Let’s start by shouting from the rooftops that “Zambia is open!” If you are craving the outdoors, open spaces, smiling faces, and spectacular scenery, then we urge you to bump Zambia to the top of your travel bucket list. Flights arrive daily to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and to Livingstone, home of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Victoria Falls.
Cruising on the Zambezi is a way of life. Livingstonians hop on a boat and meander along the Zambezi River for celebrations, family time or just because they need a fix. There are various cruise options, whether you want a private excursion for your wedding reception, a family-friendly outing, or prefer to focus on getting up close and personal with the resident animals in Mosi-oa-tunya National Park.
Recreating the feeling of being on the Zambezi River with a drink in hand isn’t a hard sell for anyone that has set foot in Zambia’s tourist capital. Let’s take you there for a moment. Sit back and close your eyes. Do you feel the warm breeze rustling your hair? Imagine a hippo breaking the surface of the water and opening its jaws in a magnificent yawn. The sky fills with the most dazzling array of reds, oranges and yellows as the giant ball of sun dips below the horizon. This is the end of another fabulous day in Livingstone, Zambia. Life is good.
Recreate the Zambezi Sunset at Home
We know that not everyone has the luxury of being able to witness the spectacle of a Zambezi sunset for themselves whenever their heart desires. Destination Livingstone teamed up with Dom the Somm from Royal Chundu Lodge to bring you a way to recreate Zambezi happy hour at home. We are confident that after one or two of these drinks, you’ll be relaxed and smiling a grin as wide as a Vervet monkey in a mango tree.
Zambezi Sunset Cocktail
Ingredients:
• Ice
• Gin
• Watermelon puree
• Orange Juice
• Lemon Juice
• Tonic Water
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Method:
Grab your favourite tall cocktail glass. Even better, grab a friend and two glasses.
Fill your glasses with plenty of ice.
Add a generous shot or two of your favourite gin.
Add watermelon puree to about a third of the glass.
Carefully pour another third full of orange juice and then roughly half as much of lemon juice. Your aim is to create layers of colour.
Top your drink with tonic and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Sit back, sip away, relax and envision the Zambezi Sunset.
Can this drink be made non-alcoholic?
Most certainly! If you would prefer a virgin Zambezi Sunset Cocktail, then omit the gin and substitute soda water for the tonic if you prefer. Your drink will still look and taste fabulous!
Dominique Lubasi and his team at Royal Chundu Lodge love to bring locally sourced and foraged ingredients into their cocktails. Check out this video of Dom making this same Zambezi Sunset drink using muchingachinga berry juice.
We should end with a warning. If you have too many of these cocktails, then you might find yourself yearning to see an actual Zambezi sunset again and booking flights to Livingstone. But don’t worry, we will be here with cold drinks and huge Zambian smiles to welcome your arrival.
