Chongwe River House

Chongwe River House is a uniquely designed private house situated at the end of a massive winterthorn grove on the banks of the peaceful Chongwe River, a tributary of the Zambezi on the boundary of the Lower Zambezi National Park.

The extraordinary organic architecture of the house is enchanting and somehow manages to perfectly fuse its many futuristic looking features with the surrounding landscape. All the furniture in the lounge has been carved from a huge winterthorn tree, creating the impression that it has fallen across the room. Beautiful soft coloured pebbles from the Chongwe River have been embedded in the ceilings and the views from this room out over the river and the mountainous escarpment beyond are simply breathtaking. The ground floor bedrooms are entered through tunnels giving you the feeling that you are walking through a cave and the curved entrances offer privacy without the need for doors. The downstairs open air bathrooms have water pouring out of the stone ceiling instead of a regular shower hose and the upstairs showers are waterfalls with the taps made from bone and wood. The basins have been hand carved out of wood and white marble by the renowned Zambian artist, Eddie Mumba, and the upstairs bedrooms have large baths that overlook the tranquil river. You will also have your own private chef who will prepare delicious meals for you and a house manager to attend to your every need. The Chongwe River, flowing and natural, is perfect for families with children or for groups of friends travelling together.

The lower Zambezi is one of Africa’s best locations for peaceful game viewing. Chongwe is famous for its population of free roaming elephants and with their water source running right outside the house, the chances of spotting a few from your own little outpost is pretty good. The Zambezi River is also home to lion, leopard, buffalo, hippopotamus and at least 300 species of birds.

Your activities will be designed by the house manager to suit your group and will include game drives, canoeing walking safaris with an armed guide and fishing trips to do battle with the tiger fish. You may even be lucky enough to spot an elephant or two feeding on the fruit of the winterthorn trees whilst lazing in your private plunge pool.

Read more about a luxury Zambia Safari