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About project of Santonga Eco-park |
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 Introduction
Santonga is Africa Albida Tourism’s pioneering eco-park, whose first
phase is scheduled to open in due course. The park is a multi-sensory,
interactive experience fusing history, wildlife, culture and
entertainment in a 6-hour experience which will help increase visitor’s
length-of-stay in Victoria Falls.
Location
Situated on Squire Cummings Rd, Victoria Falls, Santonga sits in
wildlife area, on 80 acres neighbouring the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
Resort and opposite Elephant Hills Resort turn-off. Slightly elevated in
position, Santonga is west-facing and overlooks the Zambezi River and
National Park. The eco-park is 4km from the Victoria Falls, and 22km
from the Victoria Falls International Airport. The resort is easily
accessed from other properties in the Victoria Falls area, as well as
from Kasane, Botswana and Livingstone, Zambia.
Concept
Santonga is designed to deepen the visitor’s appreciation of the
pre-history of the Falls region, including its formation, earliest
pre-historical animals and human habitants, right through to the present
day in a highly interactive, richly informative and entertaining way.
The Santonga experience is divided into six segments all set out in
African village style. Visitors are taken through the first part – a
presentation of historically accurate depictions of the formation of the
Earth, through the Jurassic age using state-of-the-art multi-media
technology to make this incredible period come alive. This first Phase
opens 2010.
Phased Development
Santonga will be developed in phases, with each stage opening to the
public upon completion.
• Africa Time World – This historical section will be
broken down into informative, entertaining sections, opening with a
powerful 10-minute film chronicling the formation of the world,
development of life in all its phases from the beginning of time to the
present. This section will also include eight ‘snapshots’ in time,
rendering what happened in Victoria Falls, from the early dinosaur
period through to Great Zimbabwe and Southern Africa’s extensive trade
networks in that era, as exposed through detailed academic research.
These snapshots will be graphically presented in halls, the first three
showing different areas of the dinosaurs of Victoria Falls, and the
fourth featuring extinct mammals of the area and the formation of
Victoria Falls.
• The Evolution Halls will show evolution of man within
the Victoria Falls area.
• The Later Stone Age Hall is embodied by the San ethnic
group. A living Late Iron Age village will be included as part of the
historical section, allowing visitors to participate in daily village
life, including toolmaking, pottery, hut-building, food preparation and
iron-smelting.
• The walk-through Great Zimbabwe Replica Complex is
reproduced in parts, showing why this great trading centre was Africa’s
foremost some 500 years ago.
• Fish Eagle Bird Gardens will bring visitors up close to
many of Zimbabwe’s 600 bird species in a vibrant and authentic setting.
The Fish Eagle Bird Gardens will educate, with a large exhibit of birds
of prey and inter-active falconry and other bird displays held at
regular intervals.
• The Riverside Reptile Park will provide a fascinating
array of crocodiles, snakes, lizards and chameleons to view, with
several shows a day to educate and entertain visitors.
• A first in Zimbabwe, the Royal Butterfly Park will
contain spectacular displays of butterflies common to
southern Africa in a unique and colourful setting.
• The Drumbeat Amphitheatre - a partly covered
amphitheatre seating 600 people will host major events and world-class
song, dance and theatre extravaganzas nightly to coincide with river
activities and encouraging visitors to stay another night and enjoy both
experiences.
• The fantastical Ancestors Restaurant – seating up to 300
diners takes its theme, both visually and gastronomically from the Stone
Age, tempting diners with such offerings as ‘dinosaur’ steaks.
• Finally, an on-site retail outlet will allow visitors to
purchase crafts and artworks made throughout the complex and themed on
the various displays throughout Santonga’s unique and vibrant setting.
Source:
official website of
Africa
Albida Tourism
(2010)
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