Batoka Zambezi Sands

Visiting the Victoria Falls was a lifelong dream and the highlight of this trip Having been on a few safaris in our home country of South Africa we decided to combine a trip to see the falls with a safari lodge stay. Having researched the options we chose Zambezi Sands for its location on the Zambezi River, the decor of the lodge and the very favorable reviews. The lodge is beautiful and the location, right on the river, is stunning however the glowing reviews of the service and food was not our experience. The first disappointment was that we were the ONLY guests at the lodge for our entire stay. Some may say this is great but for us it just felt awkward and disappointing. Given that we were the only people there the service was quite shocking If felt like we got the B Team … everyone except the Ranger/ Guide was young and inexperienced. The butler and his assistant extremely so - not knowing enough about the food, wine etc. Our Ranger was the saving grace, he found wildlife on game trips and the evening boat cruises were lovely. The food was also disappointing. Breakfast was the same every day and dinner, while tasty most evenings was way over catered. We asked for smaller portions but still felt we were wasting so much food. PROS The location The decor of the lodge Transfers - to and from the airport as well as to town and to our day trip to Chobe / Botswana border. Included game drives and sunset cruises Booking of day trips to Chobe and Vic Falls CONS NO AIRCON!!! it was blistering hot and there are no Aircon in the rooms or common areas NO WIFI in the rooms! There are not pools with every room … we were lucky to be allocated a room with a pool but not sure how one would survive the heat without a pool The include activities seemed to be non existent other than the game drives and sunset cruise All considered this was a disappointing trip. For the price we paid I do not feel it was worth it.

I am a seasoned traveller. I have a background in the airline, hotel, and travel industry. I changed career becoming a business owner within hospitality. Hence my about 365 posts on TripAdvisor concerns private travelling, for which I have paid in full. I find TripAdvisor a very useable tool. I am mindful, that I comment on someone’s business, hence I document my posts with photos. My focus is to help and inspire likeminded travellers. I am glad to read your notes, likewise I hope my posts are useful to you. I booked and prepaid a 6-night stay with Zambezi Sands by Batoka. A 5-night wellness retreat plus one night commencing on October 18th, 2023. The visit would combine the traditional safari lodge stay with a wellness retreat run by two instructors, who by training are medical doctors. SAFARI LODGE OR BOUTIQUE HOTEL This camp lands itself somewhere between a safari camp and a boutique hotel with tented suites. My view is, it is more of a boutique hotel than an authentic African safari lodge. The tented suites are spacious, a lot of m2. However, the amount of furniture and stuff inside kind of takes over the place and there is little m2 spared to make you feel you are not wearing the tent. Outside the tent is a terrace. Be aware! When you book, you either book a terrace or a terrace with a plunge pool. Please also note, there is NO swimming pool here. If you choose a suite with a plunge pool, you get two nice lounge chairs on the terrace. If you book with no plunge pool you get a terrace with two “bean bags” to lie on. Smart design, sure, comfortable – No. I am a seasoned safari traveller. I would never sign up for a pool on my terrace in a wildlife area. I have been to places, where we struggled with crocodiles in the pool, I have seen elephants drink pool water. I do not want to risk wildlife near my terrace because the water attracts them. I appreciate this is a personal thing. The suites come with a full tea tray and a stocked minibar. MISSING POOL The fact that you do not get a swimming pool here means you can only sit in a chair or a sofa in the common shared area. There is no common area with deck chairs, where you can chill and enjoy a conversation with likeminded travellers between activities. I missed that. Sitting in front of staff doing what they need to do all the time, well, not for me, really. I feel the staff need space and I need space. You either sit at a dining table or in a sofa, no patio with deck chairs, no shared swimming pool. COMMON AREA The designs here and in the tents have a Scandinavian feel to it. The choices here are classy and quality. Some “African” art has been added, but the overpowering feeling is that of Scandinavian designs. I think the common areas are wrong. There are two large sets of sofas, but no one remembered to separate these with plenty of m2. Although common areas are for socialising, you still need to be able to be in your group and have a bit of pr

Pros: The service was top-notch and the food was delicious the guide was very professional the sparkling apple juice was great Cons: There were a lot of tiny bugs on my bed the last night it was terrifying

A Gem in the Bush ! We were fortunate to spend four nights in the recently redesigned Zambezi Sands Lodge and what a wonderful stay we enjoyed. The peaceful setting along the river banks, far from the Victoria Falls crowds yet easily reachable in less than an hour was nothing short of splendid. The lodge is superbly designed in a safari meets nordic subtle, beautiful and comfortable locally sourced atmosphere. The tented rooms are very large, gorgeous, extremely well furnished and appointed with anything and everything one would need (or not). The food was fresh, plentiful and excellent. The game drives were leisurely and enjoyable as you are part of a secluded area along the Zambezi river. We saw lions, elephants, zebras, buffalos, hypos and many more without being bothered by a multitude of other game cars. We felt very special as we were treated like royalty by an extremely professional crew of discreet and always smiling staff. We wouldn't recommend any other place to visit the Victoria Falls, go on a safari and get pampered in plush yet magnificent surroundings. Finally, their brochure states "all included"; well, for once, they really meant it. Didn't spend a penny more than what was agreed upon prior to our arrival, despite drinking Cognacs overnight by the fire and having our laundry cleaned every day. Kudos !