The other day I met Emily, aged 12, and Thomas, aged 9, as they were having lessons on our Segways. The two children were from England and were at the end of their holiday to Zambia. They had spent a week on safari in one of our famous parks, Luangwa Valley, and then had come to Sun International to enjoy the million thrills on offer at the resort. It was their last day on holiday and their parents had said they could take a ride on the Segways.

I’m sure you’ve all seen one by now, but just in case: A Segway is a very strange vehicle with just two wheels, side by side. It is propelled by body movement – lean forward and it goes forwards; lean back and it goes backwards; stand up straight and it stops.   We rent out the Segways for our guests to enjoy riding around our resort.

While Emily was having her lesson, I chatted to Thomas.

Have you ever been on one of these before? I asked him.

No, but it looks like fun, he said.

Have you ever seen one before?  Do you have them in England?

I have seen one on a DVD.  It was yellow and the good guy had to escape from a shopping mall.  He sped through the mall at high speed. He must have been doing a hundred miles an hour.

I knew that our Segways only go at around six miles an hour, so I knew that he was not going to copy the ‘good guy’ in the movie.

When Emily had finished her lesson, Thomas got on a smaller one.  He quickly got the idea, so it wasn’t long before they went off on their tour of the resort with Arson, the guide.  I met them later as they rode through the grounds, both of them having such fun.  They passed our herd of zebra and giraffe munching on the trees and grass – I thought to myself this must be the oddest way to go on safari!

I know that the two children had a fantastic time.  I can also imagine that when Thomas is watching that DVD with his friends back home in England he will tell them all about the time that he rode one of those vehicles when he was in Africa.  I expect he will also mention driving through a herd of zebra and giraffe.  I wonder if his friends will ever believe him!

]]> http://royallivingstone.suninternational.com/2010/07/segway-safari-fun-at-the-royal-livingstone/feed/ http://royallivingstone.suninternational.com/2010/07/worm-farms-letters-from-the-falls/ http://royallivingstone.suninternational.com/2010/07/worm-farms-letters-from-the-falls/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:41:32 +0000 Greg Schneider http://royallivingstone.suninternational.com/?p=698

Sun International Zambia’s Worm Farm Project

We are elated about our worm farm project at the Falls Resort in Zambia. This initiative has the sole aim of managing organic waste from both the Zambezi Sun and Royal Livingstone Hotels.

Located within our resort grounds, the farm has approximately 180 000 composting
earthworms supplied by South Africa’s FullCycle, a company specialising in growing and promoting worms as a better means to manage organic waste.

The environment needs everyone’s participation to fight off so many years of chemical abuse and pollution. Compost worms can solve most of these problems while improving the environment for us, our children, and future generations to come. The more people start to reduce and recycle their organic waste and reduce their chemical usage the quicker the environment will start to recover, for us all to enjoy.

The Fantastic Creatures that Make it Possible

The worms feed on a variety of decomposing organic waste and harmful bacteria to produce a non-toxic liquid and solid waste. This is as nature intended – a totally sustainable environmentally friendly soil improver with no negative impact on the environment, whatsoever. Earthworm compost, known as vermicompost, is produced from kitchen refuse – and it is the best compost. Rich in humus, it retains moisture very well and is an excellent fertiliser, even in liquid form.

Renowned horticulturist, the late Professor Kristo Pienaar, once pointed out that: Earthworms are not parasites that eat your plants’ roots; they live off rotting organic material in the soil and, by breaking down this material, they make its nutrients more readily available to plants. Nitrogen, for example, is transformed into ammonia and nitrates, ready to feed plants. Phosphates and potash, the other two macronutrients, are also increased. Earthworm castings (the excretions) contain five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphates and eleven times more potash than the surrounding soil.’

Worm farming is a highly beneficial way of sustaining the environment. At the Falls Resort, we embrace it because of its far reaching benefits. It will not only help to conserve nature through good waste management, but also improve the lives of the local communities which will benefit from the organic fertiliser produced.

I sincerely hope to see more organisations participating in such environmentally focused projects. They’ll help solve some of the pollution problems caused by green waste disposal and the growing problem of pollution that’s leaching out of landfill sites into our natural ground water, rivers and streams by eliminating these organic green waste materials before they go to landfill sites, with the use of compost worms.

The Media Familiarisation Tour

Following our environmental endeavour, we conducted a media familiarisation tour of the worm farm. Amongst the media houses represented during the trip were: Zambian national television broadcaster ZNBC, community radio stations Mosi-Oa-Tunya and Zambezi FM, and other members of the local and national press.

The familiarisation tour was also attended by members of the Care to Care group, a non-government organisation looking after people living with HIV/Aids, representatives from Agribusiness for Sustainable Natural African Plant Products (ASNAPP) and the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD). The guests were most impressed with the magnitude of the project and its benefits to the community. “I thank Sun International Zambia for this project. It is a very important tool in uplifting the lives of the people in the community and giving hope to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. I implore other community members to come and learn how to run a worm farm so that they can also benefit,” said Selinah Chisaka, from the Care to Care support group.

Speaking during the familiarisation tour, the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Coordinator, Stain Musungaila, emphasised the objectives of the worm farm as follows:

• To improve lives of local communities by supplying them with organic fertiliser for use in their farms and gardens.
• To increase food security within communities.
• To promote environmentally friendly organic farming methods.
• To conserve nature through proper waste management of organic waste.
• To create an organic environment for all plants, herbs and flowers grown within Sun International Zambia, whilst protecting the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.
• To reduce the costs and carbon footprint associated with conventional fertilisers.
• To improve soil quality.

The Green Future Looks Bright Ahead

Trials for the organic fertiliser from the Worm Farm have since been finalised and the worm tea and compost is now supplied to the beneficiaries who include: more than 60 households from the Care to Care organisation, small scale farmers in and around Livingstone and Kazungula districts, and Topturf (who are responsible for the daily upkeep of the Sun International resort grounds). The Worm Farm is processing more than 60 kilograms of organic waste from the hotel kitchens per day. This number is set to increase significantly, causing a noteworthy reduction in our carbon footprint, together with more and more people benefitting from the project.

The Glorious Zambia Falls

When I close my eyes, I imagine the sound of thunder colliding with beauty and splendour and the first thing that comes to mind is the magnificent curtain of water aptly described as the “The Smoke that Thunders”.

Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River and borders both Zambia and Zimbabwe. This colossal body of water is an incredible 1708m wide, categorising it as one of the world’s largest waterfalls. The water drops at an average of 92m into the Zambezi Gorge and every minute, an average of 550 000 cubic metres of water plummets over the edge of the falls!

The first recorded history of Victoria Falls was in November of 1855, when it was sighted by Scottish missionary and explorer, David Livingstone. In honour of Queen Victoria, he named the Zambia falls, “Victoria Falls”. The indigenous name given to the falls by the Kololo tribe who were living in the area during the 1800’s is “Mosi-Oa-Tunya” which literally translates to “The Smoke that Thunders”.

The wide basalt cliff over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi River from a wide and placid expanse of water to a ferocious torrent that cuts through a series of dramatic and picturesque gorges.

If you’re after adventure, the Zambia Falls offers a place for thrill seekers to enjoy white water rafting and river boarding down the rapids that surround the base of the waterfall itself. If you’re up for a shot of adrenalin, try bungee jumping a staggering 111m off of the Victoria Falls bridge.

The area surrounding Victoria Falls offers an array of activities to suit everyone! If you’d like to exchange adventure for relaxation, there are vast amount of historical tours and walking trails that we can arrange for you, affording you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of the region. I urge you to join us at the Royal Livingstone for the experience of a lifetime.

Tiger & Fly Fishing

Are you after a getaway with a difference? Imagine the bliss of a holiday that involves no stress, no disruption; just you and the outdoors to inspire you. Embarking on a Zambia fishing safari is a unique experience with the ideal combination of relaxation and adventure that you’ve been craving.

Zambezi tiger fishing is a popular sport amongst avid anglers. It proves to be extremely exciting as this tenacious species of fish are notorious for fighting to the death, usually making fast hard runs and jumping high out of the water.

Even though they belong to a different family, tiger fish have been considered as Africa’s equivalent to the South American piranha, as they are infamous for their ferocious hunting behaviour. The Zambezi River is often dubbed “the Tiger Mile”, as this phenomenal creature gathers here in prolific numbers allowing the eternal battle between man and fish to ensue.

We’ll ensure that you have experienced guides to accompany you each day on your Zambezi fly fishing experience, to help you settle in a perfect fishing spot. I’ve found that peak tiger fishing is between April and July, while normal game fishing can be done during the high season from April - October, with the latter months being optimal as the water level will have receded.

The upper Zambezi in southern Zambia is notably the best place to target trophy size tiger fish. I heard that a whopping 19kg tiger fish was caught in this region, arguably one for the record books! The biggest fish in the area is 14kg, while you can generally expect to catch fish between 5kgs and 7kg’s.

There is no shortage of action packed adventure when getting involved in Zambezi tiger fishing. I guarantee that you’ll enjoy a unique fishing safari experience with us at the Royal Livingstone, so start planning your Zambezi fly fishing trip now!

The Zambezi River is looking good this month.  The water level has gone down and the water glides between the banks with a few gurgles as it rushes down some small rapids.  The rains stopped in Livingstone about three months ago and the water now flowing down the river has come from many miles away.  The source of the river is in northern Zambia and from there it has travelled more than 600 miles.  Along the way it has picked up water from hundreds of tributaries.  About 300 miles away the water passes through the Barotse floodplain – a mass of reeds and papyrus.  There the water is filtered by all the weeds and the sandy riverbed, and, by the time it reaches us in Livingstone, it is crystal clear.

When I was at the Royal Livingstone the other day in the early morning I noticed a rainbow over the Victoria Falls and walked down to the deck by the river to have a look.  It was the most beautiful rainbow stretching the whole width of the Falls and I sat on the deck for a while to admire the view of the river, the spray and the rainbow.  What a sight. 

The deck was empty apart from me and I thought it was sad that the guests were not enjoying it too; although on reflection it was a little chilly as it was so early!  Our deck is mainly used for sundowners from around 5pm to enjoy the sunset.  Occasionally during the day a guest will wander down and sit for a while, and lounge on the daybed reading and admiring the view.

By now I had been sitting on the deck for about 5 minutes and I noticed that I was getting rather cold.  My hands were icy and I thought maybe my nose had turned blue.  We often forget that it gets cold in Africa too and that now is our cold season, with temperatures going down to 50° early in the morning.  But that spectacular view was certainly worth it!

High Wiring over the Batoka Gorge

Have you ever wondered what it may be like to be suspended across the Zambezi River, with adrenalin pumping through your veins and the cool breeze rushing through your hair?

With the option of high-wiring across the Victoria Falls, you can now find out how this feels first-hand! I definitely consider this as one of the extreme adventures Zambia has to offer. Experience what it is like to “fly” 96m above the ground as you high-wire across a 135m-long cable over the picturesque gorge.

High-wiring involves being harnessed to a cable as you glide from one end of the cable to the other. Depending on how daring you’re willing to be, you can be harnessed in a seating position, or get the true flying experience by high-wiring head first. The choice is yours, but the experience of flying mid-air across one of the world’s most beautiful natural features is surely something not be missed!

We offer our guests a variety of extreme activities when it comes to the Batoka Gorge; however, we consider high-wiring an entirely unique activity! Flying through the air is guaranteed to give you an exhilarating adrenaline rush.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with nature and experience a true adventure from the sky. High-wiring above the Zambezi is guaranteed to provide you with a view and touch of nature you may have never experienced down on the ground.

I am sure that when you think of African music, you will think of the African drum and possibly the marimba, like a xylophone.   It may surprise you then to know that one of the favorite bands in Livingstone is a brass band.

When Zambia was Northern Rhodesia they did not have an army; they had a police force.  It was known as the Barotse Native Police.  The rank and file of the police were men from the Lozi tribe and the officers were expatriates who had come to Zambia to work.

As soon as the police force was formed the officers thought that it would be a great idea to have a brass band; they decided to find out if their men could learn to play.  So they brought in trumpets and tubas, drums and trombones and they gave them to their men.  The constables could neither read nor write and certainly did not have a clue about crochets and quavers.  This did not matter, though.  Within a short time they learned to play their strange instruments and the Barotse Police Band was formed.  Every Thursday evening the band played in the center of town in Barotse Gardens for the entertainment of the townsfolk.  It was thought to be one of the best bands in the whole of southern Africa.

The other day as  I was going through town I found the army brass band marching towards the Barotse Gardens, now known as Mukuni Park.  The members of the Catholic Church were holding a fete in Mukuni Park and the army band had come to join in the fun and to make it more festive.  The people in town all stood to watch as the band marched past and the children jumped up and down, they were so excited.

As I watched them go by I thought of those days now a hundred years ago.  Things were so different then, so much has changed.  Northern Rhodesia is now Zambia; the bandsmen wear long trousers and a cap instead of shorts and a fez.  But some things have not changed.  We still have a brilliant brass band in Livingstone and they continue to play for the enjoyment of us all.

When Livingstone Town was born in 1904 the land around was wild.  The first buildings on the site were of poles and mud, some with a bucksail for a roof.  The roads were deep sand.  Surrounding the town wild animals, especially lions, prowled in the teak forests looking for a meal.

The people who came to Livingstone at that time would have arrived by the newly constructed railway, but, before that, they would have trekked for months by ox-wagon.  Ox-wagons and mule carts were the main form of transport in the town, hence the wide roads which allowed for the turning of a wagon and its 16 oxen.

Slowly, over the years the buildings took on more of a permanent form with brick buildings taking pride of place in the town.  In 1931 a Jewish family built the Capitol Cinema right in the center of town.  Entertainment, of course, was much appreciated in such a remote area and films were brought from England.  The cinema was the latest in cinema design, with a screen for films and a stage for plays and other performances.  It was popular for many, many years.

One of the most famous people who came to town now and again was Arthur Harrington.  He was a trader who used to take goods to Western Province to trade for cattle from the area.  When Arthur came to town he loved to go to the cinema, particularly enjoying gangster movies.  He did, however, have an unfortunate habit.

Arthur, of course, carried a gun, as most travelers did in those days for protection against wild animals.  When he arrived in town he would go to a hotel and have a few whiskeys and then go off to the cinema.  Having become totally absorbed in the movie and realizing who the bad guy was, he would pull out his gun and shoot the villain on the screen.  He claimed that he always got his man.

His antics were well known and, although everyone would have known that Arthur was in the audience, it was still a shock when the gun went off in the darkness of the cinema.  I am sure that he had plenty of complaints from the other Livingstonians but he always made good the following day and paid for any repairs.

Luckily these days, guests at the Capitol Theatre behave in a far better manner!

Life is never dull at Sun International Zambia.

On Wednesday last week, at approximately 10pm, a lone bull elephant wandered into the resort, much to the surprise of our guests and staff.  This was obviously a little concerning for us, as the safety of all of the folk on the resort is our priority, and we therefore called in Zambian Wildlife to assist “our” elephant with his onward travel arrangements.  After a leisurely stroll through the grounds, stopping now and then to sample the greenery on offer, the elephant took up residence on our grassed helipad, and spent the next 24 hours wandering around the resort, enjoying the lush vegetation.  As Loxodonta africana, or the African Elephant, eats between 180 to 250 kg of food in 24 hours we were a little worried about all the trees on site, but other than a few broken branches, he left last night as quietly as he arrived early this morning.

Another fabulous day in Africa!

I have always wished that I could paint or draw or even take a good photograph, but it never was one of my talents.  Over the years, though, I have collected some beautiful paintings, mostly by African artists.  So when we decided to have an exhibition of Zambian artwork at the Sun International Resort in Livingstone, I knew I would be tempted to add to my collection.

On Saturday evening we hosted a cocktail party to mark the opening of the exhibition, which will run until the end of July.   I am sure that you will recognize some of the names of the artists – Francois E’Elbee, Vic Guhrs, Tamryn Pohl, Vincent Maonde, Larry Norton, Lawrence and Agnes Yombe, Eva Middleton, Chansa Chishimba, Rory McDougall and Clare Mateke.  They all came to join us for the opening.

Most of the artists specialize in wildlife paintings or photographs - elephants, zebra or lions in the African bush.  As we chatted about their work it was, of course, no surprise to find out that the artists were passionate about African wildlife.  There were paintings from Luangwa and Kafue, photographs from Busanga Plains and Lochinvar - some of our famous National Parks.

As the evening progressed most of us were talking about endangered animals, environments under threat and climate change.  The animals and birds in our world are so dependent upon us all to save them by maintaining their environments.  The artists knew that they were at the forefront of showing the wider world how wonderful and special our wildlife is and how important it is to care.

Towards the end of the evening I knew that I had to decide which artwork I was going to buy.  They were so beautiful that I wanted all of them.  But having listened to the discussions I knew that I wanted a photograph by Francois D’Elbee.  It showed a herd of zebra wandering across an open plain with billowing clouds in the sky – a truly African wildlife scene.  Apart from being an absolutely stunning photograph it will remind me every day of our responsibility to save our wildlife heritage.

We know as Sun International that we must continue to support our African artists and the exhibition is just one way we can do it.  For myself, I know I can’t paint or take a good photograph but just by buying their artwork I am helping in a small way.