|
No Going Back
By Ilse Mwanza
'No going
back' is the title of an ongoing BBC Prime series that portrays
people who have given up everything to follow their dreams. Barry, a
stockbroker, and Tara, a fashion designer, have done precisely that.
They sold everything in London and moved to South Luangwa to build a
lodge. It took them four years of ups and downs (detailed in the BBC
film), but now the lodge is up and running … and a fine place it is
too.
We, a couple
of friends and ourselves, being curious about this new place,
decided to visit. We were picked up by boat, leaving the car at Croc
Farm (near Mfuwe Bridge). In the dry season the lodge is accessible
by car, but in the wet season it can be reached only by boat, a ride
of about 20 minutes.
The main lodge
building - living room, bar and dining room – blends beautifully
into the landscape (the five chalets blend so well into the
surrounding ebony forest that they're quite invisible from the
river). Coming up to the main building after leaving the boat, one
is struck by the design that reminds of North Africa. A hint of
Dogon Village here, a touch of Nile Egypt there, with doors
reminding of coastal Swahili influence, it's all Tara's doing.
Everything is designed by Tara and manufactured by local artisans
from local materials, we were told by Barry.
"The lodge's
gentle but exquisite décor uses vibrant earth tones and raw
materials such a palm stalks, indigenous timber, thatch and red
earthen plaster, to create a strikingly elegant yet warm and tactile
atmosphere" reads their brochure. It does not mention the 'natural
bushwillow' (oddly-shaped branches) that was used for railings, the
thatching grass that came all the way from Katete, Chadiza and
Chipata, and the mpapa planks that were bought locally (to the
disapproval of some ecologically-minded people). Only fabrics,
mattresses and cutlery came from outside Zambia (of special note
here is the unusual crockery, made in S.A. from a Tara design).
The
bedroom/chalet surprised by having a huge bath, an open-floor plan,
a wonderful view of the river, and lots of decorative items (stool,
tray, candleholder, bowl, other lodge-art) that can be purchased on
departure. We, celebrating a round wedding anniversary, were greeted
with a hot bath, lit candles, aromatic soaps, and a bottle of
complimentary bubbly cooling in a bucket. What a nice touch that
was!
Best of all,
though, were the showers. Most showers are fiddly: one has to work
patiently to get the hot/cold water-temperature right and the
pressure just so, getting very wet in the process. Well, not here!
The shower stall is built in such a way that one can reach the taps
easily, with fixtures being set up so that temperature and -
pressure are just right when hot and cold taps are opened. A
'one-touch shower'! I had never encountered such a clever gizmo.
Truly amazing!
Transfer into
the gamepark is by boat. A gameviewing vehicle awaits visitors on
the other side of the Luangwa, just south of the 'wafwa' (an old
oxbow lagoon). Thereafter normal loops are taken, allowing one to
mingle with the swarm of vehicles emanating from Mfuwe's lodge-area
(maybe ZAWA/MoT, SLAMU should start thinking of a management plan?!
How many more lodges/cars will be allowed into this overcrowded
area?). Most viewing in the rains is done in the Mfuwe/Chichele area
(the roads to the north are too wet). We happened to coincide with
some particularly heavy downpours, and Patrick, our guide, had to
squelch, slip and slide through the deep mud to get anywhere.
Pity that the
President, when in Luangwa, doesn't gameview much. It would be
instructive for him to see the state of gameviewing loops (not to
mention the Chipata road) while in the Valley. Alas, he only gets to
see what his and/or ZAWA staff want him to see. Wherever he goes,
everything is in order. The road between Mfuwe and Chichele had been
nicely re-gravelled for his visit, even though, for all other loops,
the tipper-truck transporting gravel was 'inoperational', making
most loops impassable.
Of outstanding
grandeur was the food. Fish in banana leaf, veggies in bacon strips,
breakfast in pastry cups, it was all unusual, extraordinarily tasty,
and beautifully presented. Tara at work again! The meals were
something we all looked forward to, the menu remaining a surprise
till chef announced it.
What possesses
a stockbroker/merchant banker to give up a good life, a big house
and a secure existence in London to embark on "something in the
hospitality business" in "somewhere nice and scenic"? It's all the
fault of
Barry's
brother Sean (at present Chichele's lodge manager) who'd been
travelling in the region and who'd found "the perfect place" on the
banks of the Luangwa. Initially Barry and Tara had wanted to find
something in France, or Spain or Mozambique, but when they saw the
'Tamarind' plot advised on the Internet they decided to go for it.
There actually
was already a half-built lodge in place - 14 chalets built to
roof-height (the permit allows a 24-bed lodge) - which the previous
owner had to give up due to illness. Barry, Sean, Tara van der Maas
and her architect/engineer father got busy in what became a family
project. They tore down existing structures and rebuilt the lot. It
took 2 1/2 years to get all the right permits from all the right
places, and one more year to finish the structures (an ongoing
process) before they could open. At present three chalets are ready
for visitors, with two more soon to follow. The lodge will be no
bigger than 10 beds.
What does it
all cost? For locals it's $120 pp/day plus park fees and drinks (the
international rate is much higher) which is such good value for
money that I doubt it can be maintained much longer. So rush and
enjoy the green season at low rates at the Luangwa River Lodge … and
elsewhere in the Valley.
Contact info: Tel. 06-246031, Box 31 Mfuwe. Email:
Info@luangwariverlodge.com Website:
www.luangwariverlodge.com |
March
2005