Victoria Falls River Lodge is committed to eco-friendly practices, conserving natural resources, and having as little as possible of a footprint in the protected surroundings of Zambezi National Park.
“As an eco-friendly tourism establishment, we consider our ecological footprint in all aspects of our operations. Our lodges are built and operated with as little impact to the natural surroundings as possible. Recently with one of our builds, Hippo Creek Villa, all trees on the site were preserved,” said Victoria Falls River Lodge Reservations Manager Lisa Talocchino.
The private villas, island treehouse-suites and luxury tented suites all share Victoria Falls River Lodge’s trademark open-plan design which maximises natural light and the through-flow of air. All the lodges have been designed to blend in with nature, resulting in a unique proximity to the African bush and riverside for the maximum enjoyment of guests.
The lodges are predominantly constructed from timber, canvas and renewable, locally sourced, sustainably harvested thatching grass and matepis.
“All lodge structures have been designed to withstand and adapt to the local weather conditions (cool in summer, cosy in winter), focusing on meeting the expectations of guests when it comes to comfort and safety. In addition, eco-friendly onsite water filtration and purification systems are standard with all the lodges,” said Talocchino.
While bottled water is available to guests upon request, glass bottles of filtered water are readily available throughout the villas and suites and placed on the tables at mealtimes. Single-use plastic – like drinking straws – is avoided.
“Water conservation practices at the lodge vary from informative water conservation signage in each room to water-wise laundry and ablution facilities. Our eco-friendly practices include greywater systems, eco-friendly and biodegradable guest amenities, eco-friendly and biodegradable laundry, kitchen and general cleaning products and detergents,” said Talocchino.
Solar hot water geysers in all rooms ensure that the use of the African sun’s energy is maximised, and the lodges’ kitchens are fitted with gas-powered appliances. Back- up generators are on standby, should the local power supply go down. In addition, all waste is removed in its entirety from the National Park.
