Sindabezi Island Lodge

The chalets at Sindabezi Island Lodge are all authentic and luxurious, made out of wood and with thatched roofs, which are exposed once inside the chalet. Wooden features fill the room, from polished wooden floors and wooden bed frames to large wooden chests which sit at the end of the beds. Floor to ceiling windows flood the space with bright natural light and fresh Zambian breezes. The chalets can be configured into a twin or double arrangement with beds sitting in the centre of the chalet, covered in crisp white bedding and draped with mosquito netting. All chalets come with an open plan ensuite bathroom, with feature copper basins.

All chalets also come with their own private decking with director style deck chairs, which overlook the wide sparkling Zambezi River. Each chalet has features which make it unique. Chalet 1 is known as the ‘sunrise chalet’ as it has spectacular views of the sunrises over the horizon, and also has a deep bathtub on the decking area, for guests to enjoy a soak with a view. Chalets 2 and 3 have toilets which are ideally located to also offer an exceptional view, and Chalet 4 has a hammock strung up, and a pod of resident hippos that lazy in the river below the chalet.

Nestled amongst island trees in a beach cove lies the honeymoon chalet. Exposed thatch ceilings add dimension and character, and make the room feel spacious and authentic, and make the room feel spacious and authentic, aided by traditional African wall art, wooden features and travellers chests. Open sides bring the outside in, bright light fresh breezes and the sounds of the chirping birds can allow guests to truly immerse themselves in nature.

The bed sits in the middle of the room with white bed linens, oversized cushions and is romantically swathed in mosquito netting. The chalet comes complete with an ensuite bathroom and a deep standalone bathtub on the decking for a unique soak. The chalet is surrounded by a private decking area, however the waters edge is less than a minutes walk from the chalet, so guests can relax by the water and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Guests of Sindabezi Island Lodge have a choice of places to dine. There are two custom built dining decks where guests can dine al fresco, under the wide starry sky. Meals are inventive and delicious, made with care and with freshly sourced local ingredients. Gather around the Boma, before or after dinner, with a glass of fine wine and recount stories from your day to the other guests. Guests can visit the Sand Bar for a sundowner in the evenings. The bar is mobile so guests may have to adventure to other nearby islands to find it, but enjoying a refreshing beer in the heart of wild Zambian nature is the perfect reward.

Guests can explore the magnificent Victoria Falls and its stunning surroundings in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. The falls are breathtaking in their beauty and their vastness, and guests can also marvel at the diversity of the park, and might be lucky enough to see giraffe, zebra, impala or monkeys, as well as many other animals which call the national park home.

Guides can choose a romantic spot on one of  the surrounding sandy islands where guests can enjoy a private picnic. Surrounded by warm, glowing lanterns, enjoy tasty food and fine wines, breathing in the fresh Zambian air and listening to the gentle flow of the river behind you.

Enjoy a unique and memorable dining experience on the Zambezi river. On a floating platform, guests’ meals will be rowed out to them, one course at a time, and guests can immerse themselves in the serenity of the lake whilst they munch on their food. Choose the sampan for breakfast or dinner and be surrounded by the golden, pink and orange hues of the sunrise or sunset.

Spend the afternoon wandering around the island with a friendly and knowledgable guide and a pair of binoculars to see what birdlife you can spot. Pied kingfisher, Egyptian geese and collared palm thrush all inhabit the area. Boat trips can be arranged to take the birdwatching adventure on to the water.

Spend an afternoon on the riverbank, relaxing whilst waiting fro a fish to catch. This activity can be enjoyed on Sindabezi Island or guests can join a guide to find a prime spot, where tigerfish sometimes swim.

Escape from the afternoons heat with a refreshing dip in the plunge pool at Sindabezi Island Lodge. Relax in the clear waters whilst looking out over the river, keeping your eyes peeled for a lazy pod of hippos or an elusive crocodile.

Sindabezi Island Lodge is a Green Safaris property. Green Safaris operates with a focus on making a sustainable impact on the surrounding areas of their camps and lodges. An example of this is the Likoma Reforestation Project which works to replant and build up forests that have been cut down to support the growing island’s constant demand for firewood and materials. By repopulating the forests, the project is helping ‘to reduce the negative impacts of deforestation such as erosion and soil runoff, through community-managed tree nurseries.’

There are six established nurseries, each aiming to plant around 2,000 indigenous hardwood and fruit trees. This will transform the arid land, provide local villages with the firewood they need for cooking and heating, and provided fresh fruit which can be eaten and used to plant more trees.

Tongabezi Lodge has also established a reforestation project to educate and raise awareness about the importance of trees for a clean and healthy environment. The project has been introducing eco-friendly grass stoves to village homesteads in order to reduce the number of trees cut down for firewood.

The Clean Up Likoma Project is working to raise awareness of pollution, waste management infrastructure support and village clean-ups. Green Safari’s Clean Team visits local schools and churches to educate community members and help find community-led solutions. One of these initiatives was using waste plastic bottles and creating ecobricks to build new structures. The team is also working with the local government council to implant new laws in regards to plastic use and pollution, with the aim of reducing both.

The Green Safaris Foundation was established to create community project funding and establish projects designed to support local community development, wildlife conservation and ecosystem in the areas in which Green Safaris operate.

The foundation supports children through its partnership with the Tongabezi Trust School, which supports 240 local children aged 3-17 with extra-curricular activities, life skills, values building, and academic studies. The foundation also supports Lukanga Secondary School by providing funding, school furnishings and resources, as well as the construction of 3 new classrooms. The Tongabezi Trust School Team also supports the Twaabane Community Creative Centre, where people from the local Simonga Village can learn and share creative and artistic skills, helping to offer community members a creative outlet and possible source of employment.

Tujatane pre-school was opened by one of the founders of Green Safaris, and has since developed into a primary school which educates over 160 students, strengthening the relationship between Sindabezi and the communities around it.

The Green Safaris Foundation are working with Panthera Zambia to address factors that threaten big cat populations such as lions, leopards and cheetahs. The locally-based biologists and experts in law enforcement of Panthera work to develop strategies with government departments and local communities in order to protect big cats living in Kafue National Park.

Ila Safari Lodge and Chisa Busanga Camp both host Panthera’s conservation experts to give insightful talks to guests about the park’s conservation projects, and Green Safaris supports Panthera through the co-sponsorship of the development of a digital radio system and dedicated anti-poaching unit to help stamp out poachers on the remote Busanaga Plains.

The Zambian Carnivore Program works to protect large carnivores and their habitats through research, conservation, education and capacity building. The project invites researchers and experts to Ila Safari Lodge, and both Chisa Busanga Camp and Shawa Luangwa Camp where they host talks to educate guests about carnivore conservation within Kafue National Park and South Luangwa National Park.

The Litterbug Campaign is an initiative at Tongabezi, where a team clean up litter on the Kazangula Road, which receives heavy traffic as it connects national parks in Botswana and Zambia. Rubbish that is discarded on the roadside poses a threat to wildlife and taints the naturally beautiful landscape. However, each month the Tongabezi team works to remove this, restoring the pristine landscape.

Conservation South Luangwa works with community and conservation partners in order to help protect wildlife and their habitats in the South Luangwa ecosystem. This involves anti-poaching patrols where snares are dismantled and wildlife rescues, rehabilitation of injured wildlife, and human-wildlife conflict management to find peaceful solutions to the problems that can arise when living alongside African wildlife. Guest speakers also visit Green Safaris’ Shawa Luangwa Camp, talking about their experiences as researchers or veterinarians in the field.

Green Safaris’ Conservation Education Club helps children and youths living beside Kafue National Park by teaching them about the incredible wildlife of Zambia, as well as arranging trips into the park so they can see these amazing creatures for themselves. A lot of local children have never seen the majority of the park’s wildlife, and this exciting opportunity encourages young minds to learn about wildlife conservation and how these creatures can be protected. Children receive a full safari experience, with informative bush walks with knowledgeable guides and talks from researchers from Panthera and officers from the Department of National Parks and wildlife.

Green Safaris helped launch the Ila Community Farm just outside the gate to Kafue National Park and the Mukuni Community Farm near Livingstone. These sustainable farms are run with people from the local areas, providing a self-sufficient source of fresh produce for nearby communities. Ila Community Farm uses a solar-powered irrigation system which was funded by Green Safaris as well as the seeds and farming tools.

10 women from the local community have been trained to run the farm which provides both a source of income and produce for the community. The locally grown food reduces the need to import produce, reducing the carbon emissions generated by transporting ingredients. Both farms also aim to create learning centres where local people can learn about organic agricultural practices, and have both recently expanded to include chickens and pigs, which will create yet more job opportunities.

At Green Safaris they strive to make all they do eco-friendly. One major step to becoming more eco-friendly is using biodegradable cleaning products instead of chemicals and also having biodegradable guest amenities. Water is provided in reusable bottles to help cut down on single-use plastics and cling-film and straws are no longer used. Solid waste is sorted and filtered before being transported, and it is kept out of the reach of any animals while it is awaiting disposal. At Sindabezi a greywater system is used to minimise water wastage.

All Green Safari lodges are ‘purpose-built green.’ Ila Safari Lodge, Green Safari’s first lodge, is considered a ‘trailblazer’ with its eco-friendliness and sustainability credentials and was built “in the most sustainable way, actively involving the local communities.” Sindabezi Safari Lodge specifically is on ‘Fordor’s list of top 10 eco-lodges in Africa.’ Harnessing the renewable energy of the sun means their carbon footprint and the impact they have on the environment is dramatically reduced. Not just power is generated from the solar panels – all the hot water is also ‘generated by solar water heaters.’

Wastewater is treated and disposed of without being soaked into the soil. Electric game drive vehicles were developed for and used first at Ila Safari Lodge, which has led to electric cruisers and electric boats also being used, with no reliance on fossil fuels, these vehicles don’t pollute the atmosphere. To help support and empower the local communities, Green Safaris and Sindabezi shop for produce from the local markets and their own farm, reducing their food miles and supporting local farmers. Green Safaris aren’t just trying to have a minimal footprint, they are actively trying to make a positive impact – with a tree-planting program which has already been highly successful in planting hundreds of trees.