The lodge sits at the eastern edge of Lower Zambezi National Park, in a grove of ana trees – winterthorns – at the confluence of the Zambezi and Mushika rivers. It’s a location that rewards patience, which is another way of saying that the wildlife tends to come to you as much as you go to it. Elephant arrive daily to work through the pods of the winterthorn trees, which they appear to regard as something between a food source and an entertainment. Leopard move through the Kulefu woodlands with enough regularity that guides have developed a working knowledge of individual animals. The Zambezi itself runs wide and unhurried past the front of camp, with the blue escarpment of Zimbabwe visible on the far bank.
Twelve tented suites, each on an elevated boardwalk that connects to two main communal areas and two swimming pools. The boardwalk matters – it means wildlife moves freely through camp at ground level while guests move safely above it, and it means the ecological footprint of the lodge on the forest floor stays minimal. Each suite has a private plunge pool, outdoor shower, and the kind of tent dimensions that make the word “tent” feel slightly misleading. Air conditioning, for those who like their nights cool, arrives in September 2026 as part of a broader refurbishment under the Dulini Collection banner.
The activities cover the full range the valley offers. Game drives into the park’s eastern sector, where vehicle density is low and traversing is largely exclusive. Night drives that reveal what the valley does after dark. Walking safaris with guides who have spent years learning this specific piece of ground. And then the river itself – boat cruises in the afternoon, canoeing for those who want to move at water level through pods of hippo and past the elephant herds that line the banks to drink. Tiger fishing for those who want to find out what happens when a fish decides it has the upper hand.
Anabezi is family-owned and independently run, which shows in the way it operates. The guides have nowhere else to be. The management team knows the returning guests by name. Fresh produce is sourced from Chiawa village to cut food miles, which is a detail that speaks to a particular set of values without making a banner of it.
The Lower Zambezi is one of those ecosystems that experienced safari travellers consistently rank higher than their first visit prepared them for. Remote enough to feel genuinely wild, diverse enough to keep surprising you, and framed by escarpment views that make even the drive from the airstrip feel like it was worth the journey.
Dulini Anabezi is where to base yourself for it.