Zambia, Fringilla - Hotel, Camping
 

Fringilla Lodge, located 45 minutes north of Lusaka, showed us the greatest hospitality we have ever experienced anywhere in the world, ever!


My wife and I got stranded outside Fringilla with a busted caged steering bearing, going nowhere. As their rooms and cabins was a bit out of our budget we decided to camp in their camp ground, in our tiny emergency tent and cook our macarony and tomato soup on our multifuel.

The owners, the Woodley family, insisted that we'd not only stay as long as we needed free of charge, but in their private guest house. They had us over for dinner in their own house and insisted on everything in their lodge being free. We had to go behind their back to find ways to pay atleast a bit of our way. But their generosity didn't stop here. Andrew Woodley put a lot of effort into helping us out of our predicament. He spendt two entire days just taking me to some 30 places in Lusaka to source a spare, he insisted on it. We ended up getting our ball bearing race machined to accomodate standard bearings without needing the cage at one of his friends'... also for free!!! Andrew did all this even though they have a large farm, a dairy, a butchery and a busy lodge to run.

Andrew Woodley loves to ride arround in the bush with his Honda and would like some more biker company. He told me, unless they start coming by the hundreds, that he would vouch for other bikers in trouble.

Regardless of their hospitality, their lodge and camp site is very nice and well run. The restaurant is great, as is their bar and all facilities in general. In fact, it is one of the last few nice places to stay for a long time if you are heading North. It is also in a convenient distance outside Lusaka, making the city accessible without having to stay there (Lusaka is a hell hole). Going either way, you might as well make this your stop, you won't be sorry.

While we were there there were also a bunch of 4x4 overlanders in their camp grounds, so you will not unlikely find company.

A picture of Andre and Julie:
http://www.gjolberg.com/mekkeblogg_a...wandjulie2.jpg

If you do decide to go, please tell them this Norwegian Vespa scooter fanatic sendt you.

Oh yeah, one last thing. He told me that people coming in their own plane or microlite will receive the royal treatment... I don't know what it entails, but it sure as hell must be good!

Great post Wheelie! I plan to be in Zambia within the next 3 months and look forward to visiting this place. Very glad to hear they have a great bar! I'm a pilot riding a motorcycle, perhaps I'll get a free beer if I show my airmans certificate?! How is that scooter treating you?? D.