Matabeleland North · Zimbabwe
Matetsi Victoria Falls River Lodge
Eighteen river suites on fifteen private kilometres of Zambezi frontage
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Matetsi occupies a private reserve of some 55,000 hectares upstream of Victoria Falls, with about fifteen kilometres of Zambezi frontage entirely to itself. The lodge is split into two separate camps of nine suites each, so no single dining room ever holds more than a couple of dozen guests.
Every suite faces the river, with a private pool and a deck close enough to the bank that hippos are audible from bed. The reserve carries elephant, buffalo, sable, lion and leopard, and game drives happen with no other operators around.
The falls are a short drive away and the lodge arranges guided visits, but a good deal of the appeal is the water itself: sunset cruises, fishing for tiger fish and bream, canoeing and river-bank picnics. The design is clean and contemporary, with a lot of glass and timber and very little safari cliche.
At a glance
What to expect
- Private plunge pools
- Zambezi river cruises
- Tiger fishing
- Private reserve game drives
- Guided Victoria Falls visits
- Spa and gym
- Guided walks
- All meals and select drinks
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