The new adults only Shongwe Oasis Boutique Lodge & Spa and Shongwe Lookout, the original family friendly lodge, are nestled in the tranquil suburbs of Victoria Falls where lush tropical vegetation and prolific birdlife abound. As beautiful and romantic as it is, perfect for honeymooners and special anniversary getaways, we found several older couples enjoying the peace and quiet of no kids around, a group of birders and an older professional making use of the quiet surroundings to work on her PhD thesis.

Our beautifully furnished room is just what we need for a couple of days of relaxation, with crisp white linen, smoky-grey mosquito nets and exquisite woodwork. The bathroom with its private toilet, soaking tub, double basins, and large open shower with gorgeous bright mosaics made every visit an experience.

I sit on the veranda outside our room, the fragrance of teak tree blossoms fills the air as sip my early morning cup of coffee. Birds flit from tree to tree, I’m hoping to see a Schalow’s turaco, but instead I watch an amethyst sunbird feast on the nectar of the teak tree blossoms. Pool time offers a glimpse of a pair of African paradise-flycatchers as they flit through the treed canopy of the garden, and a very curious banded mongoose pops its head out of the flowerbed.

I’m keen to find out more so we find the time to chat to Jamie Henson, owner and managing director of the Shongwe properties. He tells us he’s a Zimbabwean by birth, who moved to New Zealand with his parents in 2002, “I never wanted to leave and always wanted to come back” he says. “Zimbabwe as a country always gets such a bad rap internationally, I’ve always loved this country and its beauty, and I’ve always wanted people to know this”.

So Jamie started looking at opportunities in Victoria Falls. “My wife’s a Kiwi, so I bought her here on a holiday… and in January 2018, just soon after the coup happened, we came back and were offered an opportunity to develop a lodge here.” That was the beginning of his dream of being an entrepreneur in his beloved Zimbabwe, and with his vision to offer guests the unparalleled luxury and service that he’d experienced in New Zealand and while travelling abroad.

It’s December and it’s hot, I drink water from a glass repurposed from wine bottles, “we source them from Greenline Africa Trust”, Jamie tells us. Victoria Falls Recycling is one of their social enterprise projects run by youth, mainly women, who through this initiative, not only help the reduce waste to landfill but also earn an income. “They are really popular, and guests often ask if they can purchase them”.

“Our partnership with Greenline is really important to us. We know them, we have seen the relationship they have with local villages, and we know they target schemes that really make a difference,” says Jamie.

“I’ve always loved the bush, the wildlife and the environment so it made sense to get Charlie and Veronica from Greenline Africa to come with an outside perspective and advise us what we could do better in terms of our energy and water usage,’ Jamie tells us. “We are fortunate to almost run entirely on solar energy and utilise solar water heating as well”.

When building the Shongwe lodges, Jamie tells us that they sourced as much locally as possible, all the woodwork is created by a local carpenter from sustainably harvested local Zambezi teak, the mosaic tiles in the bathrooms and around the pool are individually handmade by Burnt Earth Designs in Harare, and all the art around the lodge is by local artist Nicole Sanderson. 

“We like to support these smaller businesses, besides the fact that you’re helping to feed someone else’s family, it’s that the money stays local”.

And when it comes to dining, the menu changes depending on what’s in season and what’s available – lunch and dinner options are neatly written on a chalkboard, easy to erase if something is no longer available. Community gardens are the primary source of fresh produce for the lodge, with some unusual and exciting options like wild tamarind and monkey orange. “We get the most amazing squashes, sweet potatoes and capsicums, wild mushrooms and wild fruits… whatever we get Chef Jason makes the most of and creates something amazing”.

Local Zimbabwean coffee roaster, Mushe Coffee, gives Shongwe guests their caffeine fix, and the bar offers a great selection of cocktails, wines, and spirits, from the ever popular Zambezi lager, one of their best sellers Jamie tells us, to Zimbabwe gin – Seesu Gin from Harare and Victoria Falls Gin, and South African craft gin, vodka and rum, as well as an extensive range of South African wines – his favourite being the Perdeberg Wines Dry Land Collection.

And then there’s the water… we were each given an Ecodrop water bottle on arrival along with instructions on how to fill them at the water dispenser. Ecodrop is the brainchild of Casey Bean, who is on a mission to encourage people to avoid single-use plastic bottles. This is done by providing accessible and affordable eco-friendly bottles along with a Rehydration Water Refill System, with the first installation being at Shongwe Oasis. To date there are 14 Ecodrop water stations dotted around Vic Falls, so there’s no excuse not to be eco-conscious while keeping hydrated.

Validating the Ecodrop concept is the fact that they won the Gold at the World Travel Market’s (WTM) Responsible Tourism Awards held in Cape Town recently under the Acts Against Climate Change category around eliminating single-use plastic bottles from the tourist sector. The eco-friendly alternative has taken off in Victoria Falls and is ready to take on other popular tourist destinations.

We take a walk across to the family friendly Shongwe Lookout. It’s just as stylish, green and gorgeous, with the same signature mosaic tiles and towering trees.

And it’s not just the trees that tower above us, the Shongwe Lookout Tower, a favourite among locals and guests alike, offers expansive views and spellbinding sunrises and sunsets as the sun illuminates the mist from Victoria Falls.

The Lookout Tower is also home to a shop and gallery. I spend some time appreciating the magnificent creations of local Zimbabwean artist Nicole Sanderson, all of which are for sale – there are several examples of her magnificent paintings on the walls of both lodges.

An effective dumbwaiter system, linked to a pulley mechanism, effortlessly delivers our drinks to the tower’s top level – drinks, snacks and a spectacular view, what more could one ask for?

Perhaps some Vic Falls adventure followed by a relaxing spa treatment at the Mvula Spa?

Click HERE to read the story in Responsible Traveller mag