Mukwa River Lodge

Mukwa River Lodge sits on the bank of the Zambezi River on the Nakatindi Road outside Livingstone, twenty minutes by road from Victoria Falls. The lodge is family-owned and holds seven rooms across three room types and a separate cottage — small enough that the staff know who you are.

The River Suites and the two-bedroom Family River Suite face the river directly, built from natural materials and furnished with local crafts and custom-made pieces. Each has a plunge pool, double outdoor showers, a bath, and a wooden deck with loungers and a dining area. The Island Suites are set on ground surrounded by water, which keeps them quieter. Mukwa Cottage sits in the gardens rather than on the river; it has two bedrooms — a king en-suite and a twin — its own pool, and a television, which makes it the practical choice for families who want more independence.

The kitchen grows herbs, vegetables, and fruit in organic gardens on the property, bakes its own bread, and makes ice cream on-site. Dinner in the boma is one option; breakfast is taken overlooking the river. The lodge can accommodate halaal and kosher dietary requirements, and menus are adjusted for allergies.

The lodge runs its own morning and sunset river cruises on the Zambezi, opposite Zambezi National Park, where elephant and other wildlife come to drink along the far bank. Guided excursions to Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, helicopter flights over the falls and Batoka Gorge, and a full menu of activities around Livingstone — game drives, canoeing, horse-back safaris, rhino tracking — are arranged through the travel desk. A complimentary airport shuttle is included.