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5 Reasons You’ll Fall in Love with Honeymooning at Tongabezi Lodge

Fall in Love with Honeymooning at Tongabezi Lodge. As a travel-addict and destination wedding planner who’s constantly on the hunt for the best luxury hideaways, few places on Earth make my heart pitter-patter quite like Zambia’s Tongabezi Lodge. A luxe eco-lodge tucked away on the banks of the Zambezi River, it’s a hidden-gem property I often recommend to couples seeking an extraordinary honeymoon that transports them worlds away from the everyday.

Today, I’m breaking down all of the reasons you should say I do! all over again to honeymooning at Tongabezi Lodge this epic locale. Let’s dive in…

1. Tongabezi provides the ideal balance of elevated luxury and rustic charm.

If you’re seeking a “best of both worlds” honeymoon experience, Tongabezi Lodge is an ideal choice. I often find that selecting a honeymoon locale based purely on adventurous experiences can leave something to be desired when it comes to accommodations. And the same goes for the flip side of that coin: selecting a honeymoon destination based solely on a desire for luxury can often mean that, while you have an array of sophistication at your fingertips, there isn’t much to actually experience around you. Tongabezi, on the other hand, provides both luxurious accommodations and an array of adventurous activities to embark on during your stay.

Voted a Top 100 Hotel in the World, at Tongabezi you can dine on the picturesque Zambezi River while cloaked in a majestic golden sunset, with hippos bathing right alongside you. You can spend your morning adventuring around on a “rhino walk” and your afternoon curled up in luxe linens in your own private chalet. You can take a daring afternoon plunge in the famous “Devil’s Pool” (a pool that sits atop the mile-wide Victoria Falls) and then don your finest attire for a four-course dinner aboard a steam train. With everything from helicopter rides and poolside craft cocktails to river safaris and white-water rafting, the options are absolutely endless. There truly is the perfect balance of sophistication and adventure waiting for you at every turn.

2. It offers a private-isle hideaway unlike anything else.

One of my favorite features of Tongabezi is a private island called Sindabezi. Located just 15 kilometers upstream from the mighty Victoria Falls (one of the world’s natural wonders)—Sindabezi Island operated by Tongabezi offers five private luxury chalets and the kind of seclusion every newlywed couple is seeking in a honeymoon experience. From unspoiled views of the river to open-air cottages saturated in luxurious accommodations and—my personal favorite—the option to dine on your own private floating sandbar, there is nothing quite like a honeymoon on Sindabezi Isle.

3. Tongabezi is eco-friendly.

If you’re all about conscious traveling, you’ll love the fact that Tongabezi is a certified eco lodge. A member of the Green Safaris group and voted one of the top 10 eco-lodges in Africa by Fodor’s—Tongabezi works toward complete sustainability through efforts like reducing plastic and using electric vehicles, along with an array of other conservation-focused efforts.

4. Your stay helps provide education to local Zambian children.

While I certainly love its luxury chalets, private sandbars, farm-to-table meals, and unspoiled views—nothing is quite as near-and-dear to my heart as the cause this luxe lodge champions: The Tongabezi Trust School, a school built by the owner of Tongabezi Lodge’s wife to give local rural children access to life-changing education.

It all started when, in 1995, staff from the lodge approached Vanessa Parker, wife of the owner of Tongabezi, and asked her to start a school so their children could learn to read and write. With a background in teaching, Vanessa agreed and, by 1996, Tongabezi Lodge had funded and built the school’s very first classroom—giving the first cohort of 15 local children their first day of school. The school has since graduated hundreds of children—and its alumni have gone on to become lawyers, teachers, pilots, and more. When you honeymoon at Tongabezi, a portion of proceeds from your stay go toward the school—which means your dollars directly help nurture and empower young minds who wouldn’t otherwise have access to this kind of life-changing education.

5. You have every opportunity to experience the majesty of Victoria Falls.

Of all the marvels Africa has to offer, few are as mighty and majestic as Victoria Falls, a site deemed one of the world’s natural wonders and listed amongst the largest waterfalls known to man. Tongabezi Lodge offers an array of options for experiencing and exploring the falls—including helicopter flights and a Livingstone Island Tour. My favorite, however, comes in the form of an age-old steam train: The Royal Livingstone Express. Completely refurbished, the train offers breathtaking views of the idyllic falls. Hop on board with your spouse for a four-course dining experience as the historic train delivers you right to the Victoria Falls Bridge, where you can bask in the magnitude of the incredible falls and its mist (or, as locals call it: Mosi-oa-Tunya meaning “the smoke that thunders). It truly is an experience to relish, revel in, and remember for a lifetime to come.