Kennedy Chaile & Floating Skies Safaris


Meet Kennedy Chaile (above), proprietor and founder of Floating Skies Safaris and guest on the most recent edition of our weekly Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station. The show is called The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild and is an addictive mixture of music and chat! I co-host the show and as George was not feeling well this week I had more to say than usual. Whilst we often invite lodge Guests to appear on the programme we do like to promote local companies and people as well, hence this week’s invitation to Kennedy.

Kennedy told listeners that his company offers a variety of activities for tourists including an African Foods Cooking Tour which takes visitors into the local markets to see and sample the preparation of Zambian food. Cost – US$50 per person. Floating Skies also offer Cultural and Historical Tours of Livingstone, Jewish Historical Tours and Village Tours. The company offers walking safaris as well as safaris further afield to Kafue National Park.

Our guest explained that Floating Skies was established in April 2009 and, whilst the company did not yet have its own transport, it had no problem hiring transport as and when required. It employed three expert guides to accompany visitors. Kennedy had originally come to Livingstone as General Manager of Natural Mystique Lodge on the Zambezi and having served in that capacity for 5 years made the decision to establish his own company with his wife, whom he described as his partner and greatest supporter. They have three children. Most of his education had been completed on the Copperbelt with a background in accountancy.

The music on the show was right up to date. We opened with Lady Gaga’s ‘Edge Of Glory’ back to back with Aloe Blacc and ‘I Need A Dollar’. Two local tracks were ‘hot’! ‘Got It Bad’ by African Freedom featuring Cri$i$ Mr Swagger while Chika’s ‘Chanibaba’ (I’m hurt) had them rocking in Maramba and back at Chanters Lodge. Milli Jam spun ‘Should Have Kissed You’ by Chris Brown back to back with Keri Hilson’s ‘Lose Control’. We closed with Miguel’s R&B smash ‘Sure Thing’.

Kennedy told listeners that Floating Skies had the most support from Jollyboys Backpackers and Safari Par Excellence but that the company drew clients from lots of lodges in Livingstone. They hoped to introduce tours in the future concerning African insects and trees. He also explained that African Insights had helped with the construction of the company’s website which was helping with marketing the company and that Floating Skies was active on both Facebook and Twitter.

We gave away dinner for two at Chanters Lodge to the first person to text us either the name of our Guest or his company and Zach responded ‘Kennedy from Frightening Skies Safaris’. We laughed and gave him the prize – Kennedy after all was quite correct! We asked our enterprising and hard working guest where he’d like to be and what he’d like to be doing ten years from now and he told listeners that he wanted Floating Skies to be a really successful company with its own fleet of transport. We wished him the best of luck.

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