Bushfront Lodge

My latest experience with Bushfront isn't good at all. The booking wasn't in the system but this isn't a problem as the lodge didn't have other guests. The chalets / rooms are not smelling fresh. When coming from dinner in town we found the main gate open and no guard nearby.

We spent one night at the campsite and I advise you not to go there as it is a dangerous place!!! In the middle of the night a couple of elephants came into the campsite and during 2 hours destroyed trees and our tent! A security guard who they officially contracted never showed up, the fences do not work which makes it possible for elephants to come to the property! They admitted in the morning that it happens often, nevertheless when we arrived nobody informed us about it. We have been camping in Africa for 2 months now and this has been by far our worst experience!!! Moreover they will ask you to sign a waiver so that they are not responsible for any damage that happens to you at their property (they did not give it to us by their mistake) Moreover nobody could shower or go to a toilet as there are hundreds of mosquitos inside!! I strongly discourage you from going there!!

OK, the lodges were a bit fun down and shabby, but they were clean and the staff sprayed deet in the rooms nightly so the mossies didn't hassle you. All the staff were friendly and helpful, happy to answer questions. For the price the food was good and it was nice to have a choice for breakfast. We would happily stay here again, even if it was just for the showers!

My husband and I volunteer in Zambia and went to Bushfront to get away and refresh. We were the only guests in the whole facility for the two days. On our second night there at 2 in the morning, we woke to someone tampering with the door handle. My husband opened the door and found a guy in all black standing just beyond our porch. After yelling at him, he turned and ran away. The security came in a couple minutes to check on us and, after seeing we were fine, went to look for the guy. We checked our stuff and thought everything was there. But in the morning we found that he had stolen all of our US and Zambian money, about $550. We've been very disappointed with how the situation has been handled. We only worked with the supervisor and were told the manager lives in Lusaka (about 8 hours away). We never received any calls from any higher management. Everyone who listened to the details of events were convinced it was an inside job and yet we never heard of anyone getting interrogated. They didn't get the police involved until late in the afternoon when we pushed them to. And now it's been about two weeks and we haven't heard anything from the lodge or the police. We are very disappointed and unfortunately cannot recommend this lodge.

This is a basic lodge set on a wonderfully quiet property offering basic meals and drinks, with a swimming poool. When not busy they do not mind you utilising their facilities to cater for yourself. The rooms are relatively large and have different bed combinations. The bathrooms are wonderfully unusual with only a half wall seprating them from the bedroom. The gardens are spacious with ample shade and the staff always available to assist. The cutural village, other hotels/lodges and activiy centre are a short distance away thus making it a good mid tier destination. As with many other places in Livingstone, be wary of mosquitoes and take necessary precautions.

We stayed here for three nights prior to starting a three week camping trip, so we weren't sure what to expect. We heard an expression that perfectly covers our experience: TIS -- This Is Africa. The lodges were primitive, and there were frequent power outages. There were hundreds of mosquitoes, but the staff sprayed for them in the evening and the mosquito netting was in good shape so we didn't end up with many bites. The menu was short, but the nyami nyami salad and burgers were great, and so was the service. The beer was cheap and cold! Free internet is sporadically available, but only in the lobby. The reception staff competently arranged for tours including pickup. The biggest irritation was the "worst of African Idol" constantly showing on the lobby TVs. We found it hard to take! With all that said, the join up night for our tour was at another lodge, which we rated much better.

There is always something of a culture shock when arriving in an African hotel as punctuality is not the greatest and we witnessed that here. It took nearly an hour for food to arrive and the menu was not exactly complex. That said, everything was made to order from scratch. We were swarmed by mozzies throughout our stay but the owner took every effort to reduce them in the bedrooms where the beds were excellent and the showers something of a feature. This provided an excellent base for Victoria Falls and a rhino walk.

Within walking distance of the adventure base on the Zambezi (rafting, etc.), the Bushfront Lodge seems designed to capture mid-market travellers. The open hut designs come straight out of children's storybooks and the rooms are functional, funky and fun. There are of course lots of mosquitoes, but the netting on the beds was fine and it is clear that staff are experienced at ensuring a good nights sleep untroubled by pesky critters....speaking of which, there were loads of monkeys around during the day time, cavorting and occasionally causing a hullaballoo. The bar is well-stocked and the kitchen will whip out some basic meals cheerfully, but slowly. The showers, created to look like waterfalls, are great fun!

We stayed for 5 nights with a family friends. We had 2 lodges for the adults and a separate one for the children which worked well. Each one has a bathroom but there is no door and the walls are low. The staff were wonderful and very accommodating . The evenings were cold but we had camp fires each night and although there is no heating in the rooms the bedding keeps you very cosy. There are mosquitos but they spray the rooms in the evening and there are nets over he beds We had a wonderful time at the falls and enjoyed some of he other activities . All in all a wonderful holiday .