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Livingstone Tourism Association

“Zambia's Victoria Falls”

Tag Archives: Zambezi

September 27, 2010 Oxford takes overall prize at Zambezi International Regatta

The Oxford Men's Eight (front) won both the 500m sprint and the 2000m race, with Cambridge second and University of Cape Town (back) third.

Metres of duct tape might have made all the difference as Oxford beat the Cambridge and University of Cape Town rowing teams in difficult conditions on the Zambezi on Saturday.

The 2010 Zambezi International Regatta is the fourth time that Oxford and Cambridge Alumni have competed against eachother and South African teams at the Zambian boat club just 5km upstream of Victoria Falls. The event has been held in Livingstone previously in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Additionally this year marked the 100th anniversary of The World Professional Sculling Championships, held on the Zambezi in 1910.

After winning the 500m sprint earlier in the day, Oxford knew that their size counted against them in the windy and choppy waters of Africa’s fourth largest river. This team, boasting all former Oxford Blues or Isis rowers as well as a number of Olympians and World Champions, was noticeably bigger built than their competitors and would be disadvantaged by the boat sitting lower in the water. Minutes before heading to the start, the team could be seen strapping metres of silver-grey tape around the riggers to provide a small barrier to the waves and splashes. “If we sit too low in the water in windy conditions like this, the waves will come crashing over the boat. If that happens too early in the race, we’ll be pulling a boat full of water,” explained the American two-time Olympian and three-time World Champion Michael Wherley. “It doesn’t always work, as it could catch the wind, but on a day like today it’s good to try something like this.”

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the The World Professional Sculling Championships, Dan Arnold (back), winner of the 2010 Dogget's Coat and Badge Race, beat Dan Barry (foreground), the great great nephew of one of the original competitors.

The three scullers competing in the Centenary Sculling Race not only had the wind and waves to deal with, but the fact that their training sessions had proved that their boats were prone to being followed by crocodiles. Competing over the 500m course, UK’s Dan Arnold beat fellow Briton Dan Barry and South African Rika Diedericks. Barry’s great great uncle, Ernest Barry, competed in the 1910 Professional Sculling Championships and was beaten by that year’s winner of the Dogget’s Cloak and Badge Race, the oldest rowing race in the world. Likewise this year, Arnold, fresh from winning at Dogget’s, beat Barry, with female competitor Rika Diedericks, a Beijing Olympian, coming in third.

Oxford women (front) were beaten into second place by the University of Johannesburg Eights (back) in both the 500m sprint and the 2000m race, with Cambridge third.

The women’s races also ended with identical scores for both events: University of Johannesburg making a clean sweep, with Oxford second and Cambridge third. UJ team captain Tiffany Rolando, sporting bloody fingers at the finish after hitting her hand on the strut in the rough conditions, summarised their 2000m win: “Even though we won the 500m sprint, we didn’t go out there feeling confident or cocky. We knew 2km is a whole different race. We decided to keep to our race plan: to go out strong at the start, and get into our stride quick and early. That’s what we did. The girls gave 100%. Then we just kept tapping away. When we had an incident like the finger incident, we just recovered quickly and went on.”

Cox Thabang Leon Mobobodi, who was given much credit by his team for the way he kept them calm, even when they were banging their knees and missing strokes in the rough conditions, said: “It’s incredible to race against such teams. You look up to them. You watch them on TV. Now managing to beat them gives us a lot of confidence as a team.”

The combined scores of the Oxford men’s and women’s eights saw them win the Victor Ludorum for best overall performance on the day, with the two South African universities in second place and Cambridge third.

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September 16, 2010 Zambezi Sun Turns Nine Years Old

“To all our colleagues and friends at Sun International Zambia, congratulations on nine very successful years and the enormous role you have all played in this success!! Be very proud and have a wonderful day. Thanks to everyone for all your efforts and our very best wishes!”

John Lee

Director Resorts

Nine years ago, in 2001, then Republic President, Dr Fredrick Chiluba cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony for the Zambezi Sun, on the banks of the Zambezi River. Livingstone, Zambia, has never been the same and on the August 11th, 2010 Sun International Zambia celebrated their success.

Top quality service, thousands of guests and several awards for their corporate social responsibility programs that have focused on community and environmental initiatives have all made the Zambezi Sun a great hotel to visit. For company has received recognition from several local and international organizations as a leader in responsible tourism.

Any owner of a business knows that the success lies in the staff, and Sun International is no exception. As part of the company celebrating nine years of growing success, it hosted a large celebration inviting staff, government officials, and the press.

The Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Gladys Kristafor, was one of the government officials who attended. During her speech at Falls Resort Convention Centre she congratulated Sun International for its role, “as a very strong catalyst in the development of tourism in Livingstone, and the nation as a whole.”

Mrs. Kristafor went on to say, “I wish to commend Sun International Zambia for your numerous corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives that continue to change hundreds of lives of the underprivileged in society. The scope of these initiatives is incomprehensible, it’s results are overwhelming. As government we are very proud of your contributions to community development and we would like to urge you not to relent to supplement our efforts because this is the only way we can develop our country. Continue upholding your high standards in customer service and always be on hand to offer a helping hand to your staff and the community,” she said.

In a message of congratulations from the United States of America to the staff, the resort General Manager, Joanne Selby, thanked all Sun International Zambia members of staff for their support in providing ‘A Million Thrills’ to one another and to the guests.

It is the Million Thrills that keep the guests coming. The Zambezi Sun and the Royal Livingstone offer visitors to Zambia an unforgettable experience. The opportunity to see, hear and feel the full force of the falls while luxuriating and enjoying the many sites and sounds of Livingstone. For more details and the latest packages head over to their website.

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August 26, 2010 Encyclopedia Britannica Talks about Livingstone

Encyclopedia Britannica’s Blog posted an article a couple days ago about Livingstone, Zambia recently. The article is written by the editor at Travelbite, Natasha van Gelden who visited the World Heritage Site.

The post titled, “Victoria Falls and the ‘Devils Armchair’” shares Natasha’s experience bungee jumping, white river rafting and sitting on the edge of Victoria Falls while visiting the Zambian side of the falls. Natasha, like all visitors to Livingstone had an exceptional experience. She says in her post,

“This is a truly mind-blowing experience, looking across to Zimbabwe on the other side. I couldn’t get enough of swimming in the warm water.”

The many activities of Livingstone were a highlight of Natasha’s experience and she took some great photographs, which she posted on Britannica’s blog

Natasha shares her description of the Devil’s Armchair,

“A couple of local guides showed me the ‘path’ along the riverbed at the top of Victoria Falls to a place called the Angel’s or Devil’s Armchair, depending on your point of view.

The wide, swift-flowing river has scooped out a shallow pool at the very lip of the cataract and left a low rock on which you can sit and dangle your legs over the abyss”

 

Sitting on the edge of Victoria Falls. Photo by Natasha von Geldern

 

Natasha visited several of the many non-profit organizations, which serve the needs of the community, and are supported through the generosity of local businesses and international visitors. Natasha thoroughly enjoyed her stay at Jollyboys International Backpackers a place she said was filled with “a great atmosphere – especially around the barbeque and the pool.”

You can read and see all the great pictures here and see more of Natasha’s writings on Travelbrite.co.uk’s website. For a comprehensive list of places to stay, things to do and where to eat check out the Livingstone Tourism Association’s website.

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August 21, 2010 Plenty To Do At The Arts Cafe!

It has been almost two months since the LIPAF Arts Café opened in Livingstone. We wrote about their grand opening, Arts Café Opens on July 3rd, on this blog making sure to mention the many exciting activities that they are hosting.

Well, here is a bit more detail on what they have going on. The Café is open Tuesday to Sunday, with a full schedule of activities so visitors to Livingstone, and locals, can truly experience the dynamic tapestry of Zambian culture.

DO IT YOURSELF WORKSHOPS
Tuesday to Saturday 12h00 to 17h00
Cost: $10-$15 (depending on the cost of materials)
Participate in one of the many cultural workshops being led by local artisans. During the entire month of August, visitors to the Arts Cafe can make their own drum, Kalimba (thumb piano), or wood carving, weave a basket, create a beautiful beaded necklace, or construct a wire sculpture.

LIVE MUSIC IN THE GARDEN/PATIO
Wednesdays 17h00 to 20h00

“The Rolling Kencheyo Band“
Every Wednesday, patrons can enjoy their favourite beverage while listening or dancing to the sweet sound of The Rolling Kencheyo band. This group of talented musicians and singers fill the air with a unique mix of traditional and modern instruments including marimba, djembe drums, slit drum, guitars and keyboard. Come and enjoy African music at its finest with many original songs composed by the band members.

Saturdays starting at 17h00

“Grandee and Friends”
Well known in Livingstone, Grandee and Friends have something for everyone’s listening pleasure from Kalindula to Classic Rock.

Sundays starting at 17h00

“Musical Jam Session”
Last week 15 musicians showed up to participate in the fun and excitement of our Sunday Jam Sessions backed up by the Rolling Kencheyo band. Each week is different but the surprise performances are always a treat to the eyes and ears.

LIVE CULTURAL THEATRE PERFORMANCE
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 20h00
Sunday matinees at 15h00
“Dancing Around Zambia” 

Cost $20.00 (Zambian residents K25,000)
You don’t want to miss the critically acclaimed performance of  “Dancing Around Zambia” in the Arts Cafe theatre. This 90 minute “imaginary” journey to several provinces of Zambia is directed by Marilyn Gregory and features a talented cast of drummers, singers and dancers who bring the ceremonies, dances, and songs to life on the stage.

To get the most uptodate schedule information check out LIPAF’s online schedule. 

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August 18, 2010 The Zambezi International Regatta

The Zambezi International Regatta returns to Livingstone for the fourth Oxford vs Cambridge vs South African universities boat races at the Zambezi Boat Club. The event will take place from the 19th to the 26th of September 2010.

The first regatta – 1905. Winners of the coxed fours.

The crews have already been put together for this year’s event and they are looking forward to the competition, which has gained international recognition. Kieran West (gold in Sydney) will be among the competitors who are coming along to row. This year is the Centenary of the World Professional Sculling Championships held on the Zambezi River.

A unique event in rowing world – heavy traffic on the river.

Left to right – Rhodes, Cambridge, Rand Afrikaans, Oxford university teams.

In the past we have had Olympic Gold Medallists (Luka Grubor, Andrew Lindsay in Sydney, Ed Coode in Athens for Great Britain and Jake Wetzel in Beijing for Canada) and reigning World Champions and Gold Medallists in Beijing (Peter Reed, Andrew Triggs-Hodge [GB]) and Olympic Silver Medallists (Colin Smith [born in Zimbabwe] Josh West, Matt Langridge and Acer Nethercott in Beijing) rowing in the crews.

The World Professional Sculling Championships, 1910. The four-man Mukoro race.

The 1910 World Championship Course – with the Victoria Falls just around the bend!

The event in 1910 was hosted by the British South Africa Company to ensure that the development of Central Africa included the sports world as well. They put up a purse of £1,000 for the winner. Richard Arnst (NZ) and Ernest Barry (Eng) the two top professional rowers of their day competed in the race, which was won by the New Zealander (oddly enough sponsored by the city of Sydney). In the 2004 regatta Ernest Barry’s nephew rowed an exhibition race on the Zambezi, and his great-nephew rowed for the Cambridge crew.

The rafting event will be held in the gorges between rapids 1 and 7 on Tuesday the 21st of September. The crews will compete for various trophies on Saturday 25 September between 9am and 3pm The audience will be able to view the races from the Zambezi boat club and VIPs and sponsors will be entertained on board the luxurious African Queen, African Princess and Lady Livingstone launches.

National two-man Mukoro race, 2004.

National Mukoro winners, 2004.

A number of events have been organised in whichlocal competitors will take part:

  • Mukoro race
  • Single kayak race
  • Men’s double kayak race
  • Ladies’ double kayak race
  • Mixed doubles double kayak race
  • Raft race – sprint – crews of seven

Please email Peter Jones at peterjones@iconnect.zm at the River Club or the committee of the Livingstone Tourism Association if you need any further information.

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July 21, 2010 Bushtracks Africa Expands

Bushtracks Africa has expanded, adding a new office and new team members.

On July 19th the new office located in Johannesburg, South Africa, went ‘live’. The office houses the reservations, finance and general management departments. The expansion will allow Bushtracks Africa to provide improved customer service with faster response times and a greater range of booking services.

At the Bushtracks Africa base in Livingstone, Zambia, the team has also been expanded. This expansion is focused on improving the visitor’s experience the moment he or she steps off the plane; the Ground Handling Department will focus on ensuring that Bushtracks Africa’s customers receive the best possible service while escorting them around Livingstone and the Victoria Falls region.

The team grows! Here is the new and expanded Bushtracks Africa team.

Bushtracks Africa offers a range of services and activities based in the Livingstone area. Visitors can take a sunset train ride on the immaculately restored Pullman Carriage train called the Royal Livingstone Express, or fly over Victoria Falls in a helicopter and any number of adrenalin-pumping activities such as bungee jumping or white water river rafting down the Zambezi.

Click here if you want to learn more about Bushtracks Africa and the many activities that it offers.

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July 14, 2010 Maramba old People’s Home Tea Party

The elderly residents of the Maramba Old People’s Home said they had the time of their lives at the joint African Impact, Happy Africa Foundation, Maramba Old People’s Home, and Malota Community School party on the 18th of June 2010.  The Maramba Old People’s Home caters to elderly residents from Livingstone and the surrounding area who can no longer take care of themselves and have no one to look after them. The under-staffed, under-funded facility needs lots of attention, but perhaps the greatest need for its residents is the interaction and camaraderie that visitors provide.

African Impact volunteers and staff got the party started by leading the residents in “seated aerobics” to music whilst waiting for the acrobatics team to arrive. Other volunteers and staff from the Old People’s Home made gallons upon gallons of tea and prepared platters of biscuits. Management informed us this was the FIRST TIME all 45 residents had been out of their rooms at the same time!

The acrobats from Malota Community School put on a show lasting over an hour and had the crowd gasping, ooooh-ing and aaaaaaah-ing the whole afternoon! Vigorous clapping, dancing, and laughter greatly lifted the spirits of all present. Amazing flips and acrobatic routines kicked off the show followed by kids balanced at the top of human pyramids, thrown in the air and juggled like balls before the burning ring of fire was produced for the grand finale. Spectators watched with bated breath as athletes fearlessly flipped through the flames.

Forty-five residents enjoyed the festivities and put away plenty of tea and biscuits. The performers left MOPH in high spirits and thoroughly exhausted …. just as the residents were! It took about 20 minutes for them to get away while the residents expressed their gratitude for the afternoon’s excitement.

Invitation to the tea party

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June 25, 2010 Arts Cafe Opens on July 3rd

The rich and dynamic tapestry of Zambian culture will soon have a new home in Livingstone with the opening of the Livingstone Arts Cafe along Mosi-0-tunya Road across from Protea Hotel. Designed to preserve and promote art and culture in all its forms, the Arts Cafe is the brainchild of the Livingstone Performing Arts Foundation (LiPAF). Their new complex is already capturing lots of attention with its brightly coloured exterior and extensive renovations to the building.

The Arts Cafe is scheduled to have its gala opening on Saturday July 3, 2010. Billed as a place where tourists and local residents can meet and mingle it will host a variety of cultural activities each day. Visitors can participate in a handicraft workshop, learn traditional drumming and dancing, enjoy live African music, browse through the art gallery and library, or take in a performance in the 120 seat theatre space.

The new Livingstone Arts Cafe opening on July 3rd

“The celebration of culture and the arts is a major potential growth area for the tourist capital”, said Bob Gregory, the volunteer executive director of LiPAF. “It also has the potential to contribute significantly to the economy and help to alleviate poverty.”

The Arts Cafe will operate a bar and serve light snacks but is primarily a location to give both up-and–coming and established artists and artisans a location to demonstrate their skills, showcase their talent, and celebrate their rich heritage. For tourists, the line-up of daily and evening activities and events offers an opportunity to experience the real Africa.

The Arts Cafe complex will also be the new home of the Livingstone Performing Arts Foundation where it will stage world-class original music theatre shows celebrating the dynamic tapestry of music, dance, songs, and ceremonies of Zambian culture. Artistic Director, Marilyn Gregory, says: “I am excited about the Arts Cafe’s potential to serve the community and the tourist industry.  I hope it will become a place which truly nurtures the talent and traditions of the people of Zambia.”

The Arts Cafe offers all the current tourist operators a new and exciting activity for their guests. With the support of the community it is hoped it will become another reason for tourists to visit Livingstone and stay longer.

Watch for the calendar of events for the Arts Cafe

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June 22, 2010 Lower Visa Fees for World Cup Soccer Fans

Zambia has announced that visas will only cost $25, as opposed to the normal $50, in a bid to encourage visitors during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The reduced fee will apply to those entering the country with a valid ticket for any of the World Cup matches.

Home Affairs Minister, Mkhondo Lungu, announced that the measure was also extended to allow visa processing at the port of entry instead of prior to travel in a bid to help those who have travelled for the World Cup in South Africa to have easy access to Zambia. 

This makes now a great time to visit Livingstone and tour Victoria Falls. The combination of lower fees and easier visa processing makes visiting Livingstone and the Zambian side of a the falls a perfect trip for World Cup visitors from around the world. 

Make sure to bring your ticket stub with you to the border. The reduced fees stay long after the World Cup ends, so come up to Livingstone before July 31st and enjoy the beautiful views and awesome adventures.

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June 22, 2010 Livingstone Island is open again!

Visiting the Zambian side of the Falls offers you many unique opportunities, one of the most exciting of which is experiencing Livingstone Island. After nearly two months’ break, due to the high water levels of the Zambezi River, Livingstone Island is open to visitors.

Livingstone Island, originally known as Goat Island, is the very spot from which Dr David Livingstone first viewed the Victoria Falls. The story goes that he was paddled out to the island, the only pieces of accessible land in the middle of the Falls, in a dug-out canoe.

The Makololo paddlers skilfully landed him on the island. After taking a few steps through the small rainforest, on 16 November 1855, Dr Livingstone gazed upon one of the most spectacular sights in the world – ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ (The Smoke that Thunders) – which he named the Victoria Falls, after his Queen.

Bushtracks Africa is offering five tours a day:

  • Morning tea tours at 07h30, 09h00 and 10h30 (includes tea, coffee, soft drinks and light snacks)
  • Lunch tour from 12h30 to 15h15 (includes buffet lunch, soft drinks, beer and wine).
  • Afternoon tea tour from 15h30 to 17h30 (includes tea, coffee, soft drinks and light snacks

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