2 Best Hotels in Zambia

The legend of a great white-maned lion that used to call this area home lives on in the name of this camp, which is Shona for the "king of cats." If you're looking for an African adventure of the original epic variety, then you need to stay at Old Mondoro. The game-viewing sizzles with close-up sightings of elephants and leopards in trees. Old Mondoro is decorated in old-school-safari style with showers and baths, all lit by romantic lanterns. Tents with wide timber verandahs are open (with canvas flaps at night) to maximize views of the surrounding floodplains, woodlands, and a complex maze of waterways and hippo paths. The smell of freshly made bread introduces a back-to-basics bushveld kitchen repertoire that includes generous portions of hearty, flavorful meals. The entire experience manages to be marvelously satisfying without any fuss or complication. Old Mondoro is also a 1-hour motorboat ride from its similarly spectacular sister camp, Chiawa.

This luxury tented camp, located on two beautiful forested islands in the Zambezi River about 48 km (30 miles) upstream from Victoria Falls, was awarded the Environmental Certificate by the Environmental Council of Zambia in 2002. A suspension bridge links the two islands and leads to an overhead walkway in the tree canopy that connects the elevated chalets to the lodge's restaurant. Electricity is drawn from the Victoria Falls hydroelectric plant, and river water is recycled and treated on-site for use in the camp. Members of local tribes are employed by the lodge, where sunset cruises, mokoro rides, guided nature walks, white-water rafting, and bungee jumping are all on the menu. Guests can also opt to fly over Victoria Falls in a microlight plane.