Thorntree River Lodge

Location, location, location.... a stunningly beautiful place right by the Zambezi River although this was not normally the case as the recent rains upriver caused this. However in drier months apparently the river front is replaced by the elephant trail and elephants are a common sighting. The staff were very helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The manager Anant was a perfect host and was great at sorting out some minor touristy problems we had with ease. Great for a chat also and a wealth of knowledge. The rooms/chalets were very comfortable although the bathrooms could be updated a little. The bed was bliss with a full mosquito net in place. No hairdryer for the ladies who care about that sort of thing. The meals were tasty although not brilliant and room for improvement there. Breakfast was plentiful and nice. We liked that it was all inclusive. The grounds were very well kept and peaceful as was the pool. There are only 9 chalets in total so crowding was never a problem and indeed it was often possible to only see people in passing. The resident monkeys were quite naughty but a delight to watch. Hippos across the water came onto the grounds of a night to dine on the juicy green grass and it was not uncommon to be woken by them as they grunted and snorted at each other.....however we did not find this a problem. All in all I would go back in a heart beat.

It is quite a drive into Livingstone however there were always vehicles available to take guests anywhere and most activity companies would provide/include pick up/drop off. It wasn't a major issue and certainly not one for us although we did miss an activity because we simply didn't want to travel into town again....our choice. Being unable to have doors open of a night due to the mosquitos/animals....it was very very stuffy in the room even though they provide a fan. A few opening windows with screens attached would have been great.