides are some of the best in the business.

The Bumi Hills Wildlife Area is bordered in the north west by the Chalala and Mola communities, which are home to the Tonga, a delightful and very spiritual people who have resided in this area and along the length of the Zambezi river for centuries. They have preserved ancient traditions and still live a largely subsistence lifestyle that is reliant on fishing, livestock and small scale farming. In the village of Chalala these customs have melted together with the inevitable infiltration of modern ways of life. However the luxuries of a permanent electricity and water supply to homes are still absent, leaving the communities still largely reliant on the surrounding environment for their livelihood.

After a morning game drive, enjoy a delicious lunch on Starvation Island

Delight in the call of the Giant kingfisher; photograph the majestic Squacco heron or Collared pratincole. Or simply sit back and enjoy their beautiful songs.

Enjoy dinner from atop the hills overlooking Lake Kariba. This iconic view is the undoubtedly the best in Kariba.

Chart a course across the watery wilderness of Lake Kariba and discover the aquatic wonders of this life-giving body of water. Our boat-based adventures afford a unique glimpse into the mysteries of Lake Kariba. Experience the thrill of catch-and-release fishing, observe unique bird-life of the area and relish eye-level wildlife encounters. All are possible during your time with us on the water.

Spend the day cruising the water and taking in the gorgeous views. Try your hand at fishing for tiger, bream (tilapia) or vundu to be caught and then released.

From your floating vantage, sundowner in hand, watch (and listen) as elephants, embossed against a shimmering copper sunset, slake their thirst in mighty Lake Kariba. We can think of no better way to celebrate another magical day on safari in Zimbabwe

Awaken your senses and discover all that the bush has to offer on a walking safari. Accompanied by one of our experienced walking guides, explore the wild for one to two hours. For a full day walking safari, a private walking guide will need to be pre-booked with us. Children under 16 can experience nature walks around the camp led by our child-certified walking guides as part of the Cub Club.

After an day in the bush, relax next to the camp fire and allow yourself to get lost in the starry night above. At night the stars utterly dominate the land; their brilliance and immediacy are totally arresting. Our guides have a growing passion in astronomy and are able to show you show you several star constellations including those which make up the Milky Way.

Our private concessions allow for game drives after the sun has set. Experience the bush when elusive nocturnal wildlife awakens to hunt, forage and live their lives under the cover of darkness.

From nature walks around camp and storytelling to cultural arts and crafts and cub club cooking classes, the African Bush Camps’ children focused Ngwana Club creates a fun and educational environment for children on safari.