Chundukwa River Lodge’s Riverside Chalets have been a labour of artisanal love by Doug and Gail. They work alongside their local team of artisans – weavers, thatchers, tinsmiths, tailors, welders and carpenters from the nearby villages. The fantastic team has worked and weaved their magic to create five individual and freestanding chalets, focusing on the unique open-fronted layout offering breath-taking views over the Zambezi River.
All furniture and building materials are produced in Zambia – from sustainably harvested reeds to locally burnt clay bricks, Kalahari sand, recycled wood and steel.
The chalets are made from wood with a roof of thatching grass which keeps the space cool in summer and warm in winter. Each chalet is walled with a Kalahari sand and cement mixture in keeping with the traditional local method of walling.
The chalets have been painstakingly crafted to cause little interference with the river bank – Doug and Gail have not cut away any reeds or trees, thus allowing birds and wildlife such as hippos and otters to move freely between land and water.
