Royal Zambezi Lodge was built by a family with a long love of Africa on a private domain of about 200 hectares in the Chiawa Game Management Area, with three and a half kilometres of frontage on the northern bank of the Zambezi. The Zambezi Escarpment rises behind it, Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies directly across the river in Zimbabwe, and the Lower Zambezi National Park is minutes away. There are no fences, so elephant, hippo, buffalo and the odd lion or leopard wander through camp. The thatched suites, among them Royal, Deluxe, Family and Presidential Suites, have decks and patios, and the MICHELIN inspectors note plunge pools and private corners in each. The Royal Bush Spa looks over the river and uses locally sourced ingredients. Days are spent on game drives into the park, bush walks and hikes, canoeing, river cruises, tigerfish angling and birding, with lunch packed for the road on longer outings. Guests usually arrive on a 30-minute flight from Lusaka to the lodge's own tarred Royal Airstrip, five to ten minutes' drive away; others come by boat or by four-wheel drive.
- Nearest airport
- Royal Airstrip, five to ten minutes from the lodge; about 30 minutes by light aircraft from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka
- Rooms
- 15 suites (MICHELIN Guide)
Insider tip Light aircraft into the Royal Airstrip allow 15 kilograms of checked luggage in soft bags without frames, plus five kilograms of hand luggage, so pack accordingly.
Why I choose it A family-built lodge on the Zambezi facing Mana Pools, with its own airstrip, a riverside spa and every kind of safari from canoe to night drive.