Whether you are coming from the Victoria Falls side of the Zambezi or you have just driven through the beautiful Caprivi region of Namibia, you will most likely be passing through the sleepy town of Katimo Mulilo.
Nestled on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, Protea Hotel, taken over by the mighty Marriott International brand, is a great little stopover for the weary traveller, before you head back on the road to one of the many incredible countries surrounding you. It was for us a stop geographically convenient to take a rest before hitting the road again towards the Nambia-Zambia border.
What we liked about the Protea Zambezi
We stayed here for a few nights and really were able to relax before we got back on the road. Travelling the entirety of Namibia by car in less than two weeks was very rushed and we needed a stop. We loved that a room that was really spacious and overlooking the river. The bar overlooking the Zambezi River was a great place for us to spend some time getting some work done, to relax, unwind and watch the sunset over the African Skies. We recommend getting an outside spot on the deck as the sun goes down. If you are lucky, you may even spot a crocodile and or hippo relaxing on the banks.
The hotel is not only for people who want to stay in rooms. This property also has camping grounds on the property that have full ablutions, electricity and there is plenty of shade for those like us that are travelling on their overlanders. Even though we were driving our 4WD with camper, we opted for a room to stay in so we could freshen up and prepare ourselves for what was to be a rough road to drive towards the Victoria Falls.
The Protea property is great for a stopover, but you will not need any longer the two days. If you are looking for absolute luxury, then pushing your drive of 4-5 hours down the road in Livingstone, Zambia will have better options for you. You will then have to plan your itinerary accordingly. However, it is a great place to stop driving for a few days and reset the batteries before heading off again.
Things to improve at the Protea Zambezi
As much as our stay was relaxing and what we needed before heading over to Zambia, there was a lot of improvement required with the property’s shape. We were not expecting much as it was clearly marked as a 3-star hotel but our room was unfortunately quite old and run down. The property has so much potential being nestled on the Zambezi River and could be such a little sanctuary if it could have a little makeover and redesign. The pool was unfortunately quite green and not really a pool we wanted to dip in. The restaurant was also very basic but we were very much okay with that considering the pricing. The most annoying thing we encountered was how immensely slow it took to get our food every single order. It took at least an hour every time and clearly, other guests were also very annoyed. Hopefully, that situation at least gets fixed soon. Gotta say that for all the negative parts of the stay, the price of the night could be respectfully adapted to avoid any other future guests to be disappointed.
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