Old Drift Lodge

delightful but pricey for this area

Old Drift Lodge is located in the Victoria Falls area of eastern Zimbabwe.

The lodge is named after a small Victorian settlement that used to occupy this site after the establishment of a ford by colonial pioneer Frederick ‘Mopane’ Clarke in 1898. It was from here that supplies were ferried and cattle were swum across to the opposite bank to the new colony of Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia.

Old Drift Lodge lies around 7 kilometres upstream from Victoria Falls, on a wide bend of the Zambezi River within a peaceful section of Zambezi National Park.

Despite its proximity to the Falls, the lodge feels quiet and removed from the busier areas around town, with views across open river channels and islands frequented by elephants, hippos and a wide range of birdlife.

The central area is raised above the riverbank and includes open-sided dining spaces and lounge areas leading out to a lovely campfire.

Rooms

Guest accommodation is in 14 tented suites positioned along the riverbank and linked by raised pathways.

Each suite is spacious and built on a wooden platform, with canvas walls, large sliding doors, and a private deck facing the river. All have air-conditioning, ceiling fans, indoor and outdoor showers, and small plunge pools.

Four units are family suites, each with two bedrooms connected by an open walkway.

Rooms : x14 : ten standard suites and four family units, all river facing.

Activities

Activities at Old Drift Lodge are centred on vehicle safari, motorboat safari, canoe safari, visits to the Victoria Falls, scenic flights and white-water rafting.

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 Victoria Falls 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 Victoria Falls 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

Old Drift Lodge is usually accessed by private vehicle transfer from Victoria Falls International Airport, a drive of around 45 minutes.

Another option is to arrive into Livingstone Airport, across the border in Zambia, in which case the journey is likely to be around 75 minutes.

It is also possible to connect by road down to Kasane, in order to continue by road into Namibia or by air into Botswana.

can be combined with a very wide range of safari areas