Batoka Zambezi Sands

We stayed at Zambezi Sands and had an amazing experience! Zambezi Sands is a perfect place if you want to visit Victoria Falls but not only as it is 1 hour drive from Victoria Falls, but deep into the National Park and on the bank of Zambezi river. We had a bit of rain but it did not matter so much thanks to the cosy set-up. Game drive was great (saw elephants, gazelles, zebras, warthogs, …), sunrise fishing tour and sunset cruise were also great (saw hippos and crocs). Food and beverages are also very good. The team went out of their way to accommodate us. Each team member was super nice and friendly.

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

This place it too good to be true - that's exactly what I thought when I saw the first pictures of BATOKA Zambezi Sands. I felt so curious if this place really exists and how it will all work out in the end. But I can tell - this lodge is really a place where all of our dreams came true!!! A hidden little paradise, so unique, private and new. Already the place itself took our breath away! The interior is stunning and everything just perfectly fits together at this luxury 5-star bush camp. The incredibly friendly staff, the highly experienced guides and the delicious food made us not want to leave... So we decided to add another night to our stay (what we usually NEVER do) and got blessed with another day in paradise. A paradise you actually don't want to share with anyone else (but I do it anyway because it's a MUST). Starting from the transfer, that picked us up just where we wished for, meeting our Guide for the stay followed by the first little 45min Game Drive through the bush to arrive at the camp, have been a relaxing experience and no stress at all. It will take you approximately 1.5h from the airport to arrive at the camp. We would recommend to arrange all Victoria Falls activities before heading to the lodge, as you would not want to leave this place again and enjoy the view over the mighty Zambezi river as long as you can! For me as a Vegetarian they went the extra mile to provide me with delightful creations just as good and creative as the "normal" meals. It was refreshing to not only get delicious food, but also have some more healthy meals as in other camps. We enjoyed the food a lot and can truly say that the Chef is a 12 out of 10! We also appreciated the Afternoon Tea a lot - Ice Tea or Iced Coffee were served with some exquisite Sweets before heading off to our afternoon activity. As we have done almost every activity possible (from Morning & Afternoon Game Drives over to Nature/Bush Walks, Sunset Drifts and Fishing on the Zambezi) and can highly recommend the BATOKA Zambezi Sands Guides - they will tell you everything they know about nature, the bush, fishing, the Zimbabwean history and some interesting insights about the community and always go the extra mile to help with stunning Game Viewings. The whole staff at the Camp really is one of a kind, very helpfull, cordially, engaged, flexible and always thrilled to fulfill our wishes. We will miss you a lot! THANK YOU BATOKA Zambezi Sands team for making our Honeymoon so special and unique - we will always remember our days at the mighty Zambezi river and will never forget your warm and welcoming hearts! We wish we could have stayed forever!

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 !

The newly reopened Batoka Zambezi Sands on the banks of the Zambezi, is nothing short of idyllic. A large group of us stayed for a few nights in March. The staff were most welcoming and exceptionally attentive throughout our stay. The accommodation was sumptuous and modern while not detracting from the African Bush surrounding us. Our glamerous "tent" has its own plunge pool- welcome relief from the mid day heat. Taking an outdoor shower under the stars with the hippos calling across the Zambezi flowing past added a frission of excitement to the occasion. Sunrise on my private deck was the perfect way to start the day. The food, eaten at a long table in a deck over looking the Zambezi, was delicious. All tastes were catered for. We went on Bush walks and drives in the surrounding Zambezi national game park with incredibly knowledgeable guides. There were several activities on offer - one could be as active or inactive as we wanted to be. I would love to return for a special occasion, be it a birthday, anniversary or wedding. I know I will be made to feel very special.