Fawlty Towers

Writer: Sarah Kingdom Photography: Islands of Siankaba, Thorntree River Lodge

ingredients, which started with the chef’s ingenious take on chibwantu (a traditional home-made fermented beverage), served in a giant snail shell, and went on to include the imaginative use of ingredients such as wild spinach and vinkubala (caterpillars). This was, for sure, a novel and special way to end our stay.

Departing Royal Chundu, our next stay was Islands of Siankaba, a lodge built on two private islands in the middle of the Zambezi. Accommodation features wooden rooms built on stilts and perched on the river’s edge, with verandahs jutting out over the water—all interlinked by a series of raised wooden walkways. The walkways and suspension bridges that link the two islands together gave an air of adventure to the lodge from the moment we arrived. They were a constant source of entertainment to my husband, who would deliberately wait until I was in the middle of the main suspension bridge before jumping up and down on it and trying to make my crossing as shaky as possible!

The rain we had experienced at The Stanley continued at Islands of Siankaba, and the sound of the swollen river swirling beneath our room and the rain falling on the canvas roof at night made us feel cosy and warm tucked up in bed, lulling us off to sleep. The next morning we awoke as tea and coffee were delivered. We sat on our verandah, watching 40 or 50 blue-cheeked beeeaters and just as many wire-tailed swallows swooping over the water. A Cape clawless otter appeared, swimming around the partially submerged small islands in front of our room. Walking to breakfast we found cracked crab carcasses on the bridges, remnants of giant kingfishers’ breakfast.

Moving on, our last stop on this luxurious tour of Livingstone was the Royal Livingstone Hotel. We only had one night here, but we certainly made the most of our visit. Just after arrival we were ushered off to an extravagant high tea, where we were each presented with a three-tiered cake stand loaded with goodies, accompanied by our choice of any number of tea varieties and, of course, some sparkling wine. Having missed lunch, we savoured our high tea whilst watching zebras grazing by the pool. Just as I swallowed my last bubbly sip, nibbled my last morsel of cucumber sandwich, and decided there was no way I was going to fit in any dinner, I was whisked off to a luxurious massage in a gazebo on the banks of the Zambezi.

Our last morning in Livingstone dawned and we enjoyed a delicious champagne breakfast while watching the spray of the Falls. We followed this with a last-minute visit to the Falls themselves (which you can access directly from the hotel garden). Taking advantage of our last bit of luxury we didn’t even walk there ourselves, instead catching a ride on the hotel’s golf buggy! After a solid week of rain, the Zambezi was a swollen river of chocolate and the Falls were really pumping; it was hard to drag ourselves away from watching the sheer volume of water that was pouring over the edge. But sadly all good things come to an end…

Sarah was hosted by some spectacular lodges on her visits to Livingstone…

THORNTREE RIVER LODGE: www.africanbushcamps.com STANLEY SAFARI LODGE: www.robinpopesafaris.net ROYAL CHUNDU: www.royalchundu.com ISLANDS OF SIANKABA: www.siankaba.net ROYAL LIVINGSTONE HOTEL: www.royal-livingstone.anantara.com

Dulce

By Jessie

Writer: Leelee Ngwenya Photography: Dulce by Jessie

Dulce by Jessie is a multi-cuisine restaurant located in the quiet suburb of Kabulonga at Plot 50J, Sable Road. It features indoor and outdoor garden seating which is perfect for a leisurely weekend lunch by the pool or an intimate dinner set-up. Alternatively, if you work in the area, you can easily drop in for lunch between the hours of 11.30 am and 5.00 pm.

At Dulce by Jessie, signature dishes include the mouth-watering barbecue spare ribs, garlic butter prawns served with coconut rice, or locally farmed lamb shank. The restaurant also serves gourmet burgers and its specialty gourmet cheese sandwiches such as the bacon, Gouda and guacamole sandwich. You can also enjoy among others a tasty vegetable wrap made with seasonal vegetables or a chicken and mushroom wrap.

If you fancy a light bite try the famous chicken and avocado salad with added crayfish, Thai beef salad, quinoa salad or a classic Greek salad. Alternatively, if it’s a little chilly outside in this rainy season, you can warm up with one of the hearty rustic soups, including those made from butternut squash, mushrooms or fresh tomato and basil.

Are you unable to drive in and sit down to enjoy your meal? Dulce by Jessie’s menu is also available on www.afridelivery.com or the Afridelivery app. You can place your order and have your food delivered conveniently right to your office.

Do you fancy a leisurely lunch with your friends or family over the weekend? Dulce by Jessie is the perfect place for you to sit by the pool and enjoy a swim and a meal. The weekends often offer specials like the Sunday braai or a brunch menu that will certainly get you through your weekend.

Many people are health conscious so if you love a healthy drink you can enjoy freshly squeezed juices and smoothies made with ingredients from the garden. But if you fancy something sweet you can try one of the delicious milkshakes to satisfy your sweet tooth.

As a perfect finish to your lunch, Dulce by Jessie is also well known for its decadent desserts; some favourites are baked cheesecake, carrot pecan cake and red velvet cake!

The Zambean

Writer: Leelee Ngwenya Photography: Zambean Café

The story of Zambean began four years ago when Timothy Burrell opened up a café with a goal— trying to influence the coffee culture in Zambia, serve good food and provide good-quality service. And most patrons over the last four years would agree that all three goals have now been knocked out of the park!

At Zambean, iced coffee is the signature drink and in this case it’s a locally sourced medium-roast Zambian coffee blend that is used. The food served is typically light café-style such as gourmet sandwiches and salads; certain specials are offered on a weekly basis. Known for using only the freshest ingredients such as organic lettuce and micro greens, the salads are definitely worth a try. Only butter is used in the baked goods and the home-made bread has a top secret twist that makes it sinful.

In winter the menu features a variety of soups, lasagne and cottage pie. However, this menu carries through into summer as it is fairly light. Other recently launched items on the menu are the Zambean beef and chicken burgers, peri peri chicken and delicious sticky ribs.

Zambean is open from 7.30 am, just in time for parents who have completed the school run to grab a bite or a cup of coffee, and the café closes at 5.00 pm during the week. Saturday’s hours are 7.30 am to 2.30 pm and are perfect for early risers to enjoy breakfast after a jog or for latecomers to enjoy ‘Bubbles & Brunch’. The last Sunday of every month is another chance for customers to enjoy good food whilst sitting in the garden under the cool shade of the msasa trees. The iced coffee is highly recommended and is a perfect drink on a hot summer’s day. For sweet lovers, the café also serves chocolate brownies and a rich dark chocolate cake, as well as offering delicious muffins for the more health conscious among us.

Zambean also stocks a wonderful selection of South African wines and award-winning ports, so next time you’re in the neighbourhood (off Leopard’s Hill Road, Lusaka) do pop in for coffee and a bite to eat.

Contact details: timothy@ap-inter.com

Coffee Co.