Call 01306 744 656 or
Call 01306 744 656 or
Sharing lunch or dinner with people in their homes gives guests a chance to see what the local communities here are really like…
We created this experience because so many international visitors go straight from the airport to their accommodation and then on tours, and they never have an opportunity to really understand what the local communities here are like: what they eat, their day-to-day activities and their culture. So we decided it would be a good thing to make a platform for some interaction that would be fun, but also help guests get to know something about the way of life for the locals here in Victoria Falls – and what is better for that than enjoying lunch or dinner in someone’s home?
We pick the guests up from their hotels and take them to the homestead of one of the families that we work with, where they are welcomed and given a small introduction to where they are and their immediate surroundings, and then they are taken into the house where they share a typical meal with the household. And while they eat, the family have a chance to tell the story of their own culture, because we have a lot of different tribes and communities in Victoria Falls.
The meal itself is like a normal meal that we have at home. One staple is a thick porridge made from corn, which is a bit like polenta. You can have it with beef stew, you can have it with chicken stew, you can have it with fish, you can have it with milk and you can have it with greens. On these homestead-hosted meals, we try to ensure our guests have a taste of everything, so we usually have beef and chicken stew and some greens prepared in different ways. Then we also have some delicacies, such as groundnuts from nearby villages and mopane worms, which are full of protein and highly recommended for good health. It’s a good opportunity to try mopane worms, which you can fry and have as a snack or mix into your stew or soup or use as a relish with your polenta.
It’s an experience that benefits everyone. The families have a chance to share their traditions and customs with people from other countries, make a cultural connection and be paid a fee for doing it. And the guests enjoy the warmth of the hospitality they receive and the whole experience of being in a neighbourhood where people actually live, such as Chinotimba High-Density Suburb, which most visitors never see.
Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Adele, who's travelled extensively in Zimbabwe. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember – the ranger who can show you the best game viewing and fishing spots on the Zambezi, the guide who’ll introduce you to ‘moonbows’ at Victoria Falls and the locals who’ll share their dinner with you.
Freephone an expert 01306 744 656
