In 1997 teachers from Kawaza School in Nsefu Chiefdom, along with members of the local community, Robin Pope Safaris and Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) took the innovative step of introducing cultural tourism to the Luangwa Valley. They believed that certain types of visitors to Zambia were not only interested in viewing wildlife but were also interested in meeting with, and learning from, rural communities. The people of Kawaza Village developed a unique opportunity for visitors to experience genuine Kunda culture and ‘ways of living’ by inviting a small numbers of guests to spend time in their village and participate in everyday life.
Several years on Kawaza Village is a real inspiration to other communities looking to set up and operate sustainable tourism enterprises based on their culture. The villagers involved in providing services to guests all receive a monthly salary, and any profit that the village generates is ear-marked for community development projects, funding school places for HIV/AIDS orphans, providing for the needy and elderly in the village, and in improving the facilities at Kawaza Basic School.
Unfortunately, many lodge establishments in the Luangwa Valley are so busy with their own operations that they have been finding it difficult to provide the service needed to take their clients to Kawaza Village. To assist safari operators in the valley, The Personal Touch offers transfers and excursions to Kawaza Village to lodge clients, thereby freeing up lodge owners to concentrate on their own operations.
But it is not only the lodge client that can benefit from our services. Independent travelers can now fly in to Mfuwe, be collected from the airport by The Personal Touch, spend one or more nights at Kawaza and then fly out again. A pure cultural experience. If you want to be transferred to one of the lodges or camps in the area to additionally enjoy the area’s wildlife, we can also arrange this for you.
Upon arrival an itinerary based on the wishes and interests of the visitor is drawn up. Should you wish to pre-book an itinerary, let us know and we will discuss this ahead of your visit with the village headman.
The village is able to receive visitors from April through to the end of November. At other times (the rainy season), the village is difficult to access as the journey entails crossing two sandy rivers. Do enquire with us, however, should you wish to visit outside of these months as the seasons seem to vary year by year!
Upon receiving your enquiry, we will liaise with Kawaza Village and confirm dates for booking purposes. By offering specific Kawaza Village Tours, The Personal Touch hopes to increase sustainable the number of visitors to Kawaza Village, so more people can enjoy the cultural aspects of this part of Zambia, and increased benefits from tourism accrue to the local community.
Kawaza Village is located adjacent to world-famous wildlife safari destination, South Luangwa National Park in Zambia and with our service we should be able to offer more travellers the opportunity to visit a genuine Zambian rural village and to get involved with local people and village life.
The Personal Touch
Ltd.
South Luangwa National Park
P.O. Box 58
Mfuwe, Eastern Province
Zambia
Tel.: +260 216 246 123
Cell: +260 978 459 965
Mail:
info@tptouch.com
© 2012, The Personal Touch Ltd., Kawaza Village and Tribal Voice Communications Ltd.