Tsowa Safari Island
Highlights
- A private island in the Zambezi River, inside the 56,000-hectare Zambezi National Park, about 40 km upstream of Victoria Falls
- Just eight canvas safari tents for a maximum of 16 guests, each facing the river with indoor and outdoor showers
- A superb arrival: an open 4x4 drive through the national park, then a short boat crossing to the island
- Menus directed by Isibindi Africa executive chef Carl Moller, built on local, ethically sourced produce and paired with South African wines
- An open-air dining deck, a sunken fire pit suspended over the river and two swimming pools
- Game drives and guided walks on the mainland, guided canoeing, sundowner cruises, island walks and fishing
- A resident Pel's fishing owl, one of Africa's most sought-after birds, calling from the island's forest
- Victoria Falls tours and Chobe day trips arranged by the lodge team
Information
- Lodge type: Island Safari Lodge
- Location: Zambezi National Park, upstream of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Lodge size: 8 Tented Suites (maximum 16 guests)
- Recommended stay: 3–4 nights (2-night minimum)
- Malaria risk: Yes. Tsowa Safari Island is in a malaria area, with the highest risk in the November to April rains. Take medical advice on prophylaxis.
- Getting there: About 40 km upstream of Victoria Falls town. Road transfer to a private Zambezi National Park entrance, open 4x4 to the river, then a boat crossing, about 1 hour in total. There is no airstrip; a helicopter landing site sits on the mainland 1 km from the island.
Discover The Ultimate Luxury Safari Escape At Tsowa Safari Island
Tsowa Safari Island is an eight-tent luxury safari camp on a private island in the Zambezi River, inside Zimbabwe's 56,000-hectare Zambezi National Park and about 40 km upstream of Victoria Falls. Tsowa means "new beginnings". The island had never been inhabited before the camp opened in 2019, and it still feels gloriously removed from the bustle of Victoria Falls town, even though the Falls are only an hour away.
Tsowa Safari Island is run by Isibindi Africa Lodges, the South African group behind Thonga Beach Lodge and Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge. The camp was placed deliberately beneath a magnificent forest canopy, beside an enormous termite mound, with a soft sand path leading inland to a grove of century-old baobabs. Power comes from solar and candlelight, and single-use plastic water bottles have been replaced with a refillable bottle for every guest.
Tsowa Safari Island is at its most spellbinding at dusk. From the fire-pit deck, which hangs over the Zambezi, you watch the sun set across the national park as elephants and buffalo come down to drink on the far bank. After dark the soundtrack is pure wilderness: the resident Pel's fishing owl, crickets, and the distant calls of hyena and lion from the mainland.
Rooms And Suites
Tsowa Safari Island has eight free-standing canvas safari tents, spaced about 20 metres apart along the edge of the island beneath deep riverine forest. Each tent measures 10 m by 3.5 m including the en-suite bathroom and verandah. Twin beds convert easily to a king-size bed.
Tsowa Safari Island offers two tent types:
- River View Safari Tents: a small covered verandah at the river's edge, looking straight across the water to the Zambezi National Park
- River Deck Safari Tents: a private deck built out over the river's edge, with the same sweeping view across to the park
Every tent at Tsowa Safari Island has an indoor shower and a wonderful outdoor shower open to the sky. Each also has a mosquito net, freestanding fans, a safe and a hairdryer. There is no bath and no air conditioning; the camp runs on solar power, and the river breeze does the rest. Wi-Fi is available in the main lodge only, and it is slow by design of geography, which most guests quickly come to treat as a blessing. Children aged 12 to 16 can share their parents' tent on a stretcher bed.
Cuisine And Wine
Tsowa Safari Island serves modern African cooking directed by Carl Moller, executive chef for the Isibindi Africa Lodges group. His philosophy is simple and deeply satisfying: unprocessed, ethically sourced ingredients, cooked without theatrics and grown as close to the lodge as possible.
At Tsowa Safari Island, fresh produce comes from hydroponic farms near Victoria Falls, coffee from community growers along the Zambezi, and herbs from the island's own garden, which is built from repurposed materials and fed with kitchen compost. Isibindi refuses to serve seafood that is not ethically harvested, and surplus lodge food goes to feeding schemes at nearby crèches.
At Tsowa Safari Island the first taste is often a welcome Baobab and Amarula cocktail. Meals are served on the open-air deck under the trees or around the fire. House wines, sparkling wine, local beers and non-premium spirits are included in the rate, and the cellar leans on the Cape's finest reds and crisp whites.
Facilities
Tsowa Safari Island's main area is a stylish lounge and dining space for all 16 guests, with the bar tent right alongside. A vast outdoor deck makes the most of the river frontage while staying cool beneath the forest. Its open-air dining area flows onto a sunken fire pit overlooking the Zambezi.
Facilities at Tsowa Safari Island include:
- Two swimming pools linked to the main lodge, set in a sunny spot above the river
- A Bedouin-style stretch-tent lounge for lazy afternoons
- An open-air dining deck beneath shade trees
- A sunken fire pit on a deck suspended over the Zambezi
- Wi-Fi in the main lodge
- Bush laundry service
- A helicopter landing site on the mainland, 1 km from the island
Activities
Tsowa Safari Island combines land and water safaris in the Zambezi National Park, a 56,000-hectare reserve of riverine forest and mopane woodland. The park is home to elephant, buffalo, lion, giraffe, sable and a wide variety of antelope. Activities at Tsowa Safari Island include:
- Game drives: open 4x4 drives on the mainland in search of elephant herds, buffalo, lion and sable
- Guided walks: walking safaris in the Zambezi National Park with an armed, qualified guide
- Island walks: roughly an hour on foot to the century-old baobabs at the heart of the island, with superb birding on the way
- Guided canoeing: gliding downstream past basking crocodiles and surfacing hippos, the most thrilling way to see the Upper Zambezi
- Sundowner cruises: drinks on the river as elephants come down to the water's edge
- Fishing: basic fishing for tigerfish and bream, best in September and October
Tsowa Safari Island's team can also arrange Victoria Falls tours and activities, and day trips to Chobe National Park in Botswana. Victoria Falls activities are not included in the nightly rate.
Tsowa Safari Island: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tsowa Safari Island?
Tsowa Safari Island is a luxury tented camp on a private island in the Zambezi River, inside Zimbabwe's 56,000-hectare Zambezi National Park. The island lies about 40 km upstream of Victoria Falls town, on the Zimbabwe side of the river, facing the national park mainland. Tsowa Safari Island is operated by Isibindi Africa Lodges and takes a maximum of 16 guests in eight canvas tents.
How do you get to Tsowa Safari Island?
Tsowa Safari Island is reached by pre-booked transfer only. Guests travel by road from Victoria Falls to the lodge's private entrance to the Zambezi National Park. They continue in an open 4x4 game-viewing vehicle to the river's edge and cross to the island by boat. The journey from Victoria Falls town takes about an hour. There is no airstrip, but a helicopter landing site sits on the mainland 1 km from the island.
Is Tsowa Safari Island in a malaria area?
Yes. Tsowa Safari Island is in a malaria area, like the rest of the Victoria Falls and Zambezi National Park region. The risk is highest during the November to April rainy season, when mosquitoes breed in standing water. Every tent has a mosquito net, but guests should take medical advice on anti-malaria prophylaxis before travelling and pack repellent and long sleeves for the evenings.
Can children stay at Tsowa Safari Island?
Tsowa Safari Island does not accept children under 12, and no childminding is offered. Children aged 12 to 16 can share their parents' tent on a stretcher bed, but the lodge does not offer triple occupancy for adults. The age limit makes Tsowa Safari Island a quiet, peaceful choice for couples, honeymooners and adult groups, as well as families travelling with teenagers.
What is included in the rate at Tsowa Safari Island?
Rates at Tsowa Safari Island include accommodation, all meals, basic laundry and 4x4 transfers from the private park entrance. Local drinks, house wines and sparkling wine are included too. Guided island walks, national park walks, canoeing, sunset cruises and basic fishing are also covered. Park fees, the Isibindi Foundation levy, road transfers to the park entrance, premium drinks, Victoria Falls activities, flights, insurance and gratuities are extra.
When is the best time to visit Tsowa Safari Island?
The best time to visit Tsowa Safari Island for game viewing is the dry season, from May to October. Thinning bush and shrinking water sources draw elephants and buffalo to the Zambezi in large numbers. September and October bring the best fishing and the hottest weather. The November to March rains turn the island lush and green and bring migrant birds from the north.
In Conclusion
Tsowa Safari Island is the answer for travellers who want Victoria Falls without Victoria Falls town. Here you get eight tents on a private Zambezi island, a national park on the doorstep, and the Falls just an hour away when you want them. Few camps anywhere on the Upper Zambezi combine walking, canoeing, game drives and river cruises so effortlessly. Fewer still do it with only 16 guests, solar power and a Pel's fishing owl for a neighbour.
Tsowa Safari Island works best as the river chapter of a longer Zimbabwe safari. Book three nights, spend one half-day at the Falls, and pair the island with Hwange National Park for big elephant herds, or with a Chobe day trip across the Botswana border. Visit from May to October for the finest game viewing, in September and October for tigerfish, or in the green season from November to March for birds, colour and quieter rates.
Uyaphi.com has been planning safaris across southern and East Africa since 1999, and 27 years on we still build every itinerary by hand around the traveller in front of us. We charge no booking fees and no credit card surcharges. Tell us when you want to travel and what you want to see, and we'll arrange everything from the airport transfer to the boat that carries you across to Tsowa Safari Island.
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Tsowa Safari Island Rates
Per person per night sharing
Rates are in US Dollar
*Rates may vary according to season
- 4x4 transfers in an open game viewer vehicle
- Accommodation
- Guided island walks and basic fishing
- Guided game walks in the Zambezi National Park, guided canoeing and sunset cruises
- All meals (brunch, high tea and dinner)
- Teas and coffees, bottled water, soft drinks, house wines, sparkling wines, local beers and non-premium brand spirits
- Basic laundry
- Flights
- Road transfer to to the private entrance to the Zambezi National Park
- Park fees
- Isibindi Foundation levy
- Unspecified transfers
- Premium brand spirits, liquors, imported beers, non-house wines, items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
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