Time + Tide Chongwe House
A private safari house set on the banks of the Chongwe River on the western boundary of the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Time + Tide Chongwe House is currently undergoing a rebuild and will reopen in May 2025. The renovations will see a fresh contemporary style, whilst keeping some of the old design aesthetics and footprint. The location of the house is stunning with beautiful views, a tranquil ambience and wildlife all around. The house has always had an adventurous feel with open fronted rooms (we’re waiting on the finished details to see how much this will change with the new design), but beyond this the experience is very comfortable with sophisticated interiors and superb hospitality. Being totally exclusive is an obvious highlight, whilst the wide range of activities on offer is ideal for more adventurous, active travellers. But for anyone in the group that wishes to be very relaxed, there can be few better places on this planet to sit back and watch the world go by!
The spacious and very comfortable house has a light and airy feel with sophisticated interiors and easy flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. There are four en suite bedrooms, two upstairs and two downstairs. An open plan central lounge and dining area leads out to an outdoor terrace with swimming pool, fire pit, and outdoor kitchen – all with lovely views out across the river. Evening breeze cooling systems are fitted in the bedrooms. The house can only be booked on an exclusive use basis for up to eight guests and is fully catered and serviced.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for charging – Yes
Swimming pool – Yes
Habitat & Wildlife
The Lower Zambezi National Park follows the northern banks of the mighty Zambezi River and offers a wonderful mix of miombo, mopane and acacia woodland interspersed with open plains and thick riverine forest.
Along the river, hippo are everywhere, snorting away in their ‘pods’, whilst crocodiles bask in the shallows awaiting their next meal as animals come down to quench their thirst. Elephants are numerous too and can often be seen crossing channels in the Zambezi to reach islands where they can feed peacefully. Buffalo stir up the dust as they approach the river to drink, whilst kudu, eland, zebra, impala, bushbuck and waterbuck graze the sweet grasses or browse on the tasty albida pods. Lion and leopard are the main predators, with leopard incredibly successful in the park and seen very regularly. Wild dog roam through the area, whilst spotted hyaena and side-striped jackals are never far from the action. Night drives can reveal the nocturnal species such as honey badger, porcupine, genet, civet, aardvark and even pangolin. The birdlife is spectacular, with both waterfowl and woodland species in abundance. During the late dry season (late August onwards), both white fronted and carmine bee-eaters nest in the banks of the rivers providing a colourful spectacle.
Activities
Activities take place with a private guide and vehicle, which comes with the house, and these include game drives (by day and by night), guided walks, boat cruises and canoe excursions. Fishing is also possible (seasonal), including for tiger fish. All activities are private. A visit to a local village can also be arranged.
Seasons
Chongwe House is open from mid-April (currently closed until May 2025) to mid-November, though game viewing will be best from July to October.
Chongwe House is a brilliant option for family groups offering exclusivity, comfort and a wide range of activities. The location is stunning and the spacious living area and swimming pool allow families to relax and unwind in between activities. In general, we would recommend the Lower Zambezi as a destination, and Zambia in general, to families with slightly older children, and Chongwe House would not be suitable to children under 6 years due to inappropriate design.
Time + Tide, owners of Chongwe House, operate the Time + Tide Foundation which connects their lodges with neighbouring communities. The projects undertaken by the Foundation reinforce conservation, health and education in the areas they operate with their current focus being on the educational opportunities for girls and handicapped children.
They are creating support structures in Liuwa and the Lower Zambezi for female students and handicapped children. Girls clubs will be introduced in schools to build their self-confidence, reproductive health knowledge and English language skills. Through sponsorship programmes in secondary schools they aim to increase girls’ academic advancement in spite of community views towards female education.
The Foundation aims to promote a home-based care programme that provides community volunteers with the skills to support handicapped children and so increasing the number of disabled children in formal education.
By working with parents, guardians and teachers to encourage a more open-minded approach to education, the Foundation hope to see 40% of all female students advance to secondary school and 70% of handicapped children in home-based programmes enrolled in primary schools.
