I am sure I am not alone in counting the days since our Lock Down in Zim started. For someone like me, who loves to travel (so much so that I started this business) the fact I have not been able to get out and explore new destinations, anywhere, for an indefinite amount of time, has been torture. But, the long awaited day arrived last weekend when we FINALLY “left” Kariba after 117 days of “captivity.” Technically we didn’t actually leave Kariba, as there is still no inter-city travel allowed, but for me it felt like we had won the lottery when we were invited to check out a house at Wild Heritage. I was packed and ready to go within a half hour of the invite! Poor Woody never knew what hit him; he got home and was bundled up and into the vehicle with little warning.
We arrived at Number 17 Wild Heritage just before sunset as it is only a 30 minute drive from Kariba town itself. We were met by Crispen, who is the caretaker of the house, and is extremely knowledgeable about the house and area in general, as he has been working there for 22 years! He is such an old hand at the hosting game that we honestly never had to request anything, by the time we came downstairs for our sundowner Crispen had unpacked for us, our drinks were on ice and the outdoor dining room table had been beautifully laid out for dinner.
There is nothing better after a long week of work than sipping a cold drink, looking out over the lake, listening to the hippos snorting and the Kairba “battery birds” (spotted thick knee, previously known as dikkops) calling to one another. Sigh – what a special life. It was about to get even better as we got to see the hippos up close and personal when we were eating our dinner and they came up tograze on the lawn around the house. Our neighbours told us that the night before there was a lone bull elephant drinking water out of our pool at dinner time – sorry we missed that sight.
With only the 2 of us staying, we had a choice of bedrooms, either the twin room downstairs, or one of the 2 double rooms upstairs. We chose upstairs so we could enjoy our coffee out on the balcony in the morning, which was absolute bliss. The bed was so comfortable we had a hard time getting up for the sunrise!
After a delicious cooked breakfast we had the entire day to just chill and enjoy the sights and sounds of the lake nearby. One of the advantages of being married to a man who is an aero modeller is that I never had to worry about having to entertain him, he ensures he brings along something or other he needs to work on for his next flight. So Woody had a lovely time making bits and pieces for his model planes, while I took the time to catch up on my reading for book club.
After lunch and lots of bird watching, we had a nice refreshing swim in the clever multi-level swimming pool, even though it was “mid-winter” in Zimbabwe it never really gets too cold. What makes this pool so unique is that the top level of the pool is located underneath part of the thatched verandah roof, so in summer when it is hot, you don’t have to worry about being burnt. It is also shallow enough that it is ideal for people with children, so they can potter about on the step in the shade. But for those wanting more of a swim, the lower level of the pool is deep enough for swimming and is out in the sunshine, so a win-win for all.
After a full day of relaxing and not doing much at all we watched another magnificent sunset over the lake, had another tasty dinner before retiring for the night. On this night we had a real treat as we got to fall asleep to the sound of hyenas calling in the distance.
As the saying goes “time flies when you are having fun” and it was soon time for us to pack up to head home. While enjoying our last cup of coffee next to the pool we watched a small herd of 3 elephants amble past and head out to the point, where they had a lovely half hour of swimming and playing in the lake, what a fitting way to end off our stay.
Number 17 Wild Heritage has to be one of the most beautiful self-catering locations around Kariba, it has everything you could dream of when picturing your ideal family holiday, so I would highly recommend contacting us for a booking when you next plan a trip to Kariba.
Contact Us
Package Deals
For package deals that include accommodation, as well as other lodges, activities and annual event participation in and around the Eastern Highlands, Matopos, Kariba & Vic Falls area.
