Three private suites face the upper Zambezi from its Zimbabwean bank, inside Zambezi National Park and upstream of Victoria Falls, each with a deck and plunge pool above the water. Hippos rise and blow in the channel while elephants feed on the bank. Game drives in the park and cruises on the river come with the stay, and Victoria Falls airport is about thirty minutes away by road.
Hippos rise and blow in the channel while elephants feed on the bank.
The villa opened in 2022 as a self-contained house within Victoria Falls River Lodge. It has its own lounge and dining room, and its own chef’s kitchen and butler. A family can take the whole of it, and then every outing becomes theirs alone, the falls tour included. A couple can book a single suite instead and share the lounge and the table with other guests.
Zambezi National Park holds about 40 kilometres of river frontage, so the villa is on the water and in the park at once. Two activities a day come with the stay, split between land and water. Mornings go to the drives in search of buffalo, sable and kudu. As the light goes, the boat slips past hippos and crocodiles. A guided tour of the falls is included as well.
As the light goes, the boat slips past hippos and crocodiles.
The tour follows the rainforest paths through the drifting spray. Beyond it, walks with a licensed guide and tigerfish fishing can be added, and treatments at the lodge spa can be booked as an extra. Helicopter flights go up over the falls and the river. Transfers from Victoria Falls airport are private.
Hippo Creek Villa grew from the first private lodge inside Zambezi National Park, which has stayed in its founder’s family ever since. The villa followed, begun in March 2022 and finished in seven months. Local teams built it, most of them employed directly by the lodge. The trees on the site were left standing and built around, so its thatch and timber sit beneath a canopy that was already there.
Two king or twin suites suit grandparents or couples travelling together. The family suite runs over two floors, with a second bedroom upstairs. Between them, the three suites sleep six adults and two children. Children of every age are welcome, so a toddler and a teenager can share the same booking, the same guide and the same table. Take the whole villa and the butler and kitchen answer to one group, and the drives, cruises and falls tour are private. Meals and nap times follow the family’s clock, and so do the early starts.
After dark the loudest sounds are the river sliding past and the leaves shifting overhead.
Meals come from the villa’s own chef’s kitchen, and every meal, local drinks and afternoon tea are included in the stay. The butler keeps the day moving, with coffee before the morning drive, lunch on the deck and a cold drink ready when the boat comes back. Dinner moves between the dining room and the deck with the weather and the mood of the table. After dark the loudest sounds are the river sliding past and the leaves shifting overhead. Now and then a hippo snorts somewhere below the bank.
Away from the river, the drives search the park for lion and leopard among herds of zebra, impala and giraffe. More than 400 bird species have been recorded across its woodland and river edge, and the birding begins on the suite decks, in the trees the villa was built around. Walks with a licensed guide cover the same ground on foot, reading tracks in the sand and stopping for birdsong. Back at the villa, the hours between one outing and the next belong to the plunge pool and a shaded deck, with the upper Zambezi in view.
accommodation
Hippo Creek Villa has three suites: two king or twin suites and a family suite with a second bedroom upstairs. Each has a private deck and plunge pool facing the Zambezi, an open-plan bathroom with a freestanding bath and indoor and outdoor showers, air conditioning, ceiling fans, a stocked minibar, tea, coffee and Wi-Fi.
activities
Two activities a day are included: morning and afternoon game drives in Zambezi National Park, sunrise and sunset cruises on the upper Zambezi, and a guided tour of the falls. Guided walks in the park, tigerfish fishing, spa treatments and helicopter flights can be added. Game viewing from the suite decks needs no outing.
conservation
The villa belongs to Victoria Falls River Lodge, which supports the Zambezi National Park Support Foundation. The foundation backs the anti-poaching rangers who patrol the park, the same ground the villa's guests explore on game drives and river cruises.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
