adminSunday Mail Reporter
Imagine visiting the breath-taking Victoria Falls and returning home without experiencing The Boma Dinner and Drum Show?
It would certainly be an incomplete holiday experience.
The Boma usually enlivens tourists’ night experience in the resort town, ensuring an ultimate end to each day.
The 28-year-old restaurant’s Dinner and Drum Show is renowned for giving its customers a truly unforgettable African feel.
It has become a standout nightlife prop for a town that has little to offer after dusk.
However, Africa Albida Tourism’s (AAT) flagship property, Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (VFSL), where The Boma is located, is currently closed.
It shut its operations in March as the Covid-19-induced lockdown set in.
But, other AAT entities, among them Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari Suites and Lokhutula Lodges, have since partially reopened.
Government has given the tourism industry the green light to resume.
Holidaymakers were growing increasingly concerned that the Dinner and Drum Show experience was, for the first time in close to three decades, not going to be part of their to-do activities over the festive season.
AAT has, however, since reopened the place.
“Our decision to reopen was influenced by a late surge in bookings as a number of Zimbabweans based in the United Kingdom and Europe have chosen to return home for between four and eight weeks over the lockdown time,” AAT chief executive officer Mr Ross Kennedy said.
“. . . also, on the back of increased fastjet flights to Victoria Falls from Harare, coupled with flights from Johannesburg starting from December 3, it was decided that we should reopen Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and The Boma.”
The two businesses will reopen on December 10.
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge will operate throughout the festive season up to June 30, 2021.
However, The Boma experience will only be available to tourists until January 5.
The restart of the tourism sector is expected to excite the market and reignite global attention on “Destination Zimbabwe”, as well as breathe new life down the value chain.
The industry had been heavily battered by Covid-19 as all activities virtually grounded to a halt.
“While it was positive to see additional demand, bookings were still not as strong as in ‘normal’ times, but despite this, the decision had been made to get the whole estate operating again and look forward to the end of year uplift after a tough year,” reckons Mr Kennedy.
For some tourists, The Boma experience is unforgettable.
Upon arrival, one gets a colourful African garment and customary face-painting before being escorted to their table.
The restaurant’s four-course meal includes a platter of starters, soup from the campfire and a braai (barbecue) buffet, vegetarian options and a selection of desserts.
The buffet offers the more adventurous foodie to try the smoked crocodile tail, deep-fried kapenta, tender warthog fillet, kudu steak, impala kebabs, Zambezi bream and guinea fowl, etcetera.
After dinner, traditional dance performers gather around the middle of the restaurant and entertain guests with their drum shows.
Guests temporarily get free drumming lessons.
The Boma Café will open for breakfast and lunch over the festive period for Lokuthula Lodges guests.
Online Reporter