Tintswalo at Siankaba

a million miles from crowds at the falls

Tintswalo at Siankaba is located in the Livingstone area of southern Zambia.

Turning off the sealed M10 highway west of Livingstone, we follow a dirt track for 8 km down to the river, passing some small-scale agriculture and rural habitations along the way.

On reaching the river, we find the lodge reception and a small curio shop, after which we embark aboard a small motorboat for the five minute journey through the narrow channels and out around the far side of the island to the lodge jetty.

The island is forested and mysterious, creating a real sense of a secret hideaway. From the jetty we climb up to a small clearing within the forest, around which the modest open-sided main building is arranged, with lounge and dining areas, plus a pleasant campfire area. A path to the left leads through thick bush to another smaller clearing which contains a small swimming pool. There is also a small spa about which guests speak very highly.

The lodge offers relatively elevated and reliable levels of service. It is very noticeable in feedback how much guests fall in love with this place and commonly state their desire to someday return, which is about as good a compliment as one can get.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Tintswalo at Siankaba is in seven tented suites, which are set up on decks above the river and accessed by a network of raised boardwalks and rope bridges. These rooms are somewhere between chalets and tents, being wooden on the lower part and canvas above. The interiors are rather dark, with lots of polished wood, but they are also rather large and elegant, with a bathroom including a freestanding bathtub on an upper level and the large bed below, leading out to a very private terrace above the river.

Guests regularly report that they have really slept well here, it is a very peaceful place and one, therefore, which can work particularly well for three nights at the front end of a trip, for guests who like a little bit of time to catch up with their international flights.

Activities

Tintswalo at Siankaba provides access to the following activities, not all of which are included in the room rate …

• visits to the Victoria Falls
• motorboat safari
• canoe safari
• white-water rafting
• vehicle safari
• scenic flights

The Victoria Falls is a very popular location and is, from a transport perspective, the central hub for safari in the southern part of the continent. The area therefore tends to feature in a lot of trips.

The usual stay duration at Livingstone is 2-4 nights, usually at the front end of a trip, since this is such an easy place to slide gently into Africa.

Seasonality

The best time to visit Livingstone is generally considered to be during the May-Oct dry season, when safari in the reserves of Zambia and Zimbabwe is strongest.

During the early part of this season, the flow rate over the falls should be high, possibly with the spray obscuring the views.

Towards the end of this season, the flow rate over the falls can reduce to not much more than a trickle, which can significantly reduce the majesty of the experiences.

Generally, we tend to recommend that you focus your trip on the best time for safari, rather than worry too much about the falls.

Getting there

The international airport at Livingstone is the main hub for safari in the region, with regular direct connections to Johannesburg, Kruger and other key locations. There may also be some long haul connections.

From the Livingstone Airport it is a drive of around 60 minutes to the lodge.

Most of the safari areas in this region are connected to the falls by light aircraft. The main exceptions are Hwange (which can also also be easily reached by road) and Botswana (which is usually accessed by road to the airport at Kasane, with onward flights from there to the camps).

can be combined with a very wide range of safari areas