Victoria Falls Backpackers Lodge

Good value place to stay in Vic. Falls. Clean and comfortable. Staff friendly and helpful. A large group did turn up and were quite noisy, but not the hostel’s fault. Be aware that walking after dark is not advised as elephants come into town. The falls are a 15 minute walk from the hostel. I recommend this as budget place to stay.

This place is amazing! One reason is Ollie its Host, he is the Best and will help you with literally EVERYTHING, we had troubles with our bus arriving and he was very attentive during the whole process and picked us up 10 hours later then expected. We also arranged a sunset cruise and game drive woth him which were unforgettable! The hostel itself has amazing instalationa, clean bathrooms, hot showers, a great cafe/bar with good food, a refreshing pool and the most comfortable beds we have encountered even in the tent rooms! Thank you for making our stay special 🌞

Wouldn't recommend staying here unless you're on a tight budget. None of the bathrooms had any hand soap, which was just unhygienic, nor did they have any hand towels. It lacked the most basic amenities. The 6-person dorm was incredibly cramped, and if you were on the bottom bunk, the ceiling was so low that you'd slam you head just sitting up. All the mosquito nets had holes. The wifi didn't reach the rooms, so you need to stand outside if you want to access it. You have to pay for water. You can't rent a towel. Additionally, there was no option to stay in an all-female dorm, so we were in the uncomfortable situation of sleeping in a room with a man 3x our age. Safety was good and location was fine, 20 min ish walk into town, but overall was a very rundown hostel lacking a lot.

I usually stay at Shoestrings when I visit Zimbabwe, and I really regret not booking on time this trip. From the moment we arrived at this lodge, the experience was disappointing. The staff were rude and incompetent, more interested in making a quick buck than offering decent service.||My mum and I spoke with other guests and found out they were charging different prices for the same excursions so we made personal arrangements. On top of that, the rooms were far from clean although we stayed in dorm communal toilets were only cleaned once and there’s no toilet cleaners etc in the bathrooms, the mosquito nets had holes, and the doors didn’t even shut properly.||I understand this is a budget place, but even by those standards, it was lacking. There are definitely better options around.luckily our trip was not for long as we are road tripping

I feel a special connection to this place. So very calm. Everything one needs to live. The cleaning staff is amazing. If there is anything you need, let them know and they will take care of it for you. Pool is inviting after a hot day and it’s wonderful to sit outside for great conversation and a possible braai for dinner.

Pros: - Blessing, who took my booking and was there to welcome me at the reception, was really friendly and super helpful. I literally just sent her a list of activities I wanted to do in my 4 days in Vic Falls and she helped me make an itinerary and all the bookings. - The pool was really nice for a quick dip. - There’s a cute resident dog and several birds just running around :) Cons: - The room is small and quite sparsely furnished but acceptable for the price you pay, bearing in mind the high prices in Vic Falls. - Little privacy as the rooms are close to each other so you can hear everything. So I got woken up by the cleaner super early in the morning. - No hot water or aircon. - There are gaps in the door and windows so insects fly in. The bed comes with a mosquito net but I still got bites all over me :( Unavoidable I guess!

I did not like my experience at all, unfortunately. No card payment possible. Had to scream from the gate because nobody would come greet us in the sun after ringing. Then being told ; just dial the code... We are checking in, don't know any code. Then had to pay by PayPal (?!) but they offer all paying services like restaurant, massages, spa, tours, airport transfers, but can't take cards ? Room was in open air, a lot of mosquitoes. Shower we just didn't shower it didn't look inviting at all so we showered at our next destination (the airport lounge actually). Always pushing for sales like bottles of water. Even the transport we asked for 10:30 they said well checkout is 10:00 why not take airport shuttle at this time. Little did I know that they chartered the 30$ van to put 4 of us in... Asking 13$ each. Yet another scam. Always pressure. There is a dog on premises in case you are allergic. The lady at reception wasn't very welcoming as well. Pool wasn't clean a good net would have been helpful. Braai station closed... And so so far from anything. 25 minutes walk for basic Nando's. I know it's cheap yet not worth the price.

Clean and safe enough for you to enjoy your holiday while staying for cheap!