River View Lodge

We only stayed for one night but very much enjoyed our time here! The food was great, and we appreciated the chilled water cooler for refilling our bottles. We did not get a chance to enjoy the pool or lounge area very much, but it looked very nice and relaxing. The air con in the room was strong and worked well, and the room itself was clean and comfortable. We had a great time on the boating safari and early morning game drive, and had a wonderful guide.

We stayed in this hotel 2 nights during a trip through Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The hotel is outdated and rooms need a serious refurbishment. Pool surrounded by a wooden terrace. Many planks close to the pool are rotten and partly repaired with metal plates, but remain extremely dangerous. This is far from the presentation on the webside. Lounge choirs at the pools are disgusting and not cleaned on a daily basis. Used towels from the previous day were not removed in the morning at 9:30. Sun umbrellas at the pool dirty and damaged. One broken wooden part just repaired with 2 plastic cable clamps. Breakfast buffet far below average. Dinner served on a couple of small tables as well as a table of 12 persons, mixing rooms. This would be acceptable in a b&b type maison d’hôte in France or agriturismo in Italy but not in a hotel. On the positive side, I would mention a friendly team and a well organized evening cruise tour. Place definitely not to be recommended.

Fantastic stay Very very clean rooms. Great breakfast and light lunch - both included. On riverfront with great view of sunset. No insects despite Kasane being full of bugs. Wouldn’t stay anywhere else.

After much debate we opted not to hire a car and so I emailed the lodge to ask advice about airport pick up and taxis to Victoria Falls and info on what activities were available. Shingi was quick to respond and we got everything in place before we arrived. The lodge is a little out of the way, small but lovely. Our room was exceptionally clean and the bed was very comfy. Food is ordered earlier in the day with a choice of two starters and mains, and we couldn’t fault it. Breakfast had a selection of fruit, cereal, meats and cheeses and there was the option of cooked, omelet or a special every day. Staff were friendly and helpful and we were always greeted with a smile. We enjoyed the communal set up for dining instead of everyone being sat at their own table. It was a great opportunity to talk to other guests, get hints and tips about some of the trips and to discuss where they had been and what they had seen. We booked two morning game drives and two afternoon boat trips. Matthew took us on all but one of these. He had great knowledge of the animals and we saw lion, elephants, giraffes on the game drives. The highlight for us though were the two boat trips, they really were special. Great opportunity to see elephants at play in the river and hippos going about their lives, we were also luck to capture two buffalo swimming between islands. Matthew was able to get us in close for photos whilst always being aware of the other boats and making sure we didn’t overcrowd the animals. When we come back to Botswana this will definitely be where we stay again.