Elephant Valley Lodge

Elephant Valley Lodge sits in the Kasane Forest Reserve in Zambia's Lesoma Valley, positioned between Chobe National Park in Botswana to the south and the Matetsi wildlife conservancy. The valley connects those two conservation areas, and game moves freely through it — the Chobe District holds a higher concentration of African elephant than anywhere else on the continent. From the lodge's communal areas and individual tent verandas, the waterhole below draws elephant, giraffe, buffalo, waterbuck, kudu, warthog, honey badger, jackal, mongoose, leopard, lion, hyena, and wild dog at various hours. At night you can hear hyena, jackal, and sometimes lion from the valley floor.

The camp holds twenty meru-style safari tents divided between two groups: twelve forest tents sit under a canopy of acacia and other trees around the pool, and eight valley tents face directly over the valley and waterhole. One forest tent is configured as a family tent with a king bed in the main room, two twin beds in a second room, and a large bathroom with both bath and shower. All tents have en-suite shower and toilet, tea and coffee facilities, fan, air conditioning, mosquito nets, and a veranda with seating.

Activities run daily into Chobe National Park — four-wheel-drive game drives and boat cruises on the Chobe River. Day trips to Victoria Falls can be arranged from the lodge. A rim-flow pool overlooks the waterhole, and a traditional outdoor boma serves evening meals.