Stanley Safari Lodge

The best parts were the meals, which were amazing, and the staff, who were kind, fun to talk with, and welcoming. But we left with a very poor impression because our stay was so uncomfortable and poorly handled. The rooms looked cool, but being open to the outdoors meant bugs were everywhere. We got bitten badly, and holes in the mosquito nets left me waking up with around 50 bites on my legs. The rooms weren’t comfortable because of it. We also felt awkward when Jonathan joined our family for dinner every night. More seriously, he didn’t properly explain the activities or ask what we wanted. We’d said we weren’t interested in touristy options and wanted a safari, but he kept pushing Victoria Falls and suggested drinking at the falls lodge, seeing rhinos, or taking an expensive sunset cruise on a big boat. He told us there was “no wildlife around here” and that we should have gone to Botswana for a safari. When I asked about larger parks or big game within four hours, even if we paid extra for a driver, he confidently said there was nothing. The activity list in our room only gave names and prices, with no descriptions. On our second day, one of the cleaners explained that Chobe Safari was a huge park about an hour away across the Botswana border, with lots of wildlife. I can’t understand why Jonathan didn’t tell us about it and instead kept pressing us to pay for Victoria Falls after we’d said no. We trusted him as the local, and the Wi-Fi barely worked, so we couldn’t look up Chobe National Park ourselves. We felt we’d wasted a whole day. I raised this with the Lodge manager. He said he’d address it, but nothing came of it, and we got no apology. He admitted Jonathan hadn’t done the job properly, since he was meant to go through our options in detail and recommend things based on what we wanted. The staff were lovely, but the host and management left us with a bad taste.

The lodge was such a peaceful place to get away for a while, and it’s close to both Victoria Falls and Livingstone town. Transport is included in the prices, which was handy. My friend and I really enjoyed our stay. Our room was lovely, with a view over Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, and the food was excellent. The staff were attentive, and the managers knew a lot and could help arrange whatever activities we wanted. I loved it there and would happily recommend The Stanley Safari Lodge.

The new and old sleeping rooms are quite different, so make sure you know which one you prefer before deciding. One is enclosed and more traditional, while the other is open to nature. The staff are wonderful and work hard, but management doesn’t support them well. They aim to go beyond expectations, yet don’t get the backing they need.

A lovely spot for relaxing and spending good family time. The staff are really friendly, and the food is excellent.