A'Zambezi River Lodge

The meals were a real highlight, with tasty food and plenty of choice. The rooms are a little small, but clean, comfortable, and well equipped for a short visit. Getting to town and the falls was easy with the dependable shuttle. Best of all, the attentive staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome. A lovely hotel with a great atmosphere right on the riverbank.

We were there for six nights, and the breakfast and helpful, professional staff were great. The one snag was that our group of six had booked a river-facing room but ended up at the back of the resort. They made up for it with a buffet meal of our choice, and it was a fantastic stay.

The riverside afternoons were peaceful, but most of the jetties were broken and felt like a safety hazard. The staff were welcoming and friendly, and Richard, Lucy, and the management team did try to sort things out, including moving us to a larger room. Still, we got to see several other hotel options and would certainly have picked somewhere else. This does not feel like a four-star resort, maybe three at most, and I would not recommend it or return. There were some nice gestures after we complained, including a birthday cake, a note on the bed, and a bottle of bubbly. But the hotel needs serious care and attention. At times management seemed embarrassed and avoided us after we raised the issue through our travel agent. They said they were trying to find us to fix things, but couldn't, even though we were basically the only people at the pool that day, so we had to go to them. The place was below standard from the start. Management decided to do maintenance at the last minute without telling prospective guests or travel companies. Contractors and black bags were all over several areas, and it felt like a complete invasion of privacy. Our room was small, with poorly maintained amenities that made it uncomfortable: one toilet roll, a broken toilet paper holder, no hand soap, and more. There was no buffet breakfast because occupancy was low, according to management, which was inexcusable. There was no water at breakfast either, and then they tried to charge me for a bottle. Definitely not four-star, and I wouldn't stay again.

The friendly, helpful staff and sumptuous food made the stay especially pleasant. We used Shearwater tours for a helicopter flight and a guided walk through the Rainforest, with transfers to the excursions arranged from the resort. It's set on the Zambezi River, so cruise boats are easy to reach, and there are tour operators on site. The resort also has a bar, a large restaurant, and a conference venue. Hourly shuttles run to Victoria Falls town, the Falls, and Rainforest, and the resort is only a few kilometres from the Falls.