This February Tongabezi is proud to host Benjamin Samuels. He is an American Red Cross Life Guard Instructor as well as a Safety Kayaker. Ben has come to Tongabezi for 3 weeks to further develop our safety policies and procedures and also provide staff training.  This will include CPR, First Aid and Life Guarding.  Valets, waiters, guides and lifeguards - they are all learning that they are part of the safety team.  Working together, they are making sure we provide the highest quality experience in the safest way possible.  Next month we have the pleasure of welcoming Craig Higgins back to the Tongabezi kitchens after 7 years in the Okavango Delta. A great start to the ongoing training development of all Tongabezi staff.

From a vehicle you see Africa. On foot you feel and smell Africa NOW your chance to hear Africa…!!
How would you like to hear the dawn chorus like never before? Or listen to elephant rumbles at a pitch we cannot normally detect? Bushcamp Company & Mfuwe Lodge have once again teamed up with renowned animal behavior specialist and sound recordist, Derek Solomon, to offer guests the chance to experience, up close and personal, the noises of the African bush.  With your own set of headphones, linked to a main microphone and sound amplifier, each Sound mobile guest will be taken on a drive of exploration through the South Luangwa National Park, to enter a world that has so long remained a mystery.

Our “Rivers & Rainbows” safaris have started now, combining Kapani and Mchenja camps and the first guests have wonderful experiences to tell. With so much flood water around the feelings of excitement and exploration increase as you travel up-stream.

Guests visiting the Luangwa at this time of year are very lucky, not only do they get to see areas by boat that would normally be inaccessible but the game viewing in the Mfuwe area has rarely been as good. The cats are known to prefer the drier areas so our lion and leopard sightings are usually good at this time of year but recently we have also seen a great increase in the numbers of wild Dog.

We still have 3 spaces available for our Shoebill Safari in May. This will be an exceptional 14 day safari combining South Luangwa NP, Bangweulu wetlands, Kasanka NP and the Lower Zambezi NP.  One of our leading guides - Keyala Phiri - will lead this trip he is known for his outstanding knowledge and infectious laugh.  Want to see a shoebill stork? This is your safari. The safari costs $6127 per person and is all inclusive, including all internal flights. We are writing this newsletter from Lusaka as the Mfuwe area has been experiencing very high waters. Nkwali Camp was closed for the month of February but will be open again on the 1st of March!! To read more about the flood and clean up process, and to see some great photos, see our "Its Monday" newsletter on the RPS website.

The rains have set in and Chiawa Camp remains closed until April 6th however we remain busy as ever, making preparations and improvements for the forthcoming season - including a third spectacular Superior Safari Tent. Fortunately the rains have not caused any flooding on the Zambezi and elephants, buffalos and hippos can still be seen contentedly munching the rich grass on the many islands and floodplains. This is a benefit of Kariba dam some 150kms upstream of the Lower Zambezi NP which generally balances out the effects of drought and flood. Bookings are looking excellent for the coming season although we will be offering some discounts for April and May so please email us for details. If you would like to see an illustrated, more comprehensive newsletter please go to:  http://www.chiawa.com/pages/newsltr.htm

After a month of constant rain I think all operators in the Lower Zambezi are quietly nervous of a fate similar to Mfuwe.  My best wishes go out to all our colleagues in Luangwa Valley. The Lower Zambezi had little to no rain in December so the heavy January rains were welcomed by both wildlife and communities alike, as long as the river stays in its banks that is.
At the Christmas family meeting it was decided to use our prime empty site for a two roomed, conjoined suite that we hope to have open buy the beginning of July.  Private dining area and pool.  The unit will be ideal for families, couple traveling together and we will make it attainable for couples as a honeymoon suite.  Will be designed by Neil Rocher so brace yourself.

Greetings and welcome from the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park (where it is not flooding). During the months we were closed, the managers Dave and Tash took their own kind of safari. From Lusaka they drove through Zimbabwe (quickly) and spent 2 weeks diving and camping along the coast of Mozambique. Awesome diving spots coupled with prawn feasts made for an unbelievable adventure.
All of us are now back in camp, thick with mud and overgrown forest, where we will be re-vamping a lot of the buildings behind the scenes; a massive new kitchen, new office and new staff housing. It’s going to look fantastic. There will also be some fabulous new additions and enhancements to the lodge itself, all will be revealed in future newsletter updates!