Chundu Island
Eight suites on a Zambezi island upstream of Victoria Falls, with hippo in the channel.
Chundu is a small island in the Zambezi, in the Zambezi National Park stretch above Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, reached by boat. One lodge occupies it. The island is wooded, and the channels around it hold hippo, crocodile and a heavy bird population; elephant cross the river nearby. The Falls are close enough for a day but far enough that the noise and the tourism do not reach the island.
Eight river suites on raised decks make up the lodge, built light on the ground in timber and canvas. Days run on the river — boating, fishing, birding, sundowners — and on game drives in the park. The lodge works within national park rules rather than on private land, which limits what can be built and how many guests can be held.
A river island, not a bush camp. The water is the landscape here. Game viewing happens from a boat as often as from a vehicle, which is a different experience from the same region on land.
Victoria Falls without Victoria Falls. The waterfall is reachable in a morning and invisible from the island, which is the whole argument for staying upstream.
Who it is not for
Chundu is wrong for travellers wanting a classic Big Five safari — this is a river island in a small park, not the Luangwa or the Delta. It is wrong for guests who need reliable connectivity or air conditioning throughout. And it is wrong for families with small children, given hippo and crocodile in the surrounding water. Those wanting a lake island instead should look at Mumbo.
Sources
- chundu.co.za — eight river suites, Zambezi island, Zambezi National Park
- Suite count, park permissions and seasonality unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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