Full view
View all photos (66)66
Room & Suite (7)
Dining (1)
About
#2 of 8 lodges in Kariba
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Lake View
Charming
Property amenities
Pool
Free breakfast
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Laundry service
Location
89Reviews3Q+A20Room tips
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 62
- 20
- 1
- 4
- 2
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
This is one of our favourite places to stay on Lake Kariba. Wonderful hospitality and delicious food with excellent comfortable new accommodation. Brett & the team went above & beyond to make our stay memorable and Tarrin gave us simply the best gaming experience we have ever had! 16 Lion, 3 Buffalo kills, breakfast in the bush and much much more!
Read more
Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Very popular so book in advance.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
Fantastic place. Good food, good service, good vibe! My family and I had a terrific time. This vacation goes in the books and pictures do not do justice for Spurwing Island. Highly recommend the Safari jeep tour, our guides were great and very knowledgeable! We miss Zim and will come back again to this hidden gem!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We spent just a single night at Spurwing Island Lodge, only because we moved here as we could not secure three consecutive nights at another venue. But we were treated to another exceptional experience, with the camp right on the doorstep of Matusadona National Park and close to the water of Lake Kariba. Arriving at the camp in the early morning, we were lucky enough to spot a huge herd of buffalo right on the edge of the camp, which we were able to check out later that afternoon on a game drive with Blade, which yielded plenty of wildlife, including jackals, crocs and a herd of very large bull elephants. Blade also talked us through the extremely involved process of becoming a qualified safari guide in Zimbabwe – it is a labour of love and shows real dedication. Spurwing is larger than many of the other camps we stayed in and, unlike others, has secure fencing that keeps wildlife out at night – well, except for the impala that got locked in overnight, so had all the fresh green grass outside our lodge to itself! Spurwing is reputed as being popular with avid fishers, and from the people we spoke with that certainly seemed to be the case, with many guests heading out for the whole day of fishing on Lake Kariba. But don’t worry about having to catch your own meals here – you get fed exceptionally well at Spurwing! Eoin & Alessandra, London…
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Thank you to Tarryn and her team for a wonderfully relaxing 9 days.... The cabin was pretty basic but adequately comfortable with great views of the lake. The menu has been scaled down but the meals were decent enough for the most part. We will be back!
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip: We stayed in Cabin 6, far from the entertainment area which suited us well.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Felt the same as recent review "Slightly disappointed" Fantastic setting. rooms are great but have shortfalls, like are not able to be locked. Food was terrible, I can go into details but it was garbage. Staff did not live up to the typical Zimbabwean hospitality standards of being friendly accommodating or helpful.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We went with family and friends for Easter. The island was full, everyday they had day visitors for lunch. The food was absolutely delicious. The team mixed it up with dining in the main area and then dining on the grass in the front. The bar service was fast. The rooms were cleaned, the bits were always clean and the coolers boxes packed. Fish was prepared and worms were ready on time. Definitely worth going back.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
A Zimbabwean’s view: The setting of Spurwing island is stunning and the new lodges are lovely, save the monkeys getting in because there is no gauze up between the wall and the roof. Unfortunately the management, food and all round guest attention was poor. Dinners were over cooked and served every night with the same boiled vegetables regardless of the dish. There was very little managerial input to the point where we were ignored on arriving back from our evening game drive where we passed someone in reception with their back to us texting on their phone. Only to see when we had passed that it was the manager. One would think a glance up from the phone, “how was your drive, what did you see?” wouldn’t have gone amiss. My last disappointment was one evening after dinner we were sitting around the fire with a few other guests from the camp having a drink, no later than 9/9:30. On deciding another round was in order, we turned to find the bar locked up and all of the lights off. No one had approached us to offer last rounds or even to advise us they were closing and wish a good night. To me this is a basic in the hospitality sector and unfortunately I won’t be recommending Spurwing to my friends and family.…
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Great time as a family. Kennedy was excellent, along with the other staff. Great food and Tarryn was great to deal with. Beautiful setting, lovely pool, great walks, stunning view of the mountains/ Thank you Spurwing
Read more
Date of stay: September 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
A 40 minute water taxi ride takes you from Kariba to Spurwing Island on the edge of Lake Kariba. This is about as away from it all as you can get. You stay all inclusive - the nearest restaurants are at least 40 minutes by boat. Morning tea is brought to your cottage and afternoon tea around the pool. Food was great and on the last night they serve you a candlelit banquet on the edge of the lake. Views across Lake Kariba to the mountains and the Matusadona National Park are magnificent. Sit by the pool and you look across to a Marabou Stork colony and nesting area or the shore where there are hippos and crocs. The island is heavily fenced to deter these visitors and when the water is very low elephant and predators can cross from the mainland. The cottages are spacious and comfortable though A/C would be nice. Big beds, mosquito nets and huge fans, sofas and armchairs.. You can hire boats and tackle and go fishing for bream and tiger fish. Or as we did take a boat across the lake for a game drive in the Matusadona National Park, or take a boat and guided tour of the lake banks - excellent animal and bird viewing, and great sightings of lion. And beautiful Kariba sunsets to go home by.…
Read more
Date of stay: May 2019
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We have just got back from a brilliant 4 night stay at Spurwing with our 3 young kids, oldest being 6yrs and youngest 8mths - we can honestly say that this is the first "holiday" we've had since having kids that has actually felt like an proper break, and we travel a fair bit. The staff were fantastic and one step ahead of us at every turn, food was perfect - I'm sure we're going to be paying the price for it now! The rooms are very clean, comfortable and functional. Lovely time away with lovely people in a lovely lovely place - thank you so much to Tarryn and staff (especially Kenny who kept us well organised and entertained on every fishing outing) for making this the best break we've had in 6 years, we will be back!!! You cannot beat Spurwing if you have little kids.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
ALSO KNOWN AS
spurwing island hotel kariba
LOCATION
ZimbabweMashonaland West ProvinceKariba
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingSPURWING ISLAND - Lodge Reviews (Kariba, Zimbabwe) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Spurwing Island
What are some of the property amenities at Spurwing Island?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Spurwing Island?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Spurwing Island?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Spurwing Island have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the lake view available here.