Chanter’s Lodge

Richard Chanter is from England and has been living in Africa for about 30 years working in the service industry. His wealth of experience and knowledge led him to open his own place 10 years ago. With a piece of land he built a restaurant and 3 room-lodge. He has grown the lodge to several rooms with a staff of over 12 including a gardener and a wonderful wait staff.



We always felt welcomed and Richard checked in with us after every adventure to make sure that we had enjoyed ourselves. The restaurant had a wide variety of foods from chicken, fish, to local cuisines for the brave soul to try. The bar was a fully stocked bar which included Castle and Mosi beer for Mike and I and Malibu and coke for Newman.



The grounds were well kept and a refreshing change from the browns of Egypt. There were variegated trees, Mango trees, bougainvillea, and many annuals.



There was a local friendly pup that loved to be petted.


The pool was ice cold but it is winter here after all. The weather was perfect for us with warm days and cool nights.



Our stay was better than we had hoped and was well worth it. It was an easy walk into town to see the curio market, museum, and local happenings. The town is under road construction and lost electrical power but Richard had a generator so we were never without. The free WiFi was great too.

The babao tree was really fascinating to us. Of course there is a legend behind them but first some facts.

The babao trees store water inside the swollen trunk, up to 120,000 litres to endure the harsh drought conditions particular to each region.

The Baobab tree is a strange looking tree that grows in low-lying areas in Africa and Australia. It can grow to enormous sizes and carbon dating indicates that they may live to be 3,000 years old, though this is impossible to verify as the wood does not produce annual growth rings.

One ancient hollow Baobab tree in Zimbabwe is so large that up to 40 people can shelter inside its trunk. Various Baobabs have been used as a shop, a prison, a house, a storage barn and a bus shelter.

Baobabs are very difficult to kill. They can be burnt, or stripped of their bark, and they will just form new bark and carry on growing. When they do die, they simply rot from the inside and suddenly collapse, leaving a heap of fibres, which makes many people think that they don't die at all, but simply disappear.

The fruit is extremely nutritious and is known as sour gourd or monkey's bread. The dry pulp of the fruit, after separation from the seeds and fibers, is eaten directly or mixed into porridge or milk.

The tree is used for medicinal, nutritious and household purposes. The locals respect the tree and are amazed how different it looks in different seasons. From dead in the winter to vibrant in the summer.

The Upside Down Tree is what the locals call this tree. This is the tree which many African peoples believe to be the home of their ancestral spirits.

The Bushman tells us the 'Great Spirit', Gawe, gave all species of animals a tree, except the hyena. "Stop stealing and be good and I will give you a tree," said the Great Spirit. But the hyena was angry and refused to change his ways. The Spirit gave him a baobab plant, the last one. The hyena was so cross he took the seedling and planted it upside down--with its roots sprawling in the open sky. Hence the baobab is still called the upside down tree.

Another legend describes what happens if you are never satisfied with what you already have:"The baobab was among the first trees to appear on the land. Next came the slender, graceful palm tree. When the baobab saw the palm tree, it cried out that it wanted to be taller. Then the beautiful flame tree appeared with its red flower and the baobab was envious for flower blossoms. When the baobab saw the magnificent fig tree, it prayed for fruit as well. The gods became angry with the tree, and pulled it up by its roots, then replanted it upside down to keep it quiet."

For loads more info this is a good site.