Peter Ronald, Jane Miller Erin and Eli play 107.7 fm


Meet Peter Ronald, Jane Miller, daughter Erin and son Eli, traveling around Africa for six weeks in a rented camper van and hailing from Seattle, USA. Peter’s a financier and Jane a surgeon/professor back in the USA.

We had a reservation for the family for Saturday and Sunday but on Thursday they arrived and asked if we had space for two extra nights, which we had! The deal was that if I gave them the room, they’d appear on Sunday night’s Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient, featuring George Soulchild our weekly radio show, hosted, promoted, directed and financed by Chanters Lodge on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm! Livingstone’s leading local radio station. I think it was the best show we’ve done since we came back on air in June this year. Why?

The Guests were great, lively, talkative, informative and funny. Had Erin (14) received an invitation to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding? ‘No!’ Did she want to be a doctor or a financier? ‘No!’ What was Eli (10)’s favourite kind of music – classic rock, Monkees and Beatles. Was Jane in a hurry to get back to work in Seattle – no! Is it true the family had stood just one metre away from Victoria Falls on Livingstone Island that very afternoon. Yes! Would they come back to Africa one day? Yes! Had they seen a World Cup game in RSA? Yes Holland v Cameroon. Had they enjoyed it? Yes? Did we want a couple of vuvuzelas asked Jane – ‘yes!’ We said – ‘No’ yelled the kids, they were not giving them away! Shame!

The music on the show was great ‘I Want You’ by Treysongz does it for me at the moment, though our American Guests had never heard of him! ‘Today’ by Brandy is a great song which the Chanters Girls love. ‘We No Speak Americano’ by Yolanda Be Cool – top that week in UK, unknown to our Guests from USA – but it had Eli and Erin talking. Typical summer disco track and no, ‘we no speak Americano!’

I hope George will write up the Zambian musical aspect of the show for a blog later this week but Milli Jam featured J Dot ‘Could you be the DJ?’ – I preferred his Chrishian ‘And When You Missed Me’, though I can’t find out much about the artist or the song at the moment. Spelling?

Had our Guests enjoyed Zambia? Yes, especially as by chance they’d been at Mukuni Village at the time there were rehearsals for the famous Lwindi Tradtional Cermemy so they’d seen a lot of traditional dance and had loved that! They seemed to keep themselves pretty busy while they were here.

As usual we greeted the Guests and staff back at the lodge and gave away a dinner for two for the first person to text us Jane’s profession. Doctor – easy winner! We made special mention of the long hours and hard work undertaken by the Chanters Girls during a busy week with very early departures and a lot of running about!

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Hagenbeek Family on 107.7 fm!


It was a great pleasure to host Nadia, Dinanda, Detlev and Edwin Hagenbeek from Utrecht, Holland on The Chanters Lodge Experience, our Sunday night radio show on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm last Sunday, and with Milimo (Milli Jam), George (Soulchild) and myself on hand too, the studio was very full – great fun nevertheless! The family photo was taken outside our new offices just before we left for the studio, Nadia left to right!

The Hagenbeek’s had stayed at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone for a few days last week before setting off for the Kafue National Park in the hope of seeing cheetah. They weren’t lucky with that, but had a great time anyway. One of their special moments was an audience with His Excellency the Litunga in Mongu, King or the Paramount Chief of the Lozi people! They also enjoyed a visit to Sioma Falls. The rest of us admitted shamefacedly we’d never been there, but agreed we’d love to!

It was the second of the Hagenbeeks’ trips to Zambia in a short time. They’d been here last year but were suddenly recalled to Holland when Dinanda’s father became very ill and subsequently passed away. We were sorry to hear this sad news. This year the family decided to come back and see what they’d missed in Zambia. I don’t think, though, they’d thought about guesting on the Chanters Lodge Experience! As mentioned The Hagenbeeks are from Utrecht, and Edwin has been responsible for training Zambians nurses in Katete, though this trip they didn’t visit the East. Dinanda also has a health related project on the Copperbelt.

It was nice to talk to Nadia, 14 going on 19, who rocked to the music we played and told listeners she wasn’t yet sure what she wanted to do when she was through College (though Robin van Persie got a mention.) Detlev 10 was nervous because of speaking in English but told listeners that he was very interested in photography and was waiting to see the photos of leopards he’d taken in Kafue! Wish I spoke another language as well as Detlev.

Music? George, I hope, will write up the Zambian content, Milli Jam was into BoB ‘Nothing On You’ again, and I chose ‘Just To Be Good To Be Green’ by Prof Green ft Lilly Allen and ‘Bang Bang Bang’ Mark Ross and The Business. Oh! And we played ‘Love The Way you Lie’. Great track from Rihanna and Eminem which we all loved!

On Monday we put the family on to the Mazhandu Family Bus Service 09.00 hrs service to Lusaka to start the next stage of their adventure, which is a trip from Kapiri Mposhi north of Lusaka, all the way to Dar Es Salaam by train. They have family in Dar and hope to have a rest on those beautiful Tanzanian beaches. It’s unusual for European or American families to take all the surprises that Africa can offer, both good and not so good, with such patience and good grace as Edwin, Dinanda and their great kids do!

On the show we tried, but failed, not to mention Holland not winning the World Cup! We gave away a dinner for two at Chanters to the first listener to text us the Hagenbeeks’ country of origin and we greeted Guests, Staff and Family! The prize was quickly snapped up!

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Ten Reasons To Choose Chanters Lodge


Ben Reed from AdventureswithBen was kind enough to write this recently about Chanters Lodge: Thanks Ben!
TEN GOOD REASONS TO STAY AT CHANTERS LODGE LIVINGSTONE
10. Quiet, Peaceful, Calm
With 11 rooms, you’ll find the lodge quiet, peaceful and well…calm. The location of the hotel is just beyond the main part of town, close enough to be where you need to be quick, but far enough away to get that sense of escape and relief.

There is a pool and garden area to relax, catch-up on jet lag or just relish the fact that you’re in Africa. With rooms sprinkled throughout the complex, you can feel like you’re the only one there, or quickly swap stories with other travelers who are looking to do the same.

9. African Personality
Traveling through 15 countries I can tell you that a hotel, is a hotel is a hotel. But not Chanters Lodge.
Stepping onto the grounds, you’ll instantly feel like you’re in Africa. High perimeter walls, dirt driveways, painted walls, coffee tables stacked with travel books, newspapers and magazines and well-worn lounges to enjoy them in – it’s the perfect setting to best your fellow travelers with tales of getting doused by Vic Falls, cruising the Zambezi or searching for game. It doesn’t try to be luxury, contemporary, modern or artsy. It’s African and that’s what makes it special. I’ve posted more photos of Chanters Lodge on Facebook.
8. Comfortable Rooms
Between riding in helicopters, bungee jumping and hiking through the Zim Side of the falls, at the end of the evening, you want a place to unwind and relax. Rooms are equipped with bug nets, private bath rooms, desks, televisions, space heaters (yep, it can get chilly in Africa) and beds you can slide right into. I fell fast asleep, anxious to discover what adventures Livingstone has in store for me tomorrow.
7. Convenient Location
Chanters Lodge is located just about 10 minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from Vic Falls. Taxi Drivers know exactly where it is so it’s easy to get home. You can make quick trips downtown for shopping, dining or entertainment without worrying about how to get home.
6. Menu Variety
The Chanters Lodge Restaurant has plenty of options for every palate. You’re in Africa, so try something local: Zambezi Bream (fish), Nshima (a Zambian side dish) and Mosi Lager (a local brew). But for the less-than-adventurous, there’s the staples too: omelettes, sandwiches, chicken, pasta, etc. Food comes quick, is priced right, filling and does the job after a busy day crossing borders with Zimbabwe and Zambia. Breakfast is included with your room!
5. WiFi Internet Access
Guests can enjoy 1 complimentary hour of wireless internet access. Vouchers for purchase are available for additional time. Internet speeds in Zambia are slower than what you may be used to, but you’ll have enough speed and time to let everyone know you’ve arrived safely in Livingstone and to brag on Facebook with the photos you took of Vic Falls.
4. Community Radio Station
One of the parts of my stay that surprised me the most was Chanters Lodge’s prominence in the community. Every Sunday Richard Chanter, the owner, hosts The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient Featuring George Soulchild on 107.7 He’s got a strong following on the show as they talk music, travel, pop culture and more. Each week he gives out a free dinner for two at the lodge to local Zambians, a treat for many!
Guest lodges distinguish themselves from the bland corporate hotels with activities like this. It adds passion, personality and fun to a guests stay. Locals supporting locals, that’s the way it should be.
3. Attentive Staff
I sat down to dinner on the first night and with my meal came several salads, one of them beet salad. Not a beet eater, I politely declined. During dinner on the second night, my server brought the same salads, minus the beets. That kind of attention to detail is rare. It can’t be taught, practiced or rehearsed. You have to have people who have a heart for service to recognize and deliver moments like that. Whether it’s the front office staff, the servers or Richard himself, they’ll ensure you are taken care of during your entire stay.
2. Fantastic Price
Considering the amenities, location staff and everything else, Chanters Lodge is the best value in town. Anything cheaper and you’d be slummin’ it. Anything more expensive and you’d be paying for services you don’t need. Chanters Lodge hits it on the mark.
1. Passionate, Friendly Owner
Richard Chanter, the owner of the lodge which bears his name loves being a hotelier. I could tell that instantly. He’ll meet you at the airport, provide travel advice in the area, organize tours and transport, regale you with stories from his past and maybe even invite you to be a guest on his radio show Sunday evenings.
Chanters Lodge is the culmination of decades of experience in hospitality, a place he can call his own.
Thanks Ben, I’m pleased you see it that way! Hope others do too!

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Patrick Kasoka – Man On Sport


We asked Patrick Kasoka, pictured above at Chanters Lodge, to guest for us on our regular Sunday night radio show on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm last Sunday – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient. This was to present the prizes to our World Cup winning staff, and he was kind enough to do so. Unfortunately we didn’t get a picture of him with the winners – but Milli Jam deputized and you might have seen that photo on the blog yesterday which gives details of who won!

Patrick’s been 107.7 fm’s ‘Man on Sport’ since the inception of the radio station in 2005 and he hosts 3 programmes a week. Half hour slots on Saturday and Sunday evenings mostly featuring results, both local and international, and then a full one hour discussion programme on a Wednesday evening. Although Zambia’s football crazy, Patrick doesn’t limit himself to that sport but features netball, basketball and a variety of other sport as well. His knowledge is awesome!

Patrick was a soccer player himself between 1979 and 1982 in Zambia featuring for the successful Green Buffaloes army team until a broken leg forced him into early retirement. In fact he joined the army as a result of football, and stayed in the forces for a successful 18 years, mainly involved with stores and supplies, and travelling extensively during this period. Patrick is a Lunda from Zambezi District and finished Form 5, as it was then, at Solwezi High School.

Patrick runs a very successful Youth Soccer Academy in Livingstone which we understand is over-subscribed, and perhaps because he gets to see the good players early on, he, and a catholic priest who has subsequently returned to Poland, formed Communite FC in Livingstone. The Club has achieved remarkable success rising to the top of Division 1 (South), but Patrick lamented on the show that he’s been unable to find new sponsorship and the club may have to fold. Football sponsorship is very expensive in Zambia and it would take a big organization or company to take it over.

Patrick has ten daughters and we asked him if he intended to become a lobola millionaire but he told the audience on air that his tribe, Lunda, are very lenient when it comes to bride price! Altogether, truly Livingstone’s ‘Man On Sport’ and we’re happy to have him around!

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Kariba Bush Club


Overnight we were lucky to have as Guests at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone, Carmen and Geoff Greenwood and their two children. Carmen and Geoff have connections with Kariba Bush Club . The Club is managed by Peter Nel an old friend of ours and his dad Brian is one of our fish suppliers too! Bream Fillets asap please!

“Established in 2003 originally as a back-packer’s lodge and guesthouse able to accommodate 32 guests, Kariba Bush Club has grown extensively over the years with the addition of another guesthouse, four luxury chalets and two houseboats, now being able to accommodate a maximum of 76 guests excluding the campsite.

The lodge has something to offer everyone – whether on a tight budget or not. And of course there are the many activities for all to enjoy, as well as various facilities that the lodge has to offer guests. These facilities include a swimming pool, volleyball court, bar, restaurant and much more. Wildlife to be seen around the lodge includes bushbuck, puku, impala, duiker, zebra, bush-pig, warthog, ostrich and the ever-so-inquisitive monkeys, to name some. Baobab and Marula are both unique in their own way, but both are fully furnished and self-contained, offering a perfect retreat for groups of families or friends.

Baobab House (check the photo) is a double-storey thatched cottage built atop a ridge alongside a massive Baobab Tree. This house sleeps 6 people, is equipped with DSTV and offers private parking. It has shown to be a favourite amongst guests, with its large verandah elegantly wrapping around the front of the house, showing off the spectacular views of Lake Kariba that this house has to offer. Facing west, it is perfectly situated allowing guests to watch the infamous sunsets over Kariba without having to move further than the verandah. It is also ideally located in the sense that it is a mere 100m walk from the main lodge swimming pool yet still tucked away in its own corner, maintaining that true feeling of tranquility and privacy.”

That’s the blurb. I’ve never been there but it sounds stunning. How do you get there? Ah! Going from Livingstone turn right at Batoka and it’s about 200kms I was told! I also notice there’s no map on either the brochure or the website! Lol! I’ll find out sometime and let you know!

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Julie Sanger on 107.7 fm


Meet Julie Sanger from Southern England as she appeared as a Guest with us on our regular Sunday night radio show The Chanters Lodge Experience! The show goes out live on local radio after the news at 20.30 hrs on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm, and reaches listeners within a radius of about 50 or 60 kilometres!

Julie had been a Guest at Chanters Lodge last week for a couple of nights, prior to joining up with the crew of the Book Bus, about which we’ve written and blogged before! Julie featured on radio for us to remind people about this amazing bus that goes around various schools in Livingstone at this time of year, showing and reading books to youngsters. Like most ‘voluntary’ work these days, Book Bus volunteers do pay to participate. The Livingstone children just love this bus.

Julie usually works with the National Health Service in UK but is taking about a nine month break to travel, including an overland trip, after her Book Bus stint, through Botswana, Namibia and then on to South Africa. She has friends in Cape Town and she told listeners she was really looking forward to seeing and spending time with them. Julie told us about her job and her family, and said she was especially proud of her 28 year old daughter who just last week had qualified as a solicitor. Congratulations all round!

The music was a really mixed bag. We opened with our old theme tune ‘Crazy’ by Gnarls Barkley and played PSquare ‘Gimme That’. Drake’s ‘Find Your Love’ is really popular in Zambia at the moment and though Julie our Guest didn’t know too much of the music we played, she did know the ever popular ‘Closest Thing To Crazy’ by Katie Melua. It was a bit of a crazy show as we also featured Billy Currington’s huge smash US country hit ‘People Are Crazy’. We do play Zambian tracks every week on the show and I hope George will soon start writing a blog feature for us – I’m afraid I think it’s beyond me!

Of course there was talk of the World Cup and football. Milli Jam and George wanted to know how the Chanters Lodge competition was going along. We reported that Melinda from reception, and Agness from the kitchen looked the most likely winners. Who did I want to win the World Cup? Holland of course! Two of my ‘children’ are half Dutch. By this time next week we’ll all know who’s won!

We gave a prize to the first person to text us Julie’s nationality, British, and the regular dinner for two at Chanters Lodge was quickly snapped up by an alert listener.

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Nate Sinyangwe Plays 107.7 fm & Suite 1!


When Nate, Laura and Liana Sinyangwe (above) arrived at Livingstone Airport at 16.30 hrs on Sunday (when I was happily missing the Germany v England debacle on TV), the first thing I said to them was ‘will you do me a favor for a favor?’! “Why not?” answered Nate straight away, as daughter Liana tripped along excitedly beside him. “What’s the deal?”

Well, I said, “we’ll give you our new executive suite at the normal double rate you booked for your stay, and you can be the first people ever to stay in it, – IF – you’ll appear on the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient ft George Soulchild (as well as Zambia’s most famous part time mzungu DJ!) live at 20.30 hrs on 107.7fm tonight! Nate and Diana were delighted with the deal and though we were sorry Laura and Liana couldn’t make it for the show, just too travel weary! Nate was great value. So too was the suite!

“Is it true you work for BP“? We wanted to know on the show. “In the Gulf of Mexico?” “No Alaska!” “What are you doing about the spill in the Gulf?”. Nate admitted there wasn’t much they could do until the new pressure wells were finished. Nate had been educated at Hill Crest School near Chanters Lodge so his was a nostalgic visit home with his wife and cute daughter. Good example too, of what determined and bright young Zambians can do we said!

We played Treysongz – I’m so deep into that at the moment, ‘Already Taken’ and ‘Missing You’. We played Mumpi – Fever and Gyptian Hold Ya! So Nate could catch up on his Zambian latest and overall musically we had a good selection as usual.

We gave away the normal dinner for 2 at Chanters Lodge – quickly snapped up, for the first texter telling us which country Nate lives in now! Thanks Guys!

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Chanters Lodge


This was lovely from the Gregersenblog the other day. Thanks guys!

Chanter’s Lodge
Chanter’s Lodge in Livingstone was our favorite place to relax and get refreshed. The food is fantastic and the rooms are great, but the best feature of Chanter’s Lodge is the owner Richard Chanter. He became a dear friend and helped us many times with trips to the airport, parking for our vehicle when we were out of the country, and assisting countless Namwianga guests during their sightseeing stays in Livingstone. We spent our last night in Zambia at Chanter’s Lodge.

Richard was recently interviewed and featured on Ben Reed’s travel blog. I think you’ll enjoy getting to know him through this article.

Richard is on Twitter and finds great information and quotes about Africa that we appreciate. Today’s gem is a quote: “If you only visit two continents in your lifetime – visit Africa – twice” (R. Elliot)

Chanter’s Lodge in Livingstone was our favorite place to relax and get refreshed. The food is fantastic and the rooms are great, but the best feature of Chanter’s Lodge is the owner Richard Chanter. He became a dear friend and helped us many times with trips to the airport, parking for our vehicle when we were out of the country, and assisting countless Namwianga guests during their sightseeing stays in Livingstone. We spent our last night in Zambia at Chanter’s Lodge.

Richard was recently interviewed and featured on Ben Reed‘s travel blog. I think you’ll enjoy getting to know him through this article.

Richard is on Twitter and finds great information and quotes about Africa that we appreciate. Today’s gem is a quote: “If you only visit two continents in your lifetime – visit Africa – twice” (R. Elliot)

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Chanters Lodge – The Ben Reed Interview (2)


Here’s the next part of my interview with Ben Reed from Adventures With Ben

“Managing a Social Media Marketing Strategy

With nearly 800 followers on twitter, regular posts on his Lodge Blog and an active Facebook Fan Page, Richard has embraced social media and leveraged it to make Chanters Lodge the most visible hotel in Livingstone and on the Internet.

For a gentleman who always wanted to be a writer, blogging was the perfect platform. “I blog about Zambia, family, the lodge and anything else that takes my interest. One of the reasons I keep on blogging is because it brings new content onto the site. We’ve re-marketed the hotel through other parts of Zambia through Facebook.”

He continued by saying, “It’s about social interaction. Loads of clients said they check the blog before they arrive and continue reading it after they leave.” [Very true as Chanters Lodge Blog is downloaded into my Google Feed Reader every morning.] His eyes lit up as he recalled the power of twitter, “I can be talking to a llama farmer in Devon [England], a lady in Brooklyn called Cookie talking about what Rihanna’s doing. Twitter reaches further.”

For Zambia Tourism, social media is important now more than ever. In Richard’s opinion, “[Zambia] is over-hoteled and under-marketed.” In addition, visa fees for travelers are increasing and Zimbabwe is slowly regaining a foothold in appealing to more tourists. Zambia has some competition ahead of them. “If you’re not in the top three or four [in your hotel category], you’ll have some bad years ahead of you.”

While this may be a concern for Richard, he doesn’t show it. Chanters Lodge has expanded considerably since it first opened. Current renovations include converting a standard room into a suite with more plans on the way for additional rooms. Updates are posted on his blog regularly. He never stops working.”

Thanks Ben and for the great picture!

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Suite 1


We’ve been making good progress on the redevelopment of Suite 1 at Chanters Lodge though this picture might not make it look like that!

We’re currently fitting doors and skirting. We’re having to adjust the depth of the steps up to the entrance door from the pool side, they were just too steep.

With any luck by this time next week we might almost be ready!

The Lodge is quiet and looks as if it will be so for the next week or more.

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