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Reviews of Maramba River Lodge

2.5 out of 5
Maramba River Lodge
Mosi-Oa-Tunya Road, Livingstone

Reviews

8.0

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 37 out of 119 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 52 out of 119 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 19 out of 119 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 9 out of 119 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 119 reviews" "

8.0/10

Cleanliness

8.2/10

Staff & service

8.8/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Dale, Blackburn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The whole place is well maintained and very clean. Staff were very helpful and polite. The main dining room overlooks the Maramba river and has a huge outdoor balcony area. There weren’t too many mosquitoes and plenty of spray is on hand. Overall it is a lovely resort with quick access to the Falls.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

4/10 Poor

Myles

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
I only stayed one night and I have never stayed in any other place in Zambia so I cannot accurately compare this hotel to the standard of the country. However, this hotel advertised WiFi and there was zero WiFi in our chalet room. Also, there was no phone in our room. Additionally, the food and service were subpar. We got to the restaurant at around 6-6:15, and there are about 4-5 tables full of groups of 4 at each table. None of us had been asked for a drink until 30-40 minutes after we sat down. The service was inhospitable because they simply asked “are you ready to order” after finally arriving to our table. We also watched the staff for 30-40 minutes walk around and move tables and chairs. All 4 staff waiters were too consumed with moving 12 chairs and 5 tables for 30 minutes to adequately service the 20 people waiting to order water, drinks, or food. When the food finally came, it was subpar. The chicken Alfredo was from a can and unseasoned. The Thai chicken noodle salad was adequate but nothing special. The oriental chicken salad was served without dressing and then when the waiter brought dressing, they brought Italian dressing making me think about why they call it “oriental?” The reception staff was extremely standoffish. They were cordial but not welcoming nor warm like the service you might expect from a 3-5 star hotel. The grounds were beautiful. There were plenty of beware of animal signs but we never saw one animal during our one night stay.
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

allison

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

Seth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tolani

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The fact that animals are on the grounds is cool. We saw a hippo on our second night there, it was scary but awesome.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Denise

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What can i say only wow. We loved it here 16yrs ago abs we loved it this time..so much we stayed a 2nd night. Food was lovely, pool area great to keep teens happy and service fantastic. Even got myself a little massage while here.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Amanda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

8/10 Good

Ratnam

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Place is close to the falls and border. Some bugs were in the room and my kids were afraid of them.

8/10 Good

Ross

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Awesome design of huts and lodges with plenty of character giving the whole place a real Zambian feel.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Reservations Team on Oct 25, 2022
Hi Ross,Thank you very much for the feedback.We hope to host you again in the near future.

8/10 Good

Joyce

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The renovated rooms are a huge improvement. Very nice. The dining room is very dull, however, I heard it is soon to be renovated. Dining staff need a lot more training. One was attentive but others very slow. Bar staff were much better trained, friendly and attentive. Grounds staff spent a lot of time leaning on rakes and looking at phones. Phones should be handed in and used only on breaks. Then elephant poo may not sit blocking footpaths for 3 days. Fantastic playground for kids.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Chileleko on Jul 23, 2022
Thank you for the wonderful and constructive down sides picked up, we will endeavour to work on these and do hope to host you again in the not so distant future.

8/10 Good

Jelena

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Holiday
Very nice lodge in the Nat Park, comfortable chalet and surroundings.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from Chileleko on Jul 23, 2022
Wonderful and heart-warming to receive such wonderful feedback.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice and cosy lodge. Family friendly with a wonderful big playground which my children enjoyed a lot. Good food and good service.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

David

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021
Response from maramba on Oct 19, 2021
Dear David Thank you so much on your feedback, we look forward to your coming in the future. Kind Regards Maramba river Lodge Team.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A beautiful, peaceful location along the Maramba River. Very clean, very professional, inside the elephant corridor—we got to see a family of elephants feeding right outside the fence! The restaurant food was absolutely delicious. We sat outside as the sunset each evening, where we saw hippos, crocodiles and monkeys, lulled by the soft accompaniment of frogs and wildlife sounds. My daughter and I stayed 3 nights in a luxury tent—very clean, comfortable beds draped with mosquito netting, and a warm water outdoor shower made it extra special.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2021
Response from Maramba River Lodge on Jun 22, 2021
Thank you so much for the positive feedback, I am glad you both had a memorable experience with us. We sure hope to welcome you back to the lodge in the not so distant future.

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Many parts of Zambia suffer from loadshedding. Not this establishment. They have a quiet genset that all the difference. This is my favourite hotel in Livingstone. Excellent value for money. Bonaventure and Kelvin at the bar are always do entertaining.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from Lubinda on Feb 7, 2020
Good day Andrew Thank you very much for seeing the best in our staff and For rating our hotel as your favourite in livinstone. Looking forward to Host you again next time. Kind regards Lubinda.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything was great! Staff and our tents were great and fun. Don’t expect a 4 star resort if you do that’s your fault not theirs. The only negative is it seems they have some food safety concerns at the restaurant. They reuse their yogurt after it’s been sitting out till 10am the used the same bowl for 3 days. Also with power outages they don’t have proper refrigeration. Only eat cooked food at the restaurant!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Obrana on Jan 7, 2020
Good day Anonymous Thank you very much for your reviews and ratings. Your feed back is very important because it helps us improve were need be. My apologies for the bad experience you had with the restaurant and the food. Management will look into the refrigeration system so that the food is keep fresh. Happy new year and it was nice hosting you as our guest Thank you

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Obrana on Nov 5, 2019
Good day Thank you for your good reviews and ratings. it was a pleasure hosting you as our guest .hope to see you again in the near future Kind regards

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Obrana on Oct 15, 2019
Dear Anonymous Thank you for you reviews and rating. It was a pleasure hosting you as our guest. Kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from Obrana on Sep 25, 2019
Dear Anonymous Thank you for good reviews and rating.it was nice hosting you as our guest. We appropriate you feed back Kind regards

8/10 Good

Daniel, Kampala

Traveled with group, Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Harmony with the surrounding nature. Calm and peaceful place.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Obrana on Sep 10, 2019
Dear Daniel Thank you for your good ratings and reviews . it was a pleasure hosting you as our guest. Kind regards

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Amenities
First tent space had a whole in the wall were mice came crawling out at night. We found mice droppings in bathroom sink and on the floor. Second room was chalet, no mice but tons of mosquitos.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Obrana on Sep 6, 2019
Dear Anonymous Thank you for your ratings and reviews it was nice hosting you as our guest. We are deeply sorry for the bad experience with the mice crawling in and out of your room through the hole.during your stay. The rooms are all been renovated and the whole area is been sprayed for mosquitoes every four night. thank you.

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
As mid priced hotels in Zambia go, this is probably the best value for money. I have stayed here many times before, the staff are very welcoming. Almost home from home.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from Obrana on Aug 28, 2019
Dear Andrew Thank you for your reviews and ratings. it was nice hosting you as our guest. And thank you on behalf of all the staff for the good compliment. We hope to see you once again in the near future. kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The bar situated overlooking the river was a fantastic elephant watching spot.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Obrana on Aug 19, 2019
Good day Thank you for your good ratings and reviews. was a pleasure hosting you as our guest. Hope to see you again in the near future Kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Had a lovely stay here would highly recommend, perfect location to get around. Lovely breakfast with the neighbouring hippos and elephants made this place unique. Staff extremely friendly and helpful
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Obrana on Aug 5, 2019
Good day thank your very much for your good ratings and reviews. it was nice hosting you as our guest. We hope to see you again in the near future. Much appreciated Kind regards

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Past its Prime
The Maramba lodge is about 10 years past its prime. The rooms are very dated and dirty. They could use a nice clean up. The rooms would be acceptable, but they were disgustingly infested with mosquitoes. Some mosquitoes are okay but our room was really bad. Uncomfortably bad. Keeping the fan on full speed helped a little. The service at the restaurant is very slow as well. We waited about 1.5 hours for our dinner. The location is nice along the river but the mosquitoes in the rooms are the only thing I really think about with this lodge
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Obrana on Jul 29, 2019
Dear Anonymous Thank you very much for your reviews and ratings. My apology for the bad experience you went through during your stay at Maramba river lodge. Management will look into it to make sure the lodge gets some maintenance and a nice tender clean up. will make sure the rooms and surroundings are sprayed in order to get ride of the infested mosquitoes in the area. The bad service at the restaurant due to food taking long to be prepare and served will be looked into and improved in order to provide a good service to you our clients. The inconvenience caused during your stay is deeply re grated . Kind regards

10/10 Excellent

johan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Just Loved this establishment
It was everything I expected from an African experience , well run , great food , fantastic location . was so good that I extended my stay ,. If u looking for a boring Ritz lifestyle move on as this gives one far more satisfaction
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Obrana on Jul 2, 2019
Dear Johan Thank you very much for your good ratings and reviews.Was nice having you around. Hope to see you once again in the near further. Kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Hospitality, security, service! Hippos, elephants, bar is quiet.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019
Response from Obrana on May 20, 2019
Good day Thank you very much for choosing to stay at Maramba river lodge. its this time of the year when we get visited by elephants. you ratings and reviews are very important to us. They help us improve on the service we provide to you our clients was very nice having you around Kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I could not fault a single thing. The place was perfect
Stayed 6 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Obrana on Apr 30, 2019
Good day Thank you very much for your good reviews and rating. It was nice having you around and thank you for supporting us. Hope to see you again Kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Obrana on Apr 20, 2019
Good day Thank you very much for choosing to stay with Maramba river lodge. Your reviews and ratings are very important to us and they help us improve on the service render to you our clients It was nice having you around as our guest . Hope to see you again next time thank you

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Loved the pool, eating breakfast over a river with crocs and hippos. Convenient for being picked up for activities. Only downside was the nearby helicopters and ultralights..they could be noisy at times.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Obrana on Apr 17, 2019
Good day Glad you enjoyed your stay sorry about the noise from the helicopters and ultralights however we are in the park area and near the Victoria falls were the helicopters flights are done so the clients can view the falls Thank you

10/10 Excellent

SKH, Massachusetts

Traveled with group, Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved its being in nature and its quietness. It is a great value and a hidden gem!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Obrana on Apr 30, 2019
Welcome thank you please call again

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved the tents with attached bathrooms. View from the dining area was idyllic. All the staff were helpful especially in reception. As a suggestion , the First Aid kit could do with more dressings and steristrips.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Obrana on Mar 18, 2019
Good day Always good to hear your reviews and thank you for the compliments. Your observation is very vital and thank you for that will ensure our first Aid Kit is fully inquired with all the necessary re - supplies Kind regards Obrana

10/10 Excellent

Kathy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Our Wonderful Stay at the Lodge
Our stay was great. There were hippos in the river and monkeys in the grounds. We were just sad to have missed the elephants. The staff were great especially the bar, evening restaurant and reception staff
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Obrana on Mar 13, 2019
Good day Kathy Always good to hear that your stay was great. Sad you missed the elephants however they have stared showing up now had a couple yesterday. Maramba river lodge term always ensure our clients are offered a good service Thank you for the compliment Kind regards Obrana

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
TV lounge and Air con in the rooms otherwise a lovely relaxing time
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Bridget on Feb 9, 2019
sorry our rooms/tents dont have air con, but have standing fans , no TV in the room nor lounge area.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely place, loads of wildlife. Air conditioning would be good in the chalets. There was an incident with an elephant but that was sorted out and we were happy with the outcome. Would love to stay again
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Kebby on Jan 4, 2019
Dear Guest, many thanks for your wonderful review

10/10 Excellent

Sarah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing place! Lots of wildlife! Highly recommended it!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018
Response from Bridget on Nov 2, 2018
Thanks a lot for staying with us,we really appreciate you feedback

10/10 Excellent

Randi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to unwind, especially liked the wild animals walking around
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Bridget on Nov 1, 2018
Thanks for staying with us , we appreciate your feedback

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Bridget on Nov 1, 2018
thanks for staying with us, we really appreciate your feed back .

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
This is a good hotel in terms of location to Victoria Falls and to the amenities of Livingstone. A wonderful place to relax at a reasonable price
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Bridget on Oct 11, 2018
Thanks for staying with us , we work hard to make our guests happy and appreciate your feed back.

8/10 Good

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Bridget on Oct 11, 2018
Thanks for staying with us , we work hard to make our guests happy and appreciate your feed back.

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The local inhabitants were very friendly, especially the elephants who arrived each day at breakfast
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Bridget on Oct 11, 2018
Thanks for staying with us , we work hard to make our guests happy and appreciate your feed back.

8/10 Good

Ingrid B L

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Bridget on Oct 11, 2018
Thanks for staying with us , we work hard to make our guests happy and appreciate your feed back.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Average place to stay
Not great, not bad. Over all quite average really. The chalet had a double bed and a bunk bed not twin and double as advertised. Mattresses were flat and not too comfortable. A little grubby on the whole. Wifi was spotty and only available at the bar area. At the restaurant one of the wooden poles which is the fencing broke and wasn't fixed, it was just propped back up. So if you leant against it you were more than likely going to through it! The whole place just seemed run down. On the up side the women at the restaurant morning and evening were so nice. Really pleasant and friendly. Great location the Falls and Zimbabwe border.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Kebby on Sep 19, 2018
Many thanks for your review,

8/10 Good

Becca , Monrovia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Quiet Basic Lodge with Lots of Wildlife
The lodge is just next to the Mosi ao Tunya National Park and has some resident hippos, crocodiles and green vervet monkeys. The pool and lounge area are nice and the restaurant and bar overlooking the river are wonderful. It is a fancy campsite with all levels of accommodation but none of the rooms have air conditioning and mosquitoes are a problem. The staff have lots of options for day activities and are very helpful. The restaurant is ok - the breakfast is better than the other meals. Internet only works in the lounge area. It was quiet and secluded but you really have to be aware of the wild animals that can enter the camp at night.
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2018
Response from Kay on Jan 30, 2018
Dear Becca, Thank you for taking the time to review our property and for providing us with some feedback on our services. I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed location and atmosphere of the lodge, and that our reception staff helped you out with the activities. There are so many options, so firsthand advice can help! We do apologize for the mosquitoes, they are a problem in the area but we do our best to keep the numbers down with routine spraying around the lodge. Unfortunately it does get quite hot this time of year, but we hope the room fans helped make it more comfortable for you. We are working on making our internet connectivity faster and more accessible throughout the lodge, and we apologize if this caused any inconvenience. Kind regards, The team at Maramba River Lodge

8/10 Good

Eva, Sydney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Small lodge nect to river. Good for viewing hippos
Good for families or couples. Staff was very friemdly and helpfull. nternet was weak; few tines did not work. But staff tried to fifx the problem. Nect to the river, good viewing of hippos and crocs. Lodge its in national park. So in front door can see little monkeys jumping ob the trees. Overal good for short breaks for families and couples. Breakfast are good. Dinners are great; pissible to.order in the restaurant.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2017
Response from Kay on Jan 8, 2018
Dear Eva, Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review of the lodge, it's great to hear about all the different aspects you enjoyed. Apologies for any inconveniences caused by the slow internet connection, we are working on improving connectivity throughout the lodge. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back again soon! Kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Paul, Manchester

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing....give it a try.
Superb location, amazing animal encounters, good food, great staff.....would be difficult to beat at any price! Yes....we enjoyed it.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2017
Response from Kay on Dec 18, 2017
Dear Paul, thank you for your excellent review. We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you back again soon. Kind regards from the Maramba team.

8/10 Good

Pauline, Newcastle, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wildlife viewing from the dining terrece
Maramba Lodge was a chilled out and relaxing place to stay. It has a sort of bush camp feel, but the tents/cabins are very comfortable. It has park like grounds and nice outdoor areas. The fires at night on the terrace were lovely and gave the whole area a cosy ambience. It's easy to meet and chat with other travellers in these surroundings. We saw hippos, crocodiles and elephants from the terrace and bush babies in the trees.
Response from Kebby on Aug 28, 2017
Dear Guest, many thanks for your reviews, kindest regards,

8/10 Good

Simon

Simon Rhodes at Maramba River Lodge in Livingstone
I stayed in a permanent Safari Tent. The environment with green lawns next to the river was pleasant & the big log fire near the outdoor pub was very nice
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017
Dear Guest, many thanks for your reviews, kindest regards, kebby

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Watch the hippos while having breakfast!
We loved our stay at the Maramba River Lodge! The location on the river couldn't have been more perfect. We watched, and listened to, the hippos every morning while enjoying the substantial continental breakfast (included in room rate). The staff were exceptional - they were friendly and worked tirelessly to accommodate our needs. Our room was perfect for our needs. I would return in a heartbeat!
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2017
Response from Kebby on Jul 8, 2017
Dear Guest, Many thanks for having stayed with us and especially that you were happy with the service. kindest Regards,

8/10 Good

Nikki, london

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Nice lodge, green feel, close to river & wildlife
We wanted a base for 3 days while we visited the falls in Zambia. The lodge had a nice feel to it, the grounds were well maintained, friendly bar staff and a good evening restaurant. Breakfast tasty too. Tents basic but what we had expected and as described. Lots of mozzies so spray needed but provided by the lodge.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2017
Response from Kebby on Jul 8, 2017
Dear Guest, Noted with thanks! will definitely work on that. kindest regards,