Hello Singapore
Thanks for your kind review of our new Victoria Falls Safari Club and for choosing to stay with us. I should like to offer my own views on some of your issues in the hope of clearing what may be some misconceptions and to give “our take”.
Your headline says “.....but a bit out of town.” A valid fact, of course, but still less than 10 minutes by coach. However, you may well have preferred to be walking distance to shops, other hotels, curio sellers, street vendors, etc. From our standpoint we believe that our location is a very unique benefit to guests at Victoria Falls.
Consider, just 10 minutes to the town centre; the only hotel facing west and, perched on a hilltop, affording dramatic views of the wilderness landscape, waterhole and sunsets; the only hotel overlooking wildlife; its location provides unmatched peacefulness and a piece of authentic Africa – very few man-made objects in site as you gaze 60km into the distance towards Botswana.
Please also consider that Victoria Falls is not sold and promoted as a “big five” or major safari destination, like Chobe and Hwange. Rather the awesome Natural Wonder of the World Victoria Falls is at the centrepiece, surrounded by a vast array of soft and adrenaline activities that make it the unchallenged Adventure Capital of Africa. The animals are an added bonus, especially if you are on a canoe or boat on the legendary Zambezi; walking in the park or if you overlook our Victoria Falls Safari Lodge waterhole.
Therefore we truly believe that our vista is astonishing and many people write about that fact, as may be readily seen by TripAdvisor reviews. We don’t pretend to be like Chobe, though of the many hotels and lodges in and near Chobe precious few have outstanding (or any) views of wildlife from the property. Ngoma Safari Lodge is best; Chobe Game Lodge and Chilwero (very distant) maybe, but others........? You have to get into a 4 x 4 vehicle or boat to go and see the wildlife which, in September and October, is truly amazing on the floodplains – best in the world!
We agree, too, that the grand old colonial lady The Victoria Falls Hotel has great charm and elegance, but we’d like to debate with you your observation that “it is directly above the falls.” From the terrace, flagpole and Jungle Junction restaurant the view is, we agree, special....but you look down the gorge at the spray and the bridge with actually very little, or no, view of the actual Falls. There is absolutely nothing perched directly above the falls!
I have really enjoyed this little “repartee” with you and hope you will appreciate some of our comments. We do, however, really value and thank you for your four star review of Victoria Falls Safari Club.
Claire Wright
Club Manager
claire@saflodge.co.zw