Set within two private islands along the mighty Zambezi River and the 7th World natural wonder- Victoria Falls, are the Islands of Siankaba. The two islands are linked by 2 suspension bridges and offer a private, peaceful and luxurious stay. This beautiful lodge has 7 luxurious tented camps tucked under the trees, each providing a stunning view of the Zambezi River.
The Islands of Siankaba are without a doubt one of the best curators of an unforgettable, authentic bush experience in Zambia and to say the least, our minds were blown by the luxury, ambiance, activity line up and fine dining experience.
Our scheduled pick-up time to the Islands was 11:00 am. We were picked by the lovely and friendly guide who warmly received us, took our bags, and showed us to the van that was to take us to the mainland. After checking in at the mainland, we boarded a small boat, cruised along the Zambezi River and 15 minutes later, we arrived at the dock on one of the islands.
Upon arrival, we were given the warmest welcome by the lodge staff as they served us cocktails while being briefed about what the next two days would look like at this paradise.
The staff escorted us to our bungalow across the series of bridges that connect the two islands. The bungalow had an open bathroom with luxurious fittings, and two beds with starched white linen and gauzy canopy nets. Outside was a deck with two lounge chairs that were perfect for watching life on the river.
According to the briefing, we had a lot of activities to choose from and it was all on us to decide what we wanted to go with. Before the start of our adventures, a special welcome lunch was prepared for us which was a fine dining experience overlooking the Zambezi River and this set the precedent for the rest of our meals during our stay. Our first activity was a 2 hour long sunset cruise along the Zambezi River. Mulambo, our guide, navigated the low waters of the mighty Zambezi River and we spotted crocodiles and hippos. Our guide made the experience even better with his exquisite wealth of knowledge of the Zambezi ecosystem. Just before sunset, we pulled up to a tiny sand strip known as Hippo Island, a very fitting name as we could hear the sounds of the hippos while we watched a golden sunset and sipped sundowners.
After a beautiful sunset, we returned to the lodge, had a delicious dinner and retired for the night. The next day, we took an early morning canoeing safari with a traditional canoe boat known as the Mokoro/ Mokolo by the locals. Our ride was surrounded by otters, birds and hippos. Watching these animals’ manoeuvre through the water was an exceptional experience for us and the biggest joy of our mokoro safari was simply taking in the Zambezi river’s surreal surroundings in the most peaceful way possible.
The rest of our stay was characterized by relaxing at the pool and a flora and fauna nature walk.
Our stay at the Islands of Siankaba was luxurious in every sense of the word. It was truly a place to escape for some peace, relaxation, good food and the experience was made better by the amazing friendly staff who did anything to make our stay there a fantastic one.
The Islands of Sinkaba, Livingstone, Zambia. https://www.facebook.com/Islandsofsiankaba/
Words by Afro Nomads.
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