Nobody swims in the Zambezi unless you have a death wish
By Peter Brooker, October 2024.
Chundukwa River Lodge, Zambia
Nestled along the Zambezi River, just outside of Livingstone, Zambia, Chundukwa River Lodge is a thoughtfully designed space for you to align with nature and immerse yourself in a more meaningful travel experience.
Anastasia, wild & free!
The head of operations is a South African called Peter our point man. He is a dry-witted linen-clad gentlemen on his second marriage, who misses his morning swims. 'I used to swim a mile a day,' he's said wryly. 'Nobody swims in the Zambezi unless you have a death wish.'
From Peter I learnt that Zambia is having its worst drought in 30 years, and this has a knock on effect for the hydroelectric stations that generate most of the power here due to the lack of water volume. People are being reduced to four hours of electric as a result. However, Chundukwa lodge is running on Solar for the most part so patrons that are spending close to 1140 GBP a night are not impacted.
Pete's very own Wilde & Harte Osterley Safety Razor
My usual interrogation into the immediate threats of 'what can kill you in this neck of the woods’ soon begins. Aside from the obvious crocodiles, black mambas, we're told that a guide will accompany us to our lodge when the sun goes down, and we’re to stay in our room until sun rise.
African hippos along the Zambezi River bank
Hippos patrol the lodge at night, and if one is caught between themselves and the river or their calf, they can get very aggressive. During the night we heard the hippos smash through the foliage beneath our balcony. I leapt out of bed like a starry-eyed child on Christmas morning and tried to see them emerge from underneath the balcony. Alas I got into a skirmish with the mosquito net that encircled our bed and couldn't fight my way out in time. The second night the occurrence happened once again, this time I slipped through the net with more guile and got to see a large hippo and her calf munch through the vegetation on the way down the bank. The mother entered with a little more grace than her offspring. It was too dark to take photos, but we could just make out the shapes in the early light. One for the memory banks.
'We have something called a Solifugae spider out here,' Peter continued his briefing. 'It's a spider otherwise known as sun spiders, camel spiders, and wind scorpions. They're translucent, and are quite ghastly looking things, but they carry no harmful venom but a bite from one of these creatures can be very painful. If you spot one in the room radio me for help, I'll send someone.' Peter looked Anastasia as if to say, I've got the measure of your man. He's not the man for a crisis.
And he'd be right.
You're 'avin a giraffe!
£1140 a night includes three square meals, and some local produce such as the Mosi-oa-Tunya wine, the indigenous more lyrical name for Victoria falls which translates as the smoke that thunders.
Each night we embarked on sunset cruises up and down the Zambezi River. We spied basks of Crocodiles idling on the rocks in the shallow pools, a raft of hippos periodically yawning, and troops of baboons cautiously plucking the roots from the riverbanks.
If you can afford it, do it.
Pete & Anastasia's view from the Chundukwa River Lodge
Monkey business at the lodge
Stunning wildlife on the Zambezi River
About the author
Peter Brooker is the co-author of From Tailors With Love an Evolution of Menswear Through the Bond Films and is also Editor-in-Chief of From Tailors With Love, a blog, vlog and podcast dedicated to men’s costumes and cinematic style.
Follow Pete on Instagram: @therewillbebond (over 22k followers)
Follow Wilde & Harte on Instagram: @wildeandharte (2k followers)
Above: Pete with his Osterley Safety Razor.
