Chongwe River Camp

There are 9 safari tents at Chongwe River Camp. All are comfortable and spacious, and can come in twin or double configuration. The tents are basic but luxurious, with comfortable beds covered in crisp bed linens and facing out over the glistening river, so guests can enjoy views without leaving the comfort of their bed.

The tent has wide, netted windows, along the sides and floor to ceiling windows at the front of the tent, which allow bright, natural light and fresh breezes to fill the tents and keep the focus of guests on the stunning surroundings and vivid colours of the river and trees. All tents come with an ensuite bathroom and a unique open air shower, as well as a private outdoor seating area where guests can unwind after a long a day and gaze over the gentle waters of the Chongwe River, keeping an eye out for any animals drinking along the banks.

Enjoy dining on the banks of the Chongwe River, under the wide starry sky, as you feast on delicious and creative dishes. Local ingredients are used, and celebrated in the dishes, and seasonal fruits and vegetables are used. Unwind by the fire during sunset for a traditional African sundowner and raise a toast to your stunning surroundings.

For a traditional safari experience enjoy a game drive through the wilds of the Lower Zambezi National Park. This is the perfect way to see the animals up close and personal, undisturbed and in their natural habitats. For a chance to see the more elusive nocturnal animals of the park, such as leopards, guests can choose to head out in the late afternoon to experience a night drive.

With a knowledgeable and friendly guide, explore the national park on foot. Connecting to and immersing yourself in the wild surroundings, keep an eye out for micro-ecosystems and animal tracks which your guide will be able to point out.

Situated near two rivers allows for there to be exciting water activities on offer. Enjoy a boat cruise down the river, watching the river banks for thirsty animals, or the shallows for lounging hippos. To get closer to the water canoeing is available. This allows for a more intimate exploration of the rivers, get close enough to the banks to see colourful reed frogs and wading birds. On a river renewed for it’s tigerfish, try your hand at fishing and see if you can catch on of these famous fish.

Sleeping out under the stars can be arranged for guests. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in nature and place yourself in the very heart of the Zambian wilds for a night spent under the wide starry sky.

Guests can make their way to the purpose built wildlife hide near Chongwe River Camp with a pair of binoculars, and can spend the afternoon watching over the rolling grasslands for wandering herds of elephants and galloping zebras.

The Time + Tide Foundation creates social value in the Time + Tide communities. As the philanthropic arm of the Time + Tide tourism brand, the Foundation invests in the future productivity of African economies through community and school-based learning. The foundation focuses on five main pillars: female empowerment, health, home-based education, student sponsorship and wildlife conservation.

The lack of education and healthcare growing up in rural Africa means that some teenage girls are more at risk of earlier marriage and childbearing, higher rates of STDs including HIV and AIDS, and greater risk of domestic violence. This cycle is endless, as women struggle to find work and don’t have the money to send their children to school. Time and Tide Foundation have their own initiatives to help with female empowerment in the areas in which they operate.

One of these initiatives is the holding of weekly clubs with over 180 girls from across 9 schools. Parent committees have been formed and curriculum content has been shared so parents are aware and engaged with their daughters’ education, helping towards the aim of 70% of female beneficiaries achieving high enough exam scores to advance to boarding schools. The local communities are educated on the importance and benefit of empowering women, and indirectly around 3,500 students are taught about female rights and the importance of female education.

Living in rural areas means access to healthcare and medical advice is tricky, in 2019 it was reported that only 63% of births were attended by a health personnel in Zambia, and the number was even lower in Madagascar, at 44%. Overall, only 26% of the population in Zambia has access to basic sanitation facilities. The Time and Tide Foundation has helped to provide medical treatment for children who have required hospitalisation and appointments with specialists, as well as financing 14 surgeries for children with conditions such as bowed legs, cleft lips, and life-threatening injuries.

Food for children in their home-based education programme is also provided, to ensure that children are getting the nutrition they require. An example of where Time and Tides work has been successful is in Madagascar, where a part time doctor and three full time nurses were employed, which now offer 2,800 local people access to reliable medical care, and over 6,000 who can travel only a few kilometres to receive health care.

The doctor has even helped out during Covid-19, educating people on how to stay safe during covid, and distributing over 400 reusable masks. During 2020, 79% of families with children with special needs suffered substantial income loss, resulting in food insecurity. To assist these families, Time and Tide Foundation distributed three months’ worth of food hampers to every family on the programme and the volunteer caregivers.

90-98% of children with special needs in Zambia are out of school. Due to this, literacy rates of the area are very low, with only 3% of adults with special needs in Sub-Saharan Africa being literate. This leads to limited professional and working opportunities in adulthood. The Time and Tide Foundation have a ‘Home-Based Education Programme’ which provides education plans for children with special needs and their families, with the primary objective of seeing 75% of these children enrol in primary schools.

In 2021, 172 children are registered in this programme, with 60% so far enrolled in formal primary schools. As well as helping the children, this programme also supports 16 teachers’ assistants full training and deployment to primary schools to help implement inclusive education. As well as supporting children the home-based education programme also benefits 1,400 community caregivers, parents and teachers across the area.

40% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa are not in school. Those who are in school find education standards are low, meaning they have little understanding of the curriculum they have been taught. The Time and Tide Foundation has their own student sponsorship programme which strives to eliminate barriers to education for children with high academic potential, who would not otherwise be able to afford education.

After enrolment in this programme, the aim is to see 85% of students retained through secondary school and 50% to qualify for government bursaries to attend university. So far, 60 students are sponsored in secondary school and college. As a result of the investment in their children’s education, 120 parents directly benefit from the sponsorship programme too, with an additional 170 residents positively impacted through their relationship with sponsored students.

The Time + Tide Foundation is committed to protecting the threatened wildlife and habitats in their areas where they operate.. In Zambia, they support local conservation management organisations in their anti-poaching, environmental education, human-wildlife conflict, and wildlife rehabilitation efforts. In 2019 alone, Time + Tide donated USD $160,000 to these efforts and contributed over $500,000 to the national parks authorities via fees, levies and taxes.

Wildlife Conservation relies on the local people understanding that protecting these animals is more beneficial to them than hunting them. Through the Time and Tide Foundation’s coral reef research, education of fishing associations, reforestation efforts, well installations, and ranger and student training and employment, 1,300 residents in the Loky-Manambato Protected Area directly benefit from these efforts, with a further 5,500 residents receiving secondary or indirect benefits from procurement, job opportunities and the potential for conservation-focused income generating projects.