A Newly Recommended Hotel in Zimbabwe

Instead of traveling to Victoria Falls in March, April and May, when most people do, our editor visited during the rainy season. He was delighted to find fewer crowds, lower prices and a prettier landscape. He stayed in contrasting safari lodges on both sides of the falls, in Zambia and Zimbabwe, but only one met his expectations.

Victoria Falls River Lodge Island Treehouses

Set within the splendid Zambezi National Park, this five-villa property, affiliated with the larger Victoria Falls River Lodge, operates as its own self-contained resort on a private island. Elevated boardwalks lead to wood-paneled treehouses, which have air-conditioning in the bedrooms but not baths, and plunge pools on wide terraces.

From the editor: “A boardwalk led to the main lounge, a stylish open-air space of sofas and dining tables overlooking the river, shaded by a reed canopy and mature tropical trees. Our gracious waiter, Reeves, was as much the heart of the lodge as its manager. We also dined at a table next to the cocktail bar, on a platform high above the rest of the buildings. During the day, it afforded panoramas of the island and river and, at night, unimpeded views of the moon and stars.”

Read more about Victoria Falls River Lodge Island Treehouses.