1Time!


Here’s the kind of news we love!

1TIME has announced that it will launch its flights from Johannesburg to Livingstone on November 26. The flights will initially operate four times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. All flights will be operated using a new MD87 aircraft with 130 available seats.

In February 2010, 1time will add a fifth-weekly flight, expected to operate on Saturdays. 1time will launch with airfares starting from R897 one-way, all inclusive of taxes. In addition to the airline promoting the destination, 1time Holidays will also be promoting packages to this destination. These packages should be live in the next couple of weeks.

Don’t forget to book your accommodation at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone!

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Chanters & The Biosphere

I re-blogged a piece yesterday about hotel reviews, here’s the latest review of Chanters Lodge:

“I spent two short periods (two nights and three nights) at the beginning and end of a Biosphere expedition to Caprivi at Chanters Lodge having stayed in one of the bigger hotels last year. Chanters was delightful and the staff very friendly and helpful. Richard, the manager, made advance bookings for me of a number of activities by email and arranged free transport from and to Livingstone airport which maximised my time to see the sights and wildlife. The free wifi to check email was a bonus.

The restaurant has a tempting menu with a wide range of dishes including authentic Zambian food and does not disappoint. We had our end-of-expedition dinner there and they coped brilliantly with the unexpected extra numbers. Some people on our expedition switched to Chanters on our return leg as a result of our positive reports.”

How nice is that then!

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Kids Go Rafting!


It was really lousy experience for me the night my daughter Alexandra and her friend Tatenda appeared on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient, our Sunday night radio show on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm almost three weeks’ ago now, I was really not well! And I’d been looking forward to the show so much. I did appear on the programme but only just, and I have very little memory of what took place. In retrospect it probably would have been better if I’d stayed in bed….

Alexandra and Tatenda are both students at Kingsmead College in Johannesburg. Bright, pretty and witty they were, I’m told, great Guests on the show! Were they having a good holiday in Livingstone? “Awesome!” What activities had they done while they’d been here? They’d been, or were going to go rafting, and on the sunset cruise. Alexandra had been on the Cheetah Encounter with Mukuni Big 5 Safaris while she was waiting for her friend Tatenda to arrive – the latter had passport problems in South Africa and was late coming up to Zambia.
We’d also had a great family day out together at the Falls.

How was it living in Johannesburg we wanted to know. They liked it. Were they ever scared given the security problems? “Not reeeeally”. What did they like most about Jo’burg? Shopping and parties! Did they have boyfriends? I seem to remember Alex saying “why’s my dad always asking me that?” or something similar. We played Miley Cyrus (“she’s everywhere at the moment” said Alex) and ‘Supernova’ by Mr Hudson ft Kanye West which will now forever remind me of Alexandra. We played Corinne Bailey Rae who the girls like as well. I also remember ‘Puzzle’ by Alexandra Burke.

“How come Richard invited you as Guests on the show?” DJMJ and George wanted to know. “I’m his daughter!” Yelled Alex and everyone laughed. Which football team did the girls support? I can only remember Alex saying “Arsenal” (yes, all my kids are somehow obliged!). “Are you into sport at school”? The guys wanted to know and the girls explained they were usually too busy with drama. “Are you drama queens?” I wanted to know. “You bet!” They replied laughing. Actually they’ve both been very involved with directing and acting in plays at school.

What did Alex think of her brother Mike’s rap music? “Liquid D? Fantastic!”

The picture, Alex and her brother Mike with Tatenda after their rafting trip. Alex is third from the left, Mike on the far right and Tatenda next to him!

Incidentally, after a two year run, our radio show has come to an end. We might be back on air in some shape or form in 2010, meanwhile thanks to everyone who’s been involved with or taken part in the programme over the two year period! Peace!

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Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow


The hot season’s here! The Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is in flower! Check the picture of this shrub at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone. Here’s all about it!

Brunfelsia pauciflora

Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow’s flowers are purple when they first bloom. Then over a period of several days they fade through a progression of blues and lavenders until they are pure white – then they turn brown and die (the day after tomorrow?)

The pansy-like flowers have white throats, are about 5 cm across and borne in profuse clusters (cymes, actually) of up to 10 blossoms, displayed all over the plant. Flowers of all three colors are present from spring through the end of summer. Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow gets 3-8 ft (0.9-2.4 m) tall with several stems, an open, airy habit, and a spread of 2-5 ft (0.6-1.5 m). The leaves are leathery and semi-evergreen, 3-6 in (8-16 cm) long, dark green above and pale beneath.

Several cultivars are available: ‘Eximia’ is the most typical form, commonly found in cultivation and usually referred to simply as yesterday-today-and-tomorrow. ‘Floribunda’ is smaller with more abundant flowers, and ‘Macrantha’ has larger flowers and is lacking the white throat.

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An Unusual View!


Here’s a view of Chanters Lodge, Livingstone which most of you won’t have seen! The shot’s taken looking west from the new two roomed accommodation extension, along the sides of rooms 10 & 8 on the left. Check the wonderful cascade of bougainvillea – one of three places in the lodge garden where the bougainvillea is in glorious flower right now. Did you know the secret of getting great flowers on this plant is not to water it in the dry season?

The wall you can see in the right of the picture is currently being strengthened with pillars on the other side, to avoid another calamitous collapse (as per two in recent years!)

Have a nice weekend!

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Eric Fischer on 107.7 fm


Clare Alderson, The Guest who was booked to appear on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the DJMJ Ingredient ft Soulchild last Sunday – the radio show which I co-host every Sunday on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station – unfortunately fell ill just before the show, so Eric Fischer, pictured above was kind enough to step in at the last moment! In fact Clare and Eric had travelled together from Namibia, where they’d been part of a two week Biosphere Expedition looking at the relationship between people and wildlife in a rural part of that huge country. Had Eric enjoyed it? Yes he had!

Eric’s a lawyer who hails from Philadelphia, USA where he has his own practice ‘Disability Law Clinic‘ a no-win no-fee set up for disabled people with problems getting claims payments from Government. We took the chance to ask him about the current health care debate in the US, and were shocked to hear that for himself and one of his employees he must pay annual health insurance premiums of some US$33,000. Had Eric voted for Obama? Milimo and George wanted to know. Yes he had! Eric told listeners that he wasn’t married and had no children, but when we asked if we could introduce him to some nice Zambian girls he started talking about a girl called Paris he’d met in Namibia! We laughed!

The music on the show was nice as usual. We played ‘Take My Heart’ a new track from Gen. Ozzy as well as ‘I Wonder’ by P.J, to give Eric a taste of Zambian music, which he enjoyed. He told listeners of his travels to some 27 African countries over the years and professed a liking for music from the Congo as well as Hugh Masekela, Johnny Clegg, and other African artists. We played ‘The Way You Love Me’ by David Guetta ft Kelly Rowland and ‘Never Leave You’ by Tinchy Stryder ft Estelle. We played two Miley Cyrus tracks – ‘Party In The USA’ and ‘Before The Storm’ which she sings with Nick Jonas. Eric was appalled, but we pressed on! ‘Down’ by Jay Sean is super and my current ringtone, and ‘I Look To You’ is the title track of Whitney Houston’s new album due for release on 31st August and widely tipped to be a great comeback album. We closed the show with ‘Candy’ by Paolo Nutini.

Milimo and George wanted to know what it had been like for me listening to the show the previous Sunday and not appearing on it and I told them I’d enjoyed it, but that they talked too much! We asked Eric about his two day one night canoeing trip on the Zambezi the previous night organised by Wild Side Safaris and Makora Quest. Would Milimo and George fancy camping at night on the banks of the Zambezi amongst hippo and crocodile? Mmmm, not really! What else had Eric lined up to do while he was in Livingstone? He was going white water rafting with Safpar and a river safari with Batoka the next day, then a micro-light flight on his last morning.

How many staff did Eric employ in the States? I wanted to know. “5” was the reply “and I have a ‘crackerjack’ team” he said. “Crackerjack?” I wondered and Eric told me it means great staff. “So do I” I replied and that gave me a good chance to say “hi” to the Chanters Girls and to thank them for their hard work and support while I’d been ill. I was also able to say thanks to Ireen and those at home, as well as everyone at 107.7 fm. So what did Eric think he might do next trip? Well, he told listeners that he wanted to come back to Zambia and find out more about the culture and traditions in Western Province. “Great stuff!” We said “and here’s the Loziman to help you” as we pointed to George Soulchild!

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Beautiful Chanters Lodge!


Check this lovely picture of Chanters Lodge Livingstone, showing just a small part of the wonderful seasonal display of bougainvillea in the garden, our lovely swimming pool and the construction of two additional bedrooms on the northern side of the site. We hope the construction will be complete and the rooms available for letting by mid-November this year.

The new rooms will each have one double bed, en suite bathroom with seperate shower, tv (we currently offer 5 channels), fridge, airconditioner and wifi access (free to resident Guests at the moment). The extension is being undertaken due to the high demand for the existing pool side rooms and for accommodation in mid 2010 when the World Cup will be held in South Africa.

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Rooms 11 & 12 – Latest


It might look a bit like a prison, but actually this picture shows signs of good progress!

You’ll have guessed it’s the latest picture of our two roomed accommodation extension by the poolside at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone – rooms 11 & 12. You can see the door and window frames in the process of being fitted and the roofing trusses are being put together on site too. Look up!

What can’t be seen are the conduit pipes fitted by the electricians, and the plumbers’ work too.

I’d like the rooms to be finished before the rains arrive on or around November 15th, we’ll see if that’s possible.

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Rainbows In The Night


No not a new take on the old Sinatra favourite ‘Strangers In The Night’ but:

How can there be a rainbow when it’s clearly dark? A lunar rainbow! Beautifully photographed recently by John Macdonald from Malawi. Victoria Falls, Zambia is one of the very few places in the world where, at the right time of year, you can witness this truly wonderous natural phenomenon.

John and his family stayed of course at Chanters Lodge during their visit.

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