- A solar-powered tented camp with a whole private island to itself — a 1.4-kilometre sandbar in the Zambezi, inside Zambezi National Park, about twenty kilometres upstream of Victoria Falls.
- Just eight East-African-style suites raised on platforms over the river — six River View Suites and two Family River View Suites — for a maximum of twenty-two guests.
- Run by Seolo Africa on a fully inclusive basis: all meals, teas and coffee, soft drinks, selected local beers and wines, and two guided activities a day.
- Reached by road to the Zambezi National Park gate and a short boat transfer to the island, with the Falls close enough for a half-day visit.
- Children aged six and over are welcome in the family suites; the whole island can be taken on an exclusive-use basis for a family or group of any age.
Why Chundu Island
Most lodges on this stretch of the Zambezi sit on the mainland and look out at the river. Chundu Island does the opposite: it has the river on every side. The camp occupies the whole of a private 1.4-kilometre island inside Zambezi National Park, roughly twenty kilometres upstream of Victoria Falls, where the water braids into quiet channels and the only arrivals are by boat. It is the rare Victoria Falls address that feels like deep wilderness while keeping the Falls within a morning's reach.
Where the estate hotels near town — the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and its Safari Club — trade on convenience and a floodlit waterhole, Chundu trades on seclusion and the river itself. It is closer in spirit to the in-park camps upstream, such as Old Drift Lodge, but with the added privacy of an island all its own. For travellers who want the Falls as one chapter of a genuine river-wilderness stay rather than the whole trip, this is the one to book.
The Suites — Space & Layout
There are only eight suites on the whole island, each an East-African-style tent raised on a timber platform above the water, so the Zambezi is the view and the soundtrack from every bed. Six are River View Suites for two guests, configured with a super-king or twin beds; the remaining two are Family River View Suites, which add a separate second bedroom for children. With no suite far from the next channel, the camp takes a maximum of twenty-two guests at a time.
Each suite opens onto a private deck over the river, furnished with a day bed for the long middle of the day. Inside, the en-suite bathroom runs to a freestanding bath, a vanity and both an indoor and an outdoor shower, and there is a walk-in dressing area behind. Mosquito nets are fitted throughout — this is a malaria area — and ceiling fans move the air rather than air-conditioning, in keeping with the camp's light solar footprint. Charging points for phones and cameras are in each suite, with low-voltage hairdryers kept at reception.
Life on the Island
At the centre of the camp is an open-plan lounge and bar, built to sit with the river rather than wall it out, where meals, drinks and the slow hours between activities take place. A swimming pool looks out over the water, and in the evenings a fire pit is lit for dinner under the stars. When the Zambezi drops in the dry months, sandy beaches surface along the island's edge and the kitchen moves dining down to the water for a meal on the sand.
Chundu runs on solar power, which sets the rhythm of the place: quiet, unhurried and close to the river. Because the whole island belongs to the camp, there is no passing traffic and no neighbouring property — walks, meals and sundowners happen in complete privacy. It is a small, hosted camp where the team learns your name on the first evening, not a resort.
Activities — Two a Day
The fully inclusive rate covers two guided activities a day, and the island's position inside Zambezi National Park gives real range. On the water there is canoeing through the quiet channels, sunrise and sunset river cruises, and fishing for tigerfish and bream on the Zambezi. On land, game drives run in Zambezi National Park — a strict no-off-road policy keeps the park's tracks and wildlife undisturbed — alongside guided island and bush walks and some of the finest birding on the river.
The Falls themselves sit about twenty kilometres downstream, close enough for a half-day tour of the rainforest from camp. Beyond that, the team can arrange the full Victoria Falls menu on request — a helicopter Flight of Angels, white-water rafting, the bungee from the bridge — as well as day trips across to Chobe in Botswana for those with the time. It is an easy place to do a great deal or very little, exactly as the day suggests.
Family & Who It Suits
Chundu suits couples and friends who want a quiet river-wilderness base, and it works for families too. The two Family River View Suites each add a separate second bedroom for children, and children aged six and over are welcome in the ordinary course. For a family travelling with younger children, or a multi-generational group who want the island to themselves, the camp can be booked on an exclusive-use basis — all eight suites and twenty-two beds — which opens it to all ages and gives a group the whole 1.4-kilometre island, its guides and its boats for the duration.
Because this is a genuine wilderness camp on an island reached by boat, it rewards travellers who are comfortable with water transfers and an unfenced setting rather than those wanting a hotel's structure. We talk every family through the logistics before booking so the stay fits the ages and the pace of the group.
Getting There & The Falls
Arrival is part of the stay. Guests are met and driven to the Zambezi National Park gate, then transferred by boat up the river to the island — a short, scenic run that leaves the road behind for good. Victoria Falls Airport is roughly forty-five minutes to an hour away by road from the park gate, which makes the camp an easy first or last stop on a wider journey through Hwange, Chobe or the length of the Zambezi.
Once on the island there is no need to move again until you leave: every activity, meal and transfer is arranged from camp. For the Falls, the team runs a half-day visit downstream to the rainforest; for everything else — cruises, drives, canoeing, fishing — you simply step from your deck to a boat. It is the kind of logistics-light stay that lets a family or a couple settle completely into the river.
Best Time to Visit
Chundu is open year-round, and the Zambezi changes character with the seasons. The dry months of May to October are the classic window: warm days, cool nights, thinning bush and heavy game traffic to the water, with low water exposing the island's sandy beaches for dining on the sand. February to May is peak flow for the Falls downstream, when the spray is at its most powerful and the river runs high and fast. The green season from November to March is lush and quiet, with excellent birding, dramatic skies and softer rates. For a first visit that balances the Falls, the wildlife and easy weather, the dry season from July to October is hard to beat; the green season rewards photographers and birders who can travel outside the busiest months.
Rates & How to Book
| Location | A private island in the Zambezi, inside Zambezi National Park, ~20km upstream of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe |
|---|---|
| Suites | 8 tented suites — 6 River View & 2 Family River View — max 22 guests |
| Children | 6 and over welcome; all ages on exclusive-use bookings |
| Board | Fully inclusive — all meals, teas & coffee, soft drinks, selected local beers & wines, two activities a day |
| Best for | Couples, friends & families wanting a private river-wilderness base near the Falls |
Chundu Island is sold per person per night on a fully inclusive basis. Published 2026 rates run from roughly US$330 to US$495 per person sharing depending on the season, covering all meals, teas and coffee, soft drinks, selected local beers and wines, and two guided activities a day. A Zambezi National Park conservation fee of about US$15 per person and Victoria Falls rainforest entry are charged separately, as these vary by residency. We hold current nett rates and tailor each stay — pairing Chundu with Hwange, Chobe or Mana Pools for the complete Zimbabwe journey, or taking the whole island on exclusive use for a family or group. Contact us for live pricing and availability.
Planning your own Zambezi river-wilderness safari? Talk to a Beyond Africa Safaris specialist, browse our tailor-made Zimbabwe packages, read our guide to Zimbabwe's best lodges, or message us on WhatsApp for private, custom pricing.
