South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
Track & Trail River Camp
Safari & photography specialized
Kirsten Gottenkieny and Peter Geraerdts first met at the Institute for Business Administration and Economics. Peter, now still owner and manager of a beach restaurant in Scheveningen, Holland. Kirsten used to be a business consultant before, now working fulltime at our lodge in Zambia. When we got to know each other we realized that nature had a tremendous impact on us especially the unspoiled African Wilderness .
Africa was the place to be for us. A change in course was inevitable. We first travelled Africa by car to find our spot to invest.
Why South Luangwa?
Africa has become an increasingly popular holiday destination lately. 15 years ago Kenya had a clear lead in the international safari market. We have visited a lot of wildlife areas in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania, and every wildlife area has its unique, but different, game and scenery, but the memories, smells sounds and sights of these African destinations hold you forever. It is impossible to say that one place is better than the other place. It all depends on personal interest and how lucky one is during game drives and walks.
One of the reasons why we prefer South Luangwa and not Kruger or Serengeti is simply the number of visitors. Although not of dissimilar size, South Luangwa will have a few thousand tourists a year whereas the Serengeti and Kruger respectively will get a few hundred thousand and over a million visitors a year.
Zambia is a politically stable country and Zambians are very welcoming and peaceful!
When designing the lodge, I tried to reflect the theme of balancing your senses: see, hear, taste, feel, smell and beyond… This is established by the use of simple shapes as our yin-yang shaped pool, natural colours and materials. My aim was to give the lodge the appearance of calmness and serenity blended in with the natural surroundings.
If you want to be touched by the beauty of nature your senses are fundamental, imagine...
By balancing the five senses a sense of elation will be discovered....beyond expectations....that creates your own personal experience both unique and memorable.
In 2003 Peter successfully completed an immobilisation course in Zimbabwe with a view to help wounded animals who became victim of poachers. When animals are trapped in snares or if their wounds need treatment, the only possibility to get close to them is by using a darting rifle.The opiates and tranquillisers to knock-down the animals are extremely strong and dangerous to humans for this reason only used in veterinary medicine.
The combination of passion for wildlife, education and experience in the hospitality branch gives us the opportunity to attend to our guests’ demands and wishes.
Peter Geraerdts
Kirsten Gottenkieny
