Victoria Falls River Lodge — Hotel in Matabeleland North Province

What an amazing place! We were driven from Chobe National Park in Botswana to be met by Mike our guide for the 3 nights & 4 days we were staying in Victoria Falls River Lodge. Mike loaded our luggage onto a motor boat and zoomed us 15 minutes along the Zambezi to be met by waving staff on the jetty at the camp reception / main hub. ||After completing check in formalities we were taken in a golf cart to our Luxury tent, no.16, at the far end of the camp. Tent!?!?! Tent only in that some of the walls had a canvas covering on them and there was a canvas canopy over part of the sun deck. It’s not like any tent we’ve ever been in, more a luxury lodge finished to the very highest standard - and it was huge too. Massive bed with lovely linen, inside & outside twin showers, inside & outside baths, large sun deck with comfortable beds and a plunge pool to cool you down. Absolutely amazing and faultless. There was actually a second bedroom but we just locked the door & didn’t use this. ||It was an all inclusive package so all food & drink included breakfast & dinner were very good each day other than the BBQ night. Dinner is served until 2030 but when we got there at 1945 the meats had all already been cooked and were sitting under a hot lamp. This meant very dry and tasteless, so better to bbq to order rather than just pre cook a random set of meats. Wines were good and there was a selection of beers & spirits included too. Some premium spirits eg malt scotch whisky (yes, that is the correct spelling, I’m Scottish so I know!) there was a supplement to pay if you didn’t want to drink the ghastly bourbon whiskey - leave that for people who don’t know any better. ||Or primary reason to come here was to view Victoria Falls. We left 0630 and Mike took us there on a guided walking tour. Pretty amazing but be very careful as there are areas where the fencing is either flimsy or non existent so it would be pretty easy to fall in and that would be a horrible death. It’s USD $50 per person to get into the patk, guide is additional cost. The day after the walk we did the falls again but this time from the air. We used Zambezi Helicopters Company and did their 25 minute “spectacular” flight which was, well, spectacular! Cost is about USD $300 per person. They have a good safety record. ||We did a couple of land based games drives with Mike but having come from Botswana where we saw everything, we wanted to focus on the river and Mike didn’t disappoint. On the sunset cruise Mike found a number of massive hippos just lurking under the surface. We also saw gigantic crocodiles. The teeth on the things look razor sharp so don’t put your fingers in the water! On our last day Nike showed us a family of hippos basking in the sun: mum; dad & baby!||All the staff were excellent and very friendly. One or two were a little bit disappointed that we chose to put our top in an envelope so that the whole team benefited, not just front of house. Naturally we’re tipped mile our guide separately as...

Victoria Falls River Lodge, Island Treehouse Suites, is one of those places that does not feel real until you are actually standing there. You boat out to your own private island in the Zambezi and suddenly you are living in the middle of the river with hippos grunting and elephants wandering past like it is no big deal. Our suite had a plunge pool and a treehouse deck that looked straight across the water, the kind of view that makes you forget phones even exist. Waking up to the sound of the river and watching the sun set from the pool… ridiculous, in the best way.||The experiences were nonstop. We went out on sunset cruises with crocs sliding into the water and hippos popping up like whack-a-mole, and then into game drives where we saw elephants, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, monkeys, baboons, every kind of antelope, mongoose, and so many birds. We didn’t get lucky with lions or leopards in our three days, but honestly it didn’t matter. Our guide, Melusi, was AMAZING. He made every drive a masterclass, teaching us about the country, the people, the animals, even the trees. It was our first safari and he made it unforgettable.||At the lodge itself, animals just wander by. One morning an elephant was literally on the path to our suite, close enough to hear him breathe. Equal parts WOW and slightly terrifying knowing how smart and powerful they are. Hippos grunted at night, monkeys swung around during the day. You’re basically sharing the island with them.||The people here make the whole experience even better. Romeo was the sweetest butler, Lisa and the rest of the staff were always one step ahead, and everyone treated us with warmth and humor. Meals were so good, from fresh fish and seasonal veggies to springbok and an African BBQ night that was a highlight. The spa and gym are across the water at the main lodge, brand new and stocked, and we even saw a buffalo drinking at the waterhole from the treadmill which is honestly insane.||Of course you have to see Victoria Falls itself. We went in mid August and the water level was medium, still spraying enough to soak us, but with clear views of the gorge. The lodge gives you raincoats so you just laugh through it. Standing there with the thunder of the falls all around is one of those pinch-me life moments.||Every second here was joy, awe, and gratitude rolled together. It is not just a place to stay, it is an experience that wraps around you. We left already plotting when we could come back. Unforgettable does not even begin...

I booked a stay at Victoria Falls River Lodge to finish my African travels with a memorable experience. Tragically, my grandmother, who raised me as her own, passed away unexpectedly, forcing me to cancel my trip and return home for her funeral. In the midst of grief, I reached out to the lodge, hoping for some understanding and flexibility given the extraordinary circumstances. What I received instead was complete indifference and a refusal to refund even a portion of the payment, despite the fact that no services were provided.

I was told that my request would be escalated to a manager, but weeks went by without any further communication. No follow-up, no explanation—just silence. It was incredibly frustrating and disheartening. The hotel hid behind their rigid cancellation policy, offering no empathy, no solution, and absolutely no acknowledgment of the financial burden I faced, including a $2,300 las-minute flight home. I would not expect the hotel to cover my flights, however, I would expect the hotel to offer some refund of the booking cost or, at the bare minimum, offer to credit my stay for a future visit.

I completely understand the need for policies, but good businesses know when to be flexible, especially when no services were rendered. The refusal to even consider a partial refund or offer any gesture of goodwill is beyond disappointing—it's callous and deeply unprofessional. The lodge showed zero flexibility and an astonishing lack of compassion in a situation that was entirely beyond my control as I was met with cold corporate responses and no resolution. Their failure to even return my communication after promising to escalate the issue was the final blow.

If you're looking for a hotel that sees you as nothing more than a dollar sign, then this is the place for you. But if you value being treated with empathy and respect, do yourself a favor and avoid Victoria Falls River Lodge. There are plenty of places in the area that won’t turn their back on you in your time of need. This experience has left a sour taste that will stay with me for a long time. Be warned—this place cares only about taking your money, not about the well-being of...