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.