The Reserve That Came Back
When Sarah Gardner first drove the family’s new concession in 2014, the roads had gone to sand and the wildlife had gone entirely. In a full day of driving 123,000 acres, they saw one kudu, and it fled at the sight of the vehicle.
I interviewed Sarah on our podcast before my own visit to Matetsi Victoria Falls this year. Her story is the best answer I know to a question clients ask often: what does conservation actually mean?
Rebuilding an ecosystem
It meant opening 550 kilometers of road so rangers could move. Drilling 16 solar boreholes so wildlife had water away from the river. Fielding 55 anti-poaching scouts who cover up to 250 kilometers a day by vehicle, boat, and foot, pulling snares and patrolling nine miles of Zambezi frontage.
A decade later, guests watch 400 elephants come down to drink. Lions track the buffalo herds. On the day before our interview, guests saw 16 wild dogs on a hunt and two leopards in a single evening. The kudu no longer run.
From one lonely, skittish kudu to wildlife that are truly thriving. Even the warthogs make me happy. Healthy warthogs mean no snares.
Sarah Gardner, Matetsi Victoria Falls
Down-to-earth luxury
The lodge itself rebuilt on an old footprint rather than clearing a new one, designed by a Zimbabwean architect, staffed entirely by Zimbabweans, many of whom have grown from porter to chef, from maintenance to guide. Travel + Leisure has named it the number one resort hotel in Africa, twice.
What guests remember is simpler than any award. One told Sarah that a sundowner by a waterhole, elephants drinking as the light went, was among the most powerful experiences of his life. Matetsi creates that hour every day of the year.
Pairing it with the falls
The reserve sits 40 minutes from Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. See the falls from the air and from inside the spray, then let the concession’s freedom of time and space slow the rest of the week down. Because it is private land, night drives and walking safaris are yours in a way no national park allows.
Good questions
How far is Matetsi from Victoria Falls?
About 40 minutes by road. Most guests combine two or three nights at the falls with four or more on the reserve.
When is the best time for a Zimbabwe safari?
May through October, the dry season, concentrates wildlife at water and keeps the bush open. The falls themselves are fullest earlier in that window.
Is Zimbabwe safe for luxury travel?
The Victoria Falls and private-concession circuit is polished, warm, and well run. Go with people who know the ground; the welcome is among the warmest in Africa.
