This award winning eco-lodge in Zambia leans into the tranquillity of its hidden location on the banks of the Zambezi River.
Combine romance and luxury with a hint of adventure as you relax just 12km upstream of Victoria Falls. Our joyous team welcome guests to a selection of Houses and Cottages, each embellished with interiors lovingly chosen from around Africa. Immerse yourself in nature and experience unique dining and river activities.
Conde Nast may have called Tongabezi one of the top 20 Hotels in the World, but would you believe we started out as tents with bucket showers?
Our five River Cottages, four Houses, and three Family Houses emphasise individuality and exclusivity, which is why it is especially important to choose a room that best reflects the Tongabezi experience you are dreaming of.
We are deeply embedded within our community and environment, and encourage your engagement in our education, health, farming and sustainability projects.
Stay up to date about developments happening within our community and conservation projects as well as new offerings and specials at our properties.
Visit our nearest traditional village, where a local villager will act as your guide. This is a unique opportunity for the village to share their culture with you. You will be able to interact and converse and fi nd out more about our traditional village lifestyle.
Come and explore some of our 12.6 hectares of sweetveld (nutritious vegetation), which is rapidly becoming a fully sustainable, organic community-run farm. Our team absolutely loves to teach travellers about sustainable farming techniques, from alley cropping to grazing rotation and even to the home-made fertiliser and organic pesticide that are used.
Be inspired by how a small classroom has become a school of over 240-students from surrounding villages and be a part of supporting its ongoing success.
Learn about how the Tongabezi team is championing healthy environments and small-scale farming in neighbouring communities by planting indigenous trees, including fruit-bearing species.
A long, cool pool set on a sun-drenched deck, with the bush as your backdrop and a poolside bar within easy reach. Swim a few lengths, sink into a lounger under a wide African sky, or let the afternoon drift by with a drink in hand. Simple pleasures, perfectly placed.
The gym has a television to pass time as well as Google Chrome to allow guests to cast their own workout app on the television. Heated workouts come naturally here, thanks to Zambia's warm climate and a personal trainer on site for that extra nudge when you need it. Guests have access to a toilet and shower room to freshen up after their workout.
Explore the mighty Zambezi River by power boat at sunrise or sunset, complete with snacks and drinks.
Stroll along the Zambian edge of the Victoria Falls, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Surrounded by rainforests, looking down into the gorge at the rainbows that the falls create.
Encounter a variety of wildlife in Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park from the comfort of an open vehicle driven by an experienced and knowledgeable guide.
There are numerous species of fi sh to be found in the Zambezi River and you have the opportunity to cast your line towards them. This is another opportunity to see the hippos, countless birdlife and other wildlife while being on the river, too.
Step aboard your own private floating platform and drift into one of Africa's most extraordinary dining experiences. Guests are ferried by boat to the heart of the Zambezi River, where a candlelit sampan awaits, anchored gently in the current with nothing but open water, star-filled skies, and the sounds of the African night all around. Over the course of the evening, each dish of a three-course meal is delivered by canoe, brought to your table by attentive waiters and occasionally accompanied by the lilting voices of a singing choir drifting across the water. The hippos, frogs, and birds of the Zambezi provide a chorus of their own. Whether you are celebrating a honeymoon, a milestone, or simply the joy of being here, Sampan dinner is an experience unlike any other: intimate, magical, and utterly unforgettable.
The local Livingstone markets have been running since the dawn of shopping. It is the epicentre of life for the people who call the town home and the place they gather to wheel and deal and catch up on the local news.
The Livingstone Museum is located in the centre of town with artefacts from the stone age to David Livingstone's personal effects.
Glide across the Zambezi in near-perfect silence on Tongabezi's electric dhow. Powered by a quiet 10kW electric motor, the eDhow does away with the noise and fumes of a conventional engine, leaving nothing between you and the river but the sound of the water, the birds, and whatever wildlife chooses to make an appearance. Crafted from mukwa, a durable indigenous hardwood, the vessel was designed in collaboration with Dutch boat builder Koos van den Steuijt and Tongabezi's own carpentry team. Its sweeping lines draw inspiration from the traditional dhows of Lake Malawi, giving it a timeless, unhurried elegance that feels perfectly at home on the Zambezi. Comfortably accommodating six to eight guests over a three-hour cruise, the eDhow is as practical as it is beautiful. It recharges at the lodge jetty using hydroelectric power from the Batoka Power Station near the Falls, and is efficient enough to complete multiple trips on a single charge. The hippos, no doubt, appreciate the peace and quiet.
The Tongabezi tennis courts have been transformed into our veggie and herb garden with an array of herbs, citrus fruits, seasonal tropical fruits as well as vegetables and salad ingredients.
For three days during the full moon when the Zambezi River is high, a Lunar Rainbow can be experienced over Victoria Falls. This is when the moon is bright enough to refl ect in the spray from the waterfall and is a truly unforgettable sight. April to August tends to be the best time for moonbows.
Twaabane Creative Centre provides high-quality vocational training to improve access to income-generating opportunities and ultimately promote social and economic development in Simonga. Guests can visit and learn about the centre's story, vision and values, enjoy a site tour and meet the trainers and trainees.
Take a riveting boat ride to an island that has been specially picked out by our guides and enjoy a 3-course menu in the bush surrounded by the Zambezi. You will have the opportunity of seeing elephants, hippos, impala and diff erent birdlife. Your valet and boat guide will be on hand if you have any questions.
The ranges that you can cycle go from 5km to 100km, short or long our guides know some great on and off -road tracks. The border is your limit!