Top dollar

Would you pay top dollar to stay in a tourist place in this spot? We have received some investment money for the development of our tourism operations here, so I’m hoping the answer to the question for many people would be yes. There are hippos in the water, if it helps to convince you.

It was absolutely roasting by 8am but Wim and I went out scoping along the Lugenda River as we’re under pressure to get tourism activities moving. The challenges are fairly hefty: remoteness, tsetse flies, 14-hour road journeys, difficulty procuring high end tourist goods, an insurgency in the neighbouring province. But there are some adventurous types out there who we can tantalise.

In the afternoon I wrote up my notes in the office. It was only punctuated by a couple of very old and gnarly buffalo standing on the airstrip.