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A large and stylish family house fabulously located on the banks of the Zambezi River

Tangala can either fit in with a safari holiday that ends at Victoria Falls or as a holiday destination in its own right – considering all the wildlife and water and adventure activities that the area have to offer. It is ideal for families or groups looking for exclusivity and complete privacy while visiting the Victoria Falls.

Tangala House is a luxurious family home on the banks of the Zambezi River in Zambia. The intermittent home of Ben and Vanessa Parker, the owners of Tongabezi, it lies close to Tongabezi and 15km upstream of Victoria Falls. Designed with a family in mind, the house comes with a 13m private swimming pool and its own gym.

You will have your own, private guide and host, chef, waiter, housekeeper, pool and grounds attendant, as well as private use of vehicles and boats. On this basis all meals and bar, as well as river activities from the house and trips to the Falls, shops, curio markets, museums and game park are all included in the rate. This gives you total flexibility, enabling you to do what they want, when you want, all with your own host/guide and complete privacy.

Where is Tangala House located?

Tongabezi Lodge is located on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls with the closest airport being Livingstone Airport. This airport is a 35-minute drive from the lodge and we offer road transfers between the two. We can also arrange various other transfers or supply information on flights.

Zambia

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Avg Day Temp °C 26 26 28 26 25 23 23 25 29 31 29 27
Rain mm 231 236 132 48 5 1 1 1 3 15 102 150

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What sort of accommodation is available at Tangala House?

Tangala has four bedrooms, three with en-suite bathrooms and raised king-sized beds. Stylishly designed and furnished, the house has featured in House and Garden in the UK and comes with a vehicle and boat, a chef, waiters and private guide - all courtesy of Tongabezi.

Ideal for a Zambia family safari, Tangala House sleeps up to six and has a children's playroom and a spacious kitchen-dining room. The rooms are enclosed, with large glass fitted windows to keep out the insects and allow guests to enjoy magnificent views across the Zambezi. The living room has a large sofa and two armchairs and leads onto a 'snuggery' with satellite TV, video, Hi Fi and Jetmaster fireplace. Most of the rooms have very high thatch ceilings and the passages feature 3-4m high Moroccan arches, with 1m thick walls.

The swimming pool is 13mx4.5m, with an additional shallow area for children and bench seating. In front of the house a grass lawn leads to 250m of private river frontage. There are no neighbours either side and Tangala also features one people-friendly dog, Luna. The veranda easily seats ten and is open thatch with steps onto the lawn, towards the swimming pool and the terrace, which has an eight-seat railway sleeper picnic table.

What Activities are available at Tangala House?

Most of the activities revolve around the Victoria Falls and there are also opportunities to go game viewing in the Victoria Falls National Park. You can tailor your activities to your own requirements, there are guided fishing trips, cultural village walks and sunset river cruises. From Livingstone the options include: Helicopter flights over Victoria Falls, white water rafting, trips to Livingstone Island, trips to Livingstone Museum, micro light flights, fishing, abseiling, bungee jumping and tours to Mosi O Tunya National Park and Chobe National Park.

Highlights

  • Exclusive-use, family-friendly homestead
  • Fantastic river front location
  • Explore the Zambezi River by boat
  • Relaxed and homely atmosphere
  • Fun for the children - Kids' playroom & swimming pool

Does Tangala House cater for families with young children?

Children of any age are accepted at Tangala and two of the staff members are experienced nannies. Please note that there is an unfenced swimming pool. We can arrange a safety fence on request for non-swimmers. Children under 14 are charged 50% of the full board rate.

When is the best time to visit Tangala House?

The highs fluctuate between 25°C and 35°C throughout the year and the lows between 2°C and 5°C. During summer: The months from August - April are warm (high 20°C's) with temperatures reaching their upper limit for the area during October (around 35°C). The rainy season: Victoria Falls is prone to short, spectacular thunderstorms (usually late in the afternoon) and our rainy season generally starts towards the end of November/December and continues until around mid - March, but this does vary from year to year. Temperatures are still warm. An African winter: May - July and into August. Winter is typically cool at night and in the mornings although you can expect it to be lovely and warm during the day. In winter months it is advised that you do bring warm clothes especially for the mornings and evenings.

What should I pack and bring with me?

  • Good quality sunglasses – preferably polarised & Sun hat
  • Long sleeved tops and trousers for the evenings
  • Good walking shoes and sandals – Walks at the Falls and on the islands are very wet and rain Macs are provided, however shoes may get ruined by spray.
  • Swimming costume & Warm jumper for cooler evenings
  • Warm anorak or parka and scarf / gloves for the colder winter months (May to September)
  • Light rain gear for summer months (November – April)
  • Socks are recommended for the evenings
  • If you wear contact lenses we recommend you bring a pair of glasses in the event you find that dust irritates your eyes
  • Binoculars, Malaria tablets & Sun tan lotion – high factors are recommended as the sun is very strong even on darker skin
  • Moisturiser and lip salve & Strong Insect repellent (high factor)
  • Basic medical kit – aspirins, plasters, Imodium, antiseptic cream and antihistamine cream/ tablets as well as sting relief cream/ spray
  • Tissues / Wet wipes &Waterproof / dust proof bags – adequate cover for your cameras
  • Visas / tickets / money / passports & a torch is recommended.

Why is Conservation and Responsible Tourism so important at Tangala House?

The Tongabezi Trust School

The Tongabezi Trust School was set up by Vanessa Parker, who was came to Livingstone to volunteer with VSO. Vanessa is the wife of Ben, who established Tongabezi in 1990 together with the late William Ruck-Keene.

The school opened on 1st May 1996 and has been a huge success – developing year on year with the help of generous donors. Vanessa continues to donate her time to the school on a purely voluntary basis. The school provides education to the children of the Tongabezi staff, as well as children from the local community, in a rural area where educational funding and materials are scarce.

 

Flying Safaris in Africa - By Private Fixed Wing Aircraft

A Fixed Wing Flying Safari is a unique concept of travel in Africa. It introduces another dimension to a typical African safari, that of the beauty of the continent from the air. Accompanied and guided by experienced pilots who are also experienced safari guides a Fixed Wing Flying Safari is a truly memorable and exclusive experience.

Flying Safaris in Africa - By Private Helicopter

Epic helicopter journeys exploring corners of Africa that few have been to or even ever heard of. We specialise in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, the Congo and Namibia. Our tailor-made safaris cover wild and spectacular mountains, valleys, forests and deserts, with a focus on ‘remote and unknown, unexplored and unforgettable’.

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour and catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore – Dream – Discover - Mark Twain - You can view clips of some of our own favourite discoveries here.


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- Utterly designed and tailored around you and your requirements

- Totally unique every time you travel with us

- The very best hand picked guides which can make the difference between a  good and an outstanding holiday

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- Established over 30 years ago we have been around longer than most

- Our specialists come from, have lived in or travelled extensively in the regions we cover

- Unparalleled knowledge provides you with the best possible experience

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Making a difference

- Philanthropy is our philosophy

- Our founding principle is to always ‘put something back’

- An amount from each holiday is donated to our selected conservation and humanitarian charities


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support and advice. Please complete your information and we will be in touch in no time.

As a guide, the cost of our extraordinary and utterly bespoke journeys tends to start from $1200 per person per day excluding international flights.

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