We are having a record August and would like to thank you for your support.
Having had a peek at our questionnaires I can see that we have lots of happy
guests enjoying their time with us from all over the world.

 

Big news is that we have just started building a new room at Tongabezi.
More details to follow next month but plans are in place to have it finished
by the end of the year. Watch out for more information on this.

KITCHEN TALK
by Craig

It was so wonderful being back on the Mighty Zambezi spending time with
Zuwi and the team in the Tonga kitchen.  We really did achieve so much in
my three months stint and managed to get the kitchen looking pretty good too,

lots of work was done on the cold room and interior and the new waiters
room was complete and is now up and running!

New menus proved a great challenge with local ingredients and our lunch style
table service with mokoros of new dishes served to each table!  Livingstone Island
too has been given new and exciting tastes for breakfast, lunch and
Tea, with a winter and summer menu to serve both seasons.

We have got a new 7 day menu running to achieve consistency and all the
chefs sat there full exams at the end of the course and passed with flying
colours!  I'm looking forward to returning soon and to spend a few
more months with the team.

FOOD & BEVERAGE NEWS
by Rudy Boribon
Training for our waiters and chefs has now been completed but Craig Higgins
will be back for another session from the middle of September ,2007. So the
heat will be on in the Tonga kitchens from both the October sun
the real heat to perform.

Training organized for the waiters and valets has now been completed with a
service curriculum customized for Tongabezi Lodge and Sindabezi island.
She commented on the enthusiastic response from the waiters to learn
and the exposure to new ideas. The team found the interaction fascinating &
they have been working hard to maintain the standards set and to read their
performance evaluations from the guests’ questionnaires. The yardstick to
measure the level of service at a glance.

So far responses have generally been excellent with very few exceptions.
We are now looking at ideas for room improvement which the team
have been brainstorming for new ideas.

Can you believe we are approaching the 3rd quarter if the year. It is time to
start thinking about Christmas and New Year. We will be organizing a fantastic
programme again like last year which went down a storm so do think of us
for those December bookings….. Between now and Christmas we also have
Halloween & Thanks Giving which we will also be thinking up fun celebrations for.

And now for some humour…. “ We have a security guard by the name of ‘Next’.
He was telling me that he was called for a job interview some time back.
He was standing in the queue waiting his turn with about a dozen candidates
in front of him when the door opened and he heard someone shouting ‘Next’.
He then quickly jumped the queue and amongst the whistling & other words
being shouted at him he made it to the door. There the candidate in line
said why was he doing that?? ‘Next’ is my name he smiled?
The story sadly did not say if he got the job…

Have a good month and see you all soon. Rudy

WELCOME TO A NEW GUIDE AT TONGABEZI
I wish to introduce you to our new guide/driver who has just joined the
Tongabezi lodge team. Raphael Musanka has been working for different
safari companies in Zambia and has been involved in the transfers for
Chobe day trips with some of the leading safari companies in Zambia. 
His main interests are taking guests out for game drives, Village tours, Victoria falls tours
and our local markets too.  He is proud of his new job at Tongabezi Lodge
and is hoping to do more than any challenges that comes on his way.

LIVINGSTONE ISLAND
After a period of extremely high waters that led us to suspend the Swimming
at the devils’ Arm-Chair pool on the Island, we are most delighted to inform you
that, from Thursday 23rd Aug, 2007; we are resuming the swimming.

 

Please also note that Livingstone Island rates are valid until the end of 2007.
New rates will come into effect from the 1st January 2008.
Thank you for your support.

LIVINGSTONE ISLAND WALKS
We have now resumed the Livingstone Island Walks starting from the Eastern
cataract of the Victoria Falls right along the edge of the Falls to Livingstone Island
and back again. There will also be an opportunity to swim in one of the
rock pools along the way. Meeting point is the weir within the Falls park
area and drinks will be on offer upon arrival at Livingstone Island.

Maximum number per visit slot is 10 pax. Reservations are to be made through
Tongabezi. Relative fitness is required - Recommended footwear are
rafters or trainers. No flip flops or hard soled shoes.

TUJATANE
The Tujatane poetry group scooped the first prize in the National Performing Arts
competitions that took place in Kasama, in Northern Province. This is after they
went through the District and Provincial Competitions, in Livingstone
and Pemba respectively.

The children that took part in the poetry were Pride Nawa, Kabeza Cheepa,
Matthews Siazibola, Misheck Sinjela, grade 7 students, and
Evaristo Chabalanda, a grade 5 student.

Misheck Sinjela emerged the best poet, in all the three rounds of the competitions.

This is the second time we have emerged national champions in poetry.
The first time was in 2004, in Mongu District, in Western Province.

I would like to thank Sydney Himwiita, the patron of the group, for having
prepared the students adequately. And also thanks to Sophie Masole and
Ceaser Munjile, the other members of staff that traveled with the children to
Kasama, which is about 1 500km from Livingstone.

TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Hopefully these lines will offer better communication links with Tongabezi.
Please note these are in use with immediate effect.

Lodge +260 213 327450   •   Fax +260 213 327483

Direct Reservations number +260 979 312766   •   UK Number  0871 4081258


SKYPE username is “Tongabezi”.

HIGH RES IMAGES
High Res images can be downloaded from our website by going to
the following link - http://www.tongabezi.co.za/hires/

CHECKING ON-LINE AVAILABILITY
www.tongabezi.resrequest.com