Batonka Guest Lodge
Batonka Guest Lodge is nestled in a quiet setting with easy access to the vibrant town of Victoria Falls.
Batonka Guest Lodge is a charming guest lodge with an elegant, homely feel. It’s an ideal base for visiting the falls, being only a short transfer to the main attractions and yet benefitting from a tranquil location in the suburbs of the town. The accommodation is comfortable, staff are welcoming and friendly, and the manicured gardens are very impressive. Some relaxation time by the pool or a drink on the shady veranda are the perfect way to wind down after a busy day at the falls.
Rooms
The 27 rooms are designated as either ‘Pool View’ or ‘Garden View’ rooms and are arranged in five blocks dotted around the gardens. The rooms are all very spacious with a fresh and contemporary décor. Twin or double beds are set under mosquito nets, and private en suite facilities comprising of WC, vanity unit and shower. The Pool View rooms have a bath too. Each room also has a private furnished terrace, overlooking either the manicured lawns and pool, or the garden at the rear of the property. The Flame Lily Wing consists of five Garden View rooms all in a similar to design to the Pool Rooms and this wing has its own pool and dining/bar area making it ideal for small groups of friends and family travelling together.
The Garden Rooms include four sets of interleading rooms which are ideal for families. One of these is a standard en suite room connected to a further smaller twin room, sharing a bathroom, allowing larger families to be accommodated.
Central Areas
The main house has been built to resemble a colonial home and comprises the reception and small shop, an airy lounge and an indoor dining area leading onto a vast terrace with an outdoor dining area and bar. Meals are served either on the terrace or in the dining room. Light lunches and three course set menu dinners are also offered to guests.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming Pool – Yes
Habitat & Wildlife
Victoria Falls, known by the local Kololo tribe as ‘Mosi au Tunya’ (the smoke that thunders), is one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of the World” heritage sites and one of the largest and most spectacular waterfalls on earth.
Victoria Falls National Park is a small park that encompasses the falls themselves and the immediate surrounding countryside, including the town of Victoria Falls.
Spanning a width of some 1,700 metres, the waters of the mighty Zambezi actually plunge down five distinct waterfalls, separated by islands which account for just over 300 metres of the total span. Four of these falls are in Zimbabwe: The Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls and Horseshoe Falls, and one, The Eastern Cataract, is in the bordering country of Zambia. The average height is just less than 100 metres.
During the peak flood season (April and May), the flow increases to some 625 million litres per minute. At this time, the spray makes viewing of the falls from the ground almost impossible and it is advisable to take an aerial view on what is commonly referred to as a ‘flight of angels’. By September, the waters of the Zambezi have dropped significantly to allow views of the individual falls. This remains until March when the river starts to rise again.
David Livingstone was the first European to ‘discover’ the falls when he visited them in November 1855. He later wrote, “no one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.” He named them after his Queen, for the first and only time deviating from his practise of naming places and features after their local native names, in this instance “Mo ku sa tunya mosi” (nowadays shortened to mosi-au-tunya). The David Livingstone statue can be found near the spectacular Devil’s Cataract viewpoint.
The rainforest area is filled with many species of fig, mahogany and date palm groves, as well as an impressive list of birds and smaller mammals such as vervet monkeys, baboons and bushbuck.
From the centre of Victoria Falls town, the Falls are a leisurely 10 minute walk away.
Activities
The lodge offers a twice daily shuttle (morning and afternoon) to Victoria Falls town. Aside from a tour of the Falls themselves (either guided or self-guided), some of the many optional activities which can be undertaken during your visit to the Victoria Falls include:
‘Flights of Angels’ helicopter tours over the Falls. The shorter flights concentrate on the Falls themselves, while the longer flights include flying over the Batoka Gorge below Victoria Falls.
Trips to Livingstone Island on the Zambia side of the Falls – you can plan for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea on the island and can also take your swimming costume and include a swim in Devil’s Pool – a natural rock pool on the edge of the falls!
White water rafting – experience some of the finest white water the world has to offer (dependant on water levels).
Bird watching, sunset cruises or dinner cruises by boat on the Zambezi River.
For those that like to be active, other excursions include a full day canoeing on the upper Zambezi, horse-riding and an array of adrenaline-fuelled activities such as a bungee jump, gorge swing and zip line.
Most excursions can easily be booked direct at the property, but some do require advance booking to secure availability.
Seasons
Batonka Guest Lodge is open all year round, though it is the rainy season from November to March.
Children of all ages are welcome and the property is a great value option for families with flexible accommodation from interleading rooms, to an entire wing which is perfect for larger families wanting their own space with private pool. The lovely gardens and communal pool, together with short driving distance from the Falls, makes this a very family-friendly option.
Batonka Lodge donates a portion of every bednight to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and to the Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit to support wildlife conservation in the region.
The VFWT is a non-profit organization whose mission is to conserve wildlife and natural ecosystems in the Victoria Falls region of Zimbabwe. The VFWT work directly with communities to encourage good environmental stewardship, provide scientific solutions to today’s wildlife management challenges, and rescue, rehabilitate and release wildlife injured through human interference. A visit to the Trust is possible during a stay at the lodge.
The Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit (VFAPU) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of local wildlife and natural resources with their main mission being to eradicate poaching in the Victoria Falls region through education, management and boots on the ground.
The Lodge also uses solar heating water boilers throughout, uses grey water collection for garden water and supports a private sector recycling initiative.stay is donated towards.
