Royal Chundu - Relais & Châteaux

Royal Chundu's Relais & Châteaux distinction speaks to its meticulous attention to craft and locally rooted hospitality, qualities that shape every hour spent along this quieter stretch of the Zambezi River. The property sits upstream from Victoria Falls, where the river broadens and slows, pooling into channels that mirror the sky and host pods of hippo at dusk. This is Zambia's southern edge, a landscape of teak forest and papyrus islands where the rhythm follows the water rather than the road.

Katombora, the surrounding district near Kazungula, feels worlds away from Lusaka's urban centre to the north. The nearest settlement is modest, serving mostly as a gateway to the natural preserves that radiate outward: Zambezi National Park to the east, Matetsi Safari Area to the west. The Zambezi itself becomes the protagonist here, wide and muscular, threading through elephant corridors and bird-loud riverbanks.

Kasane International Airport lies 27 kilometres away, a short transfer through bush country that gradually opens onto the river. Victoria Falls, 47 kilometres downstream, anchors the region as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its thundering curtain of water visible in mist on the horizon during the rainy months.

The Zambezi dictates the day. Guided canoe excursions glide past sandbanks where crocodiles bask and cormorants dry their wings, while sunset boat cruises bring sightings of elephants wading chest-deep to graze on reeds. Fishing for tigerfish, all muscle and flash, rewards patience and a strong line. On land, walking safaris through the Zambezi National Park, 28 kilometres east, reveal giraffe browsing acacia and the occasional leopard track pressed into red dust.

Victoria Falls demands a morning. Book a tour to the Zambian side for views across the gorge where the Zambezi fractures into curtains of spray, rainbows suspended in the mist. Between April and June, when the river peaks, the roar is audible kilometres away. Closer to the property, Kasane Hot Springs, 24 kilometres north, offers a thermal curiosity worth the detour if you're exploring the Botswana border region. Start with the property's river-facing vantage for sundowners, then let the surrounding wilderness set the agenda.

The dry winter months, May through September, deliver cloudless skies and cool mornings that warm into bright midday heat. Game viewing peaks now as animals congregate along the river, and the light turns golden early. August nights dip to 13 degrees, perfect for open fires and star-thick skies.

October and November grow hotter, temperatures climbing past 30 degrees, the air thickening before the rains. Summer arrives in December, bringing afternoon downpours that drum on the canopy and swell the Zambezi. The landscape greens overnight, and birdlife explodes in number and colour.

April marks the shoulder season: the river still runs high from summer rains, Victoria Falls thunders at full force, and daytime warmth settles into comfortable evenings. The crowds thin, and the bush feels generous.