Aberfoyle Lodge

Aberfoyle Lodge sits in the Honde Valley in Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands, surrounded by tea plantations, rivers, riparian forest, and mountains. The main lodge looks out directly over a nine-hole golf course designed in the 1950s, with fairways running along the river's edge. Club hire and caddies are available on request.

Rooms are named and decorated after local bird species — Fish Eagle, Narina Trogon, African Pitta among them — each with an en-suite bathroom, ceiling fan, tea and coffee station, and a veranda overlooking either the course or the surrounding trees. The lodge also has two self-catering houses: Hornbill House, a three-bedroom property sleeping seven adults with a fenced pool and views over the tea plantations, and Wagtail House, a newer three-bedroom house on a forest outcrop with mountain views. A converted squash court provides dormitory-style accommodation in four rooms, each sleeping eight.

The guided birding is a serious draw. Head guide Morgan, who grew up caddying at the lodge, is now one of the more respected local bird guides in southern Africa. He leads walks through the forests after species specific to the area.

Other activities include a zipline canopy tour over the Nyamkombe River, boat cruises on Wamba Dam, nature walks to three nearby waterfalls — including a ten-metre natural waterslide on the Nyawamba River — an eighteen-hole grass putt-putt course, and tours of the on-site tea factory that takes leaves from field to cup within twenty-four hours. The lodge grows a significant portion of its vegetables in an organic garden a short walk from the main building.

The Arches, a separate event venue opened in November 2021, handles conferences, weddings, and exhibitions of local and national artwork.