Reviews of The Elephant Camp

"Great location - 10 minutes from Vic Falls and transportation there at no charge. We did not partake of their activities, preferring to hire a car and "do our own thing" at Chobe - an unforgetable day. Jonathan arranged this for us with almost zero notice - he is quite character too !!" See all these reviews: 13n in South Africa; 3n in Zimbabwe

"An excellent modern lodge with views of Victoria Falls Spray.

Our lovely room and verandah gave us every opportunity to chill out following a very trip. Victoria Falls was looking magnificent as ever and the rain forest was just coming into bloom with flowers." See all these reviews: 10n in Zimbabwe

"We specifically picked out the Elephant Camp based on tripadvisor's laudatory reviews and we were not disappointed at all. The facilities are splendid and each semi-permanent tent (a canvas tent on a concrete floor) is equipped with an outdoor shower, an outdoor plunge pool, an en-suite bathroom with shower and bathtub, a mini-bar replenishable at will and AC. Each tent enjoys a wonderful panoramic view. Ours (tent #6) overlooked the waterhole. Laundry was included in the rate, which turned out to be very practical given the early November heat and prior to a safari in Botswana for which we had to pack as little as possible in a squishable light-aircraft-friendly weekender. All of the meals were well-prepared and tasty , and drinks (sodas, booze or beer) could be ordered at will at the bar.

Jonathan, the manager of the camp, made us feel comfortable from the very beginning and we were systematically greeted by him or his colleagues Camilla and Hilda on our way to and back from the activities. The latter are numerous either at the camp or in the vicinity of the Victoria Falls. We did the zip-line (a cable suspended over the Batoka Gorge), the (inexplicably pricey) Elephant back safari and the morning stroll with Sylvester, the camp's habituated cheetah, and Ed, Sylvester's guardian. All activities were wonderful but our preference definitely goes to the morning meeting with Sylvester. It was simply awesome to be able to explore the concession until the Batoka Gorge accompanied by a playful and adorable Sylvester. Ed is passionate about her job and she is keen on sharing her extensive knowledge of cheetahs and the African wildlife with guests.

The Elephant Camp is owned and managed by Wild Horizons, one of the two companies with Shearwater to operate activities at Victoria Falls, e.g. rafting, canoeing, high wires, etc. To a certain extent, Victoria Falls could be compared to Queenstown in New Zealand as it has multiple wild activities on offer. Though the camp is not situated in the "city"/township of Victoria Falls, it only takes 10 minutes by car to reach the VF Park entrance. Transfers can be organized when guests see it fit.

The management is attentive to all of the guests' needs. For instance, Jonathan moved us to another tent without us asking for it because the AC system was acting up. All of our moves within the camp past dusk were only possible if accompanied by a guard. The concession has a local resident fauna (no predators if I am not mistaken though) that roams freely around the premises. We were once woken up by a small group of buffaloes that insisted on scratching their horns against the canvas of our tent in the middle of the night. Elephants crossed the camp each evening, esp. after sunset, as we were having dinner on the patio. This first unforgettable experience boded well for the remainder of our Southern African escapade." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Jonathan is the consummate host -- greeting us upon arrival, sitting us down to a late lunch, keeping track of our schedule for a helicopter flight over the Falls and our elephant ride.

How decadent to soak in the huge tub and then drink a cup of tea on the deck while observing the wandering elephants below and the spray from Victoria Falls in the distance. We could hear the roar of the rapids on the Zambezi River in the gorge to the other side. The beds are quite comfortable and romantic with the net surround -- too bad I was sharing with our 11-year-old daughter and my husband was next door with our 13-year old daughter. ;-)

The helicopter tours are controversial (noise & pollution), so, in spite of us being part of the problem, we thought this was the highlight of our trip. Of course we purchased the DVD of our footage. It was a great way to see the enormity of Victoria Falls before heading to the park and feeling the spray and hearing the thunder. By the way, the makeshift shops across from Vic Falls park seem to have the best souvenir prices if you're willing to put up with persistent sales pitches.

The elephant ride was fun for both adults and kids. We were able to commune with the ellies before being led to a platform to load. Our guide, Soloman, told my daughter and me all sorts of information, we saw buffalo and warthogs, had photos taken and even fed our elephant. And, yes, we bought the DVD of our footage. Great gift shop here." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe; 1n in South Africa

"We had a lovely relaxing time here doing as much or as little as we wanted. The food was delicious with recipes shared and now tried at home!

The staff were really friendly and helpful and made all the arrangments for our activites-(we wouldn't bother with the croc farm again)." See all these reviews: 7n in Zimbabwe