Ntwala Island Lodge

Ntwala Island Lodge Review

East of Susuwe Island Lodge is the breathtaking, daringly beautiful Ntwala Island Lodge. Only 80 km (50 mi) upstream from Victoria Falls, the four art deco-meets-Africa chalets are built on an untouched Namibian cluster of small islands linked by floating wooden walkways. You can fly in from Namibia or Botswana, but there's also a road option. Drive to Kasane in Botswana, and then board a small boat that skirts rapids and dodges hippos as it takes you to your very own Treasure Island. A gray, mosaic-edge, kidney-shaped pool surrounded by white sand shimmers outside your cream-color, tile-roof chalet, just a couple of yards from the rushing Zambezi. The braying of trumpeter hornbills, the liquid notes of the robins, and the startled calls of francolins greet you. The chalets are spectacular by any standard, with huge rooms, circular wooden canopies echoing the circular bed platforms, carved half-moon chests, handwrought light fittings of metal feathers, and bathrooms big enough to host a party. Freestanding canvas and wooden screens are topped by metal Prince-of-Wales's feathers, matching the metal curlicued towel rails and bath accessories trolley. Try your hand at tiger-fishing, marvel at the industry of the reed cormorants as they continuously crisscross the sky carrying nesting material to their heronry, or watch the sunset herds of elephants and buffalo, the unique Chobe bushbuck, a group of impala, and if you're really lucky, in the dry season, some thirsty lions.