Mpala Jena, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

A five-tented luxury safari camp on the banks of the upper Zambezi River, close to Victoria Falls, and within the Zambezi National Park

Why book Mpala Jena?

The town of Victoria Falls has expanded considerably over the past 10 years into a bustling little tourist haven centred around a hub of restaurants, gift shops and tour touts, with the constant buzz of helicopters overhead. This makes safari camps such as this – 21km west of the town – popular with those who want to visit the world’s biggest waterfall for the day and then escape into the surrounding wilderness. The camp is on a five-square-km private concession within the 56,000-hectare Zambezi National Park, so there is wildlife all around: both on the river, which fronts the camp, and in the wild bush surrounding the tents. Mornings can be spent venturing into the park on game drives or walks, or going onto the river, fishing, birding or taking in one of Africa’s greatest rivers, with its big pods of hippos and dry riverbanks on which giant crocodiles sunbathe. Game viewing is excellent during the dry season (June to October), when water is scarce inland, and animals must rely on the river to survive.

The backstory

During Covid, Shannon Lang (a Zimbabwe-born psychologist) and her South African husband Kevin (a dairy farmer) bought the concession from the Great Plains founders Dereck and Beverly Joubert and totally rebuilt the camp. Having already founded five other successful safari camps (including Sable Alley and Taludi in Botswana), the couple enlisted the Australian architect Craig Hayman to reconfigure Mpala Jena and asked their son-in-law’s mother, the celebrated interior designer Tracy Kelly, to decorate it. The camp, which was featured in Andrew Martin’s Interior Design Review book in 2022, now feels light, modern and fresh: a cross between a chic beach hotel and a laid-back bushcamp, with white-sand floors, swings at the bar instead of bar stools, hammocks hung between trees and loungers around a pool for downtime between safaris.

The rooms

Five stone and canvas-walled rooms are situated far apart from each other in the bush, linked by wooden walkways from the central area, with its airy living-dining room, shaggy-thatch bar, louvre-walled library and riverside pool. Mpala Jena means “White Impala” (after rare albino antelope were spotted here in the 1970s), hence the sprinkling of white adornments, from Rococo-style, Zulu-beaded mirrors to giant drawings on white paper of trees and shelves of bleached bones, African ceramics and books. Everything is light, natural and soothing: with colours that mirror the pale blues of the water and skies and creams of the sand and grass. Rooms are spacious and well thought out; the outdoor tub for two is a gorgeous place to soak in the evening under the stars, listening to the roars, rustles and harrumphs of wildlife around the bush.

Food and drink

Chefs are all local and being trained – so while the food isn’t polished, it’s fresh, inventive and delicious. Lunch might be platters of pickles, bread, salads and beef patties – to make your own burgers – finished with an elegant glass of cooling trifle. Dinners might be fine Zimbabwean steak with perfectly cooked vegetables and chips. The breakfast is fresh and generous, featuring choices from exotic fruit salad and cold cheese platters to eggs. The barman is enthusiastic and friendly: happy to concoct delicious local gin cocktails or advise on delicious South African wines, including Kamusha, made by a Zimbabwean winemaker.

The area

Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO-protected site: a bucket-list destination for most visitors to southern Africa. Because it’s within easy reach of Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, with good road and air access, it’s become a tourist hub, with plenty to do, from white-water rafting and kayaking to bungee jumps and visits to crocodile farms. From Mpala Jena, it’s easy to get to the centre – either 45 minutes by boat or an hour by car, through the park. Although, with good game around – from elephant and lion to an occasional leopard and regular hippo – as well as fishing, birding and boating from the camp, most guests stay put here after visiting the Falls.

The service

Like many parts of the world, Zimbabwe’s safari camps were severely affected by Covid, and many workers from the area left to go to their rural homes and didn’t come back. So while the staff (many friendly young women) here aren’t polished, they’re helpful and delighted to host tourists helping rebuild their economy. The boatmen and guides are mainly from the area and happy to share their knowledge about the bush, whether that’s how to track elephants on foot, or the best way to photograph a bee-eater.

Who comes here

Honeymooners, groups of friends, and wildlife enthusiasts who want to spot some of the 400 bird species in the park, relax on hammocks or shaded beanbags after a safari holiday, or enjoy star baths with a good glass of wine.

For families?

There are two two-bedroom suites for families; children must be over six to share a room and over-16 to have their own room. Wildlife roams freely around the camp, so children must be accompanied day and night between rooms.

Sustainability

The solar-powered camp runs on Tesla batteries, so it always has electricity, and water is pumped from a borehole and then filtered. Like most hotels in the area, food is trucked in from Harare. The owners work closely with the anti-poaching unit and National Parks rangers to try to prevent poaching, supporting them with solar power, food and logistics.

Accessibility

Guests have to be able to climb on and off a safari vehicle, or boat, and walk on uneven paths to rooms using steps.

Is it worth it?

Zimbabwean camps are, as the owners admit, “half the price of those in Botswana”, with equally as wild and wonderful wildlife, views and landscapes. After a safari on land, the boat trips and water-based activities feel like an extra treat – and Victoria Falls isn’t far away for additional activities—a great place to combine everything in one place: the river, the falls and the wildlife.

Source:

Reviewed by Lisa Grainger

https://www.cntraveller.com/hotels/mpala-jena-victoria-falls-zimbabwe