Chundu Island

We had a great stay on Chundu Island. Warm, friendly and helpful staff; great guiding from Tutu. The river provides a beautiful backdrop to the lodge and hippos provide the soundtrack. The room was large and very comfortable. I heartily recommend.

We had not been to Chundu Island before but had added it to our 18 day itinerary this year as a change from the usual. What a delightful setting with upscale accommodations. We had been on many game drives previous to this stop so we opted to simply enjoy the sights from the main area and from our deck on the river. There were many activities available and we plan to avail ourselves of them next year but this year, we were interested in a break in the activities. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The meals were excellent. The chef accommodated our wishes for smaller meal sizes after we realized that there was just too much food being served each meal. We truly loved this 3 night stop and, as I said, we plan to return next year too.

Our adventures at Chundu began immediately, and the fun lasted right up until the end. Our guide, Gerald, was waiting for us at the entrance to the Zambezi National Park, ready for the 45 minute drive to Chundu’s small ferry landing, and what eventuated during that trip made us like him immediately. We had the best giraffe sighting of our whole safari during that drive, and also saw zebras (we saw a baby zebra there a few days later), and other smaller game. It had been raining heavily earlier that day, and much of the dirt road had turned to mud. Gerald tackled it like a pro, and if he was freaking out on the inside, it didn’t show. He handled the situation with humour, even when our 4WD got stuck in knee-deep mud. The ride turned into one great romp that we enjoyed immensely. We stayed at Chundu over Christmas, and the team there did everything they could to make it a memorable one. There were lots of special festive touches (the food was delicious and plentiful, and our son rated the Christmas night bbq as his favourite meal while on Safari). The entire staff worked well as a team - everyone was likeable, friendly and eager to please. We felt welcome and at ease during our whole stay. The atmosphere was chilled and relaxed. The rooms were comfortable and well appointed. Possibly a little on the rustic side compared to most of our safari accommodation, but that’s not a negative. It was quite exciting to find fresh hippo tracks beside our room one morning after hearing them splash around in the water overnight, just outside our cabin. The WiFi didn’t reach the rooms (our teenagers weren’t too happy about this), but the WiFi in the common area was good, and the layout of couches etc in that space comfortable, with a nice outlook. Given it was quite rainy during our stay, we were lucky when it came to activities. We fished a couple of times - they weren’t biting, but for us that wasn’t the point of the exercise. We were just pinching ourselves that we were in the middle of the Zambezi River, enjoying a sundowner and good company while watching a spectacular sunset. (If fishing is important to you, consider bringing your own gear). We also canoed the Zambezi River, being dropped off upriver from Chundu with a professional canoe guide, as well as Gerald. This was a little confronting (you’re canoeing in hippo and crocodile territory, and it’s physically hard work), but we were so glad we did it. Gerald also took us on a morning bush walk around the island, which was interesting. He knew his stuff! And he took us on a game drive later that day, which turned into another adventure, and one of our most memorable, fun sundowners while on safari. (The 4WD broke down on the way to the picnic spot, and while waiting for back-up to arrive we improvised, with Gerald serving us G&Ts from the back of the 4WD in the middle of nowhere, which generated plenty of jokes about us becoming a lion’s sundowner. We knew we were in safe hands, and had a lot of f

Staff and manager/host , food, service—excellent 10+; laundry service available each day. Internet available at the main lodge area. Cabin/tent/room excellent (no heat and no ac-most important to bring warm clothes for night/sleep and morning game drives). Not allowed to walk at dark without escort. Very private island-needs boat each time to access. Outdoor shower is private; indoor toilet private; great view water/river. All water is potable. Outside common Plunge swimming pool Game drives each day/twice; Fishing, canoeing, sunset cruise, and Nature walk on island available. Guide took us to Victoria Falls included in package. Inside a national park protected and managed by government. Game drives excellent; lots of game; the guide, Johannes- is excellent and knowledgeable. The game vehicle is in great shape and comfortable but there are a lot of bumpy roads/trail. This is shoulder season-beginning of winter and dry season-good time to go.

This was a near perfect stay. We were made to feel like we were the only guests. Service was 100%, location is a dream and the villa was beautiful, clean and slick. Activities great also. One of those places where you can't hear yourself breathing - we were so relaxed

Fabulous lodge in a great location. Each canvas lodge is very large with huge king bed, very comfortable and beautifully decorated. Although we got a cold spell the hot water bottles and thick duvet made for a wonderful night's sleep even with the window open (we wanted to hear nature's sounds). In morning we saw a large crocodile swim past. We obviously didn't use the pool due to cold weather but it's in a beautiful setting. Food was very good and staff all friendly. Johannes our guide took us on daily game drives and we saw plenty of game. He also took our grandchildren fishing and all of us to Victoria falls. Dudley the manager was very friendly and helpful in every way. Highly recommended