Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
Highlights
- Sunset-facing plateau views over an active waterhole on the edge of the Zambezi National Park
- Just 4 km from Victoria Falls, with a complimentary shuttle to the Rainforest entrance and town
- The Boma – Dinner & Drum Show, right on the lodge estate
- MaKuwa-Kuwa Restaurant and the Buffalo Bar, both overlooking the waterhole
- The daily Vulture Culture Experience below the Buffalo Bar deck
- Safari Spa, two-tiered swimming pool and fitness room
- Activities desk for Zambezi cruises, rafting, helicopter flights and game drives
- Facilities for guests with disabilities
Information
- Lodge type: Safari lodge
- Location: Plateau on the Zambezi National Park boundary, 4 km from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Lodge size: 72 rooms and suites
- Recommended stay: 2–5 nights
- Malaria risk: Yes – Victoria Falls is a malaria area. Antimalarial prophylaxis is recommended year-round, with the highest risk in the November–April rains.
- Getting there: About 21 km (roughly 20 minutes by road) from Victoria Falls International Airport; 4 km from the Falls and about 3 km from Victoria Falls town. No light-aircraft transfer is needed – scheduled flights land at Victoria Falls from Johannesburg.
Safari Lodge Borders The Zambezi National Park And Is Just 4 Kilometres From Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is a 72-room safari lodge set on a plateau at the edge of the Zambezi National Park, just 4 km from the thundering Victoria Falls in north-western Zimbabwe. The lodge stands at around 940 metres, faces due west over unfenced bushveld and looks straight down onto a waterhole where elephant and big herds of buffalo come to drink – often while you are on your first sundowner.
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is one of the finest-value luxury stays in Victoria Falls. It gives you the Falls, the Zambezi River and the national park on the doorstep, a genuine wildlife view from your balcony, and some of the best dining in town, without the price tag of a private river concession. It is a superb choice for couples, honeymooners and families alike, and it comes very highly recommended by us at Uyaphi.com.
Part of our selection of the very best Victoria Falls Lodges.
Rooms and Suites
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge has 72 rooms in three types: 24 Lodge Standard Rooms, 42 Lodge Waterhole Facing Rooms and six duplex Lodge Waterhole Facing Suites. Every room is light and spacious, with glass sliding doors opening onto a private balcony over the bush. The Waterhole Facing Rooms and Suites look directly onto the waterhole, so the wildlife viewing continues from your own deck. Standard and Waterhole Facing Rooms have two three-quarter beds that convert to a king. The duplex suites add a downstairs lounge and a minibar restocked daily with local beer, house wine and soft drinks.
All rooms at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge include:
- Air conditioning and ceiling fan
- Extra-length beds with mosquito nets
- Private balcony facing the Zambezi National Park
- En-suite bathroom
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Digital safe
- Minibar
- Tea and coffee station
- Hairdryer
- Laundry service (on request)
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge shares its estate with three sister properties. Victoria Falls Safari Club is the premium option, with 20 rooms and butler-style concierge service. Victoria Falls Safari Suites offers two- and three-bedroom units for families and small groups. Lokuthula Lodges provides self-catering accommodation.
Cuisine and Wine
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is home to some of the most celebrated dining in Victoria Falls, and The Boma – Dinner & Drum Show is the evening most guests remember longest. You are wrapped in a chitenge on arrival, your hands are washed in a traditional ceremony, and the night builds from a feast of local dishes to a full drumming and dancing show with the whole room joining in.
- The Boma – Dinner & Drum Show
- Traditional feast, cultural dancing and interactive drumming, with face painting if you are game
- MaKuwa-Kuwa Restaurant
- Buffet breakfasts and à la carte lunches and dinners of international dishes with an African twist, served over the waterhole
- Buffalo Bar
- Cocktails and cold local beers on a deck above the waterhole, and the grandstand seat for the Vulture Culture Experience
Facilities
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is built around a three-storey wood-and-thatch main building, with a central viewing deck over the waterhole at its heart. Guest facilities include:
- 24-hour reception
- Activities booking desk
- Safari Spa
- Two-tiered swimming pool and sundeck with snack and bar service
- Fitness room with bush views
- Guest lounge overlooking the waterhole
- TV lounge with international channels
- Internet lounge
- Souvenir shop
- Facilities for guests with disabilities
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is unfenced and sits in a wildlife area, so antelope, warthog and monkeys wander through the grounds and larger animals pass through too. Staff escort every guest after dark as a matter of course.
Activities
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is a base for exploring rather than a lodge with its own game-drive programme. The waterhole, the spa and the Vulture Culture Experience are on site; the big-ticket activities happen at the Falls, on the Zambezi River and in the Zambezi National Park. The Vulture Culture Experience is the one not to miss. At midday, dozens of vultures drop out of the sky onto the feeding area below the Buffalo Bar deck while a guide explains why Africa's vultures are now among its most threatened birds.
Popular activities from Victoria Falls Safari Lodge include:
- Guided walks through the Victoria Falls Rainforest
- Sunset cruises on the Upper Zambezi
- Game drives in the Zambezi National Park
- Canoeing on the Upper Zambezi
- Helicopter flights over the Falls
- White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge
- Bungee jumping and swings from the Victoria Falls Bridge
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge runs a complimentary shuttle throughout the day to the Rainforest entrance and the town centre, so you never need a car. All activities can be booked at the lodge's activities desk.
Child Friendly
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is one of the best family bases in Victoria Falls. The twin-bedded rooms suit parents travelling with children, the neighbouring Victoria Falls Safari Suites offer two- and three-bedroom units for larger families, and babysitting is available when parents want an evening at MaKuwa-Kuwa on their own.
Children are captivated by the waterhole, and the Vulture Culture Experience holds even teenagers spellbound. The Boma's face painting and drumming make for a very memorable family evening. Because the lodge is unfenced within a wildlife area, children must be supervised in the grounds at all times, and staff escort families to their rooms after dark.
Beyond the lodge, a walk through the spray of Victoria Falls is the highlight for most children. The Falls stretch 1,708 metres wide and drop 108 metres into the gorge – the largest single curtain of falling water on Earth.
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge FAQs
Is Victoria Falls Safari Lodge in a malaria area?
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is in a malaria area. Victoria Falls and the Zambezi National Park carry malaria risk all year, highest during the November to April rains. Guests should take antimalarial prophylaxis prescribed by a travel clinic, use insect repellent from dusk and sleep under the mosquito nets fitted over every bed. Families travelling with young children should take medical advice before booking.
How far is Victoria Falls Safari Lodge from the Falls and the airport?
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is 4 km from Victoria Falls and about 3 km from Victoria Falls town centre. Victoria Falls International Airport is about 21 km away, roughly a 20-minute drive. A complimentary shuttle runs from the lodge to the Victoria Falls Rainforest entrance and the town throughout the day, so guests do not need a car. The Zambian border is about 5 km away.
What is the Vulture Culture Experience at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge?
The Vulture Culture Experience at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is a conservation feeding held daily at midday below the Buffalo Bar deck. Meat is put out and dozens of vultures descend within minutes, while a guide explains the birds' role in the ecosystem and why poisoning has made Africa's vultures some of its most threatened species. It is the lodge's signature experience and a favourite with children.
Is Victoria Falls Safari Lodge good for families?
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is an excellent family choice in Victoria Falls. Babysitting is available, the standard rooms have two beds, and the neighbouring Victoria Falls Safari Suites offer two- and three-bedroom units. Children love the waterhole, the Vulture Culture Experience and The Boma's drumming show. The lodge is unfenced within a wildlife area, so children must be supervised and all guests are escorted after dark.
When is the best time to stay at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge?
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge works in every season, but the Falls change dramatically through the year. Peak flow runs from about March to May, when the spray is thunderous but can hide the view. June to August brings strong flow, clearer views and cool, dry weather. From September to December the water drops, wildlife concentrates at the lodge waterhole and afternoons turn very hot.
How many nights should I stay at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge?
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge suits a stay of two to five nights. Two nights covers a guided walk through the Falls rainforest, a Zambezi sunset cruise and dinner at The Boma. Three or more nights leave room for a Zambezi National Park game drive, white-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge or a helicopter flight over the Falls. The lodge pairs naturally with Hwange National Park or Botswana's Chobe.
In Conclusion
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is the lodge we reach for when a traveller wants the Falls, real wildlife and outstanding food in one stay, without paying private-concession prices. Few places in Victoria Falls give you so much: a sunset-facing plateau over the Zambezi National Park, elephant and buffalo at the waterhole below your balcony, the unforgettable Vulture Culture Experience, The Boma's legendary drum show, and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa just 4 km down the road.
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge fits beautifully into almost any Southern African itinerary. Stay two or three nights at the start or end of a Hwange, Chobe or Okavango safari, or five nights for a honeymoon or family holiday built around the Falls themselves. Come between March and May for the full thundering spectacle, June to August for clear views and crisp dry days, or September to December when the bush thins out and the waterhole becomes the best seat in the house.
Uyaphi.com has been crafting tailor-made African safaris since 1999 – 27 years of matching the right lodge to the right traveller, in the right season. Rates at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge form part of a safari itinerary, and we build every trip around you, with no booking fees and no credit card surcharges. Tell us your dates and who's travelling, and we'll put together a Victoria Falls stay you'll be talking about for years.
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge rates
Per person per night sharing
Rates are in US Dollar
*Rates may vary according to season
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- items of a personal nature
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Zimbabwe Travel Topics
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Most honeymoons are an exercise in doing very little at considerable expense, and there is a great deal to be said for that. Zimbabwe simply arranges better company for it. Elephants come down to drink below the deck while you are still on your first coffee; the guide turns out to know which lion crossed the airstrip in the night; dinner happens on a Zambezi deck while the light goes orange and then goes altogether. Nobody puts Zimbabwe at the top of the shortlist — Kenya and the Cape get there first — which is precisely why the lodges are quieter and the guiding is better than it needs to be.
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