Hi All

If you’ve been brought up in Zimbabwe and had a decent education (Gifford Tech in my case!) you will probably have been taught about the wonders of our outdoor life. You should, surely, know about the Big Five wildlife believing that to see all of them is something you must do before you meet up with internationals at university. You would, too, have probably been at many lunchtime Braais seeing dads stand around the barbecue regaling stories of all the Bream they’ve caught, filleted and snacked on.

Most young guys will have that mindset that you must bring in one of those fighting Tiger fish before you can elevate your internal status to being a qualified Zimbabwean.

Way back in the late 80s, Peter Marchusen and his mates worked out that one of the best spots for tiger fishing on Lake Kariba was along the deep canal in the centre of the large Ume River on the far side of Lake Kariba. He ended up establishing a very up-market Fishing camp, on the banks of the Ume River,   where most avid fishermen spent days savouring many of the delights of Zimbabwean outdoor life: carefree days, with a rod in one hand and a beer in the other, idly fishing for Tiger all the while having close sightings of some of the best wildlife this country had to offer along the banks of the Matusadona National Park.

Then, after about 30 years, a much older Peter decided to move back to the big city leaving the Tiger Bay property lying vacant for several years before a discerning Sahwira Africa Safaris brought it into their portfolio. Sahwira have now invested several years of hard work and money into restoring Tiger Bay to some of its former glory.

I, along with several Travel agents, flew up to Tiger Bay over the weekend for a “Famil” visit to see for ourselves the almost complete, authentic, five-star improvements Sahwira have made to the resort. They are readying themselves for the discerning guests expected to visit them over the coming peak Tiger Fishing months from August to November. Our flight to the nearby landing strip took off from Charles Prince in one of Grand Air’s 12-seater Cessna Caravans. Tiger Bay has invested in a very fast 16-seater speedboat that can cross the lake in just 40 minutes, weather permitting. They also have a couple of houseboats, whereby guests can make an overnight crossing from Marineland, enjoying the very special experiences offered on a fully catered Kariba Houseboat.

There are eight serene, luxurious, thatched chalets at Tiger Bay, all overlooking the Lake in their own private way. The chalets are all well-appointed with king-size bedding, ample shelving for clothing and a spacious desk where a businessman can quickly catch up with his emails before setting off on his day's fishing. Each chalet has its own two showers – one inside and the other under the sun – with a fancy tub in the bathroom area. They all have a splash pool on the wooden platform verandah with a great set of Binoculars to view the abundant birdlife – the familiar stark call of the Fish Eagle, constantly in the background, forever reminding one that you are on the shores of Lake Kariba.