LIVINGSTONE, Zambia- Tongabezi, an eco-luxe safari lodge on the
Zambezi River upstream of Victoria Falls, announces a brand-new luxury chalet,
with the working name “Dog House,” slated to open in early June of this year. Aside
from luxurious appointments, the new chalet is luxuriously large – 3,875 square
feet!
(Sadly, the former Dog House suffered a
fire last year and was razed. The quirky name resulted from a portion of its proceeds
helping to save the Wild Dog, one of Africa’s most endangered species).
Beautifully sited on the Zambezi River,
the “Dog House” comprises two very large bedrooms, a dining/living area between
the bedrooms, a double-sided fireplace and a small, infinity plunge pool edging
the river. Because the bedrooms are
raised nine feet, they appear to be floating over the water. Rooms are air
conditioned, but guests who prefer the open air can pull back the glass sliding
doors. The “Dog House” can be used as a
two-bedroom suite or, by closing off one bedroom, as a one-bedroom suite. Like all the houses at Tongabezi, the new
chalet comes with a valet.
Tongabezi’s managing director Ben
Parker and his designer Christie Halsted came up with the concept for the new House.
It is being built by Schlomo Hanoni and his team (the same team that rebuilt
sister property Sindabezi in 2010). “Building beside a river is no mean feat,”
says Parker, “because at certain times of the year, the river rises. It’s a constant battle to get the
infrastructure into the ground, before it’s flooded out.” As one consultant to Tongabezi put it when
the builder succeeded in getting ahead of a rising river, “Zambezi – 0;
Tongabezi – 1”.
In keeping with
Tongabezi’s “green” ethos, the timber is supplied from sustainable forests in
the Copper belt near Ndola.
Still and
sparkling water is bottled through the Vivreau system (saving 20,000 plastic
bottles and 2,000 tin cans every year). All water used is run through a
purification plant and used for irrigation.
All-inclusive rates
are $620 per person per night in low season, $720 per person per night in high
season. Inclusions: accommodations,
meals, drinks and house wine, laundry service and most activities. Exclusions: international airfare; premium-brand drinks,
sparkling wine, liqueurs.
For
reservations contact: reservations@tongabezi.com; or
visit: www.tongabezi.com
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