ZIMBABWE | FAMILY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL
FAMILY FRIENDLY [ WRITER / PHOTO : Sarah Kerr ]
Travel
I feel my shoulders relax the moment we step onto our luxurious transfer boat. Around us, the wide, blue Zambezi sparkles in the sunshine of a perfect day. My husband and I relax onto the leather seats and I can feel my son’s excitement at being on a boat. We make our way upriver toward Old Drift Lodge, enjoying the gentle breeze and views of the islands and ilala palm-dotted banks as we search for animals. The lodge is in the wildlife enclave of Zambezi National Park, just upstream from Victoria Falls. It is an ideal retreat for families, which is an unusual point of difference in the safari world. A mere 15 minutes later, we round a large bend in the wide river and catch our first glimpse of the lodge. The 14 tented riverside suites are strung along a broad stretch of the Zambezi. Each of them is carefully placed so that they merge harmoniously with the riverine forest, their cream canvas peaks nestled amongst the mangosteen and bird plums. I know we are just seven kilometres from the town of Victoria Falls, but I feel a world away as the sound of a hippo laughing reverberates across the water.
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TRAVEL & LEISURE | Jan - April 2022
