Shoestrings Backpackers Lodge Vic Falls Reviews

Great place. Nice bar by the pool, super friendly staff. Rooms are clean and comfortable.

The reception was great at helping with tours. However, the AC shut itself off at night, which was unideal if you wanted to close windows to keep the insects out.

This is hotel but they don’t have common kitchen what is standard in another lodge we stay in region

Before I spent Friday night at Shoestrings, I thought it was amazing and had only a shining review to leave. I had a bad issue with the music but there’s also many great things about Shoestrings, please scroll down to pros to read. PLEASE READ: Friday and Saturday SHOESTRINGS IS A CLUB!!! You can not escape the music, it is so loud that it woke me up at 23:30 In my tent all the way in the back. So that no one thinks I’m exaggerating, I attached an image of a sound meter from our tent and it is reading as loud music. The thing is I love clubbing and would have really enjoyed participating if I had known. But instead I booked an early activity through Shoestrings Friday and Saturday morning. No one said “hey that’s pretty early for Saturday, Friday night is is our party night you might not be able to sleep” or I would have adjusted accordingly. There was no mention of this on their website either. In fact the website says that Shoestrings is for all types of travelers of every age including families. So what happened when I was woken up at 11:30 was I talked to the staff and they said boss refused to even turn down the music a little because it would “kill the vibe”. The staff offered me a different room but it was equally loud. They told me the music would stop at 1:00am but it didn’t. I went to complain again and the boss did apologize and offer some compensation but anyway music wasn’t turned down until 1:20. The boss did say that he would update the website to read that loud music would be played late on Friday and Saturday so hopefully he does that. Update: it has been more than a month later and there’s no update. So basically I’m so disappointed because I could have partied with them but Instead was in hell trying to sleep in a club, got 4 hours of sleep and was exhausted on a super expensive trip. I’m also really disappointed that the owner did not keep his word and update the website. PROS Other than the music issue I loved staying at Shoestrings. The location is superb. The staff were nice and extremely helpful. The shared area is clean, decorated with beautiful artwork, has a nice pool and small playground for kids. I booked the tent and it was very comfortable and had good privacy and circulation. The shared bathrooms are fine, lots of mosquitoes but it’s not really the owners fault. It’s very affordable. The food is good, there’s vegan options and the price is competitive with nearby restaurants. Tuesday there’s an excellent local dance performance. The staff is helpful for questions about activities and how to book them. If they update the website and warn people about the music it’d be perfect. I decided to leave Vic Falls a day early because I wanted to actually sleep and I saw a lot of Families and older couples were staying at Shoestrings for Saturday night, I’m sure they don’t know about the music so good luck to them. It’s a huge lack of communication. In conclusion: If you want to party until 1:00 Friday and Saturday then I absolutely recommend shoestrings, it would be so fun. If you want to wake up early for Safari or like to sleep early in general stay Sunday-Thursday.

Highly recommended place to stay and enjoy Victoria Falls.

Tent accommodation, you need to clean by yourself, Environment: General, the loud music at the bar lasts until 3 am on weekends or holidays Service: Not bad, booking travel activities and taxis⭐

Excellent location - the waterfalls are half an hour's walk away. The most budget option with this location. Green area. The living area is separated from the cafe by a gate. The pool is located in front of the cafe. It's small, and I would like it to be cleaned more thoroughly. But after the heat of the day, it’s great to have it. The number is similar to the photo, but take into account a good lens and light! If you don’t expect the gloss of an expensive hotel from a hostel. Everything is fine. The staff is friendly, thank you!

The first thing the hotel warned us about upon check-in was that there would be music until one in the morning... Naturally, there were no options. The room has a concrete floor and a rusty sink. 2 cockroaches were killed.

Great accommodation and excellent facilities so close to everything in Vic Falls. The staff were wonderful , friendly and knowledgeable too. We will definitely be back.

We went to Shoestrings on a 3-day trip to Vic Falls in September, and would definitely go back! Food and drink were tasty and very reasonably priced and considerably cheaper than any other restaurants we visited in the town. We stayed in one of the 2-bed tents, which was perfect for what we needed and included a working fan, which was needed on warm nights. All of the staff were so helpful when booking trips and activities, including an airport transfer, which made the whole visit much easier. I would definitely recommend it. There was also a really fun atmosphere on the weekends and a lovely chilled-out vibe during the days if you want to take some time off and lounge around the pool.

Shoestrings is a property that is in the heart of Victoria Falls, which is a touristic town, but many locals live there too so you get a mix of both vibes. We chose the hostel due to its location. We were given an orientation when we first came, which was good, so we knew where things were. Upon entering our twin private ensuite room, there were two mosquito nuts, but I didn’t realise until later from the evening that there were holes in them, so we got bitten. We were also not made aware that there were parties happening that evening and the evening after, so the music was loud for a good while. It is a hostel, so it is expected for it not to be quiet, but a heads up would have been good. The quality of the room was somewhat okay. However, the sheets did have stain from them and we did find a hair in our bed, so I do think they need to be more far in their cleaning. But when we bought it to their attention, things were change quite quickly. The breakfast is reasonably priced from around $5. However, I ordered something where the main component of the dish was not available but wasn’t told until I got my breakfast and I wasn’t offered a refund in anyway shape or form. Would I stay there again, probably not there are other places, that are slightly more expensive, but you get more. But if you are looking for a central hotel, like to party then this potentially might be the place for you.

The location is excellent, as the place is very close to the town centre. OK supermarket is only a 5 minute walk, the Pick n Pay supermarket is a 10 minute walk and the Victoria Falls park entrance is a 20 minute walk. I stayed in a private room with fan and bathroom. There is a mosquito net surrounding the bed to keep out mosquitoes. I can access wifi from my room. Wifi speed is reasonable most of the time but may become slow in the evening when most of the guests are back. The electrical sockets in my room accept UK-style plugs with 3 square pins. There is a lively bar facing a nice swimming pool. While the bar is nice place to chill and meet people, the music from the bar may bother those who have rooms close to the bar. (The bar music ends late on Saturday nights) Overall, because of the affordable rates and good location, this place is good value for money as long as you don't mind some bar music in the evening.

We stayed at Shoestrings during the New Year's period and we had an amazing time! The atmosphere was fantastic with superb music and all-round good fun! The staff were super friendly and welcoming, especially Fergus who went above and beyond to ensure that we always had a good time and enjoyed the best of what Vic Falls has to offer! We can't wait to go back, and I'm sure our next visit will be even better!

Shoestrings must be under new ownership or management, as I'd say it's operating the best I've ever seen....and my first time staying at Shoestrings was in 1999, and I've visited Vic Falls almost every year since then (pre COVID) and made a point to drop in for a drink, primarily being nostalgic. So it was time to stay again, and I was very impressed with the current operation (just two things to work on, noted below). First, the lodge is fine for all ages, so don't think it's a youth hostel...it's a lodge. There were young, middle-aged, and older...and the vibe for everyone was comfortable and welcoming. Next, I have to give huge compliments to Ann, who works in the reception. Simply outstanding in every way; detailed in all arrangements requested (and any activity operator or even taxi service that didn't deliver well for her guests (us) got an earful from her; she even reprimanded the Immigration service for mishandling the entry visas for 2 guests and had them come to the property to refund and reissue the visas)....but most importantly she was sincerely caring for all of the guests, and was funny as well. Everyone is in GREAT hands being looked after by Ann!! So about the property... They keep it super clean. I was probably the first awake every day and would hang in the common area, and the cleaning was in full-swing by 6-630am when I would wander out to grab a coffee...I was very impressed by the commitment to keeping it clean, especially after they had an active night in the bar/common area. The main/font lounge area is a very relaxing where everyone is welcome. I ended up meeting 4 other solo travelers of various ages who quickly became "friends for life", and we ended up spontaneously traveling together for extended trips to Zambia and Botswana. It's just a great area to be social with other travelers, or just sprawl on the couch and chairs like I often did, when not with my newfound friends. Nice and very clean pool adjacent to the front lounge area. It was always too cold for me to try, but others were braver than me and looked to enjoy it. Maybe I wish they had more than one lounger to use and soak up some sun. I self catered camped, first time in my life. I was not very good at it, and didn't have the proper bedding for the freezing nighttime temperature....not surprisingly Ann came to the rescue and arranged extra bedding for me, with just a refundable deposit needed. Never felt my belongings were unsafe in the garden, though of course I also used a lock. Due to an extremely early bus departure the next day, and not wanting to deconstruct my tent at 430-5am, I did move into a dorm for my last night. I don't think I've stayed in a dorm for at least 2 decades, and was a bit apprehensive. But it was again a welcoming place to stay, had nice chats with the few others in the room, very comfortable beds/bedding, privacy curtains for each bed, and two fans for air circulation. Okay, are for improvement....the sha