It was during a short camping holiday to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in August 2016 that the Scott-Riddell family, all born and raised in Zimbabwe, discovered a lifestyle that demanded closer inspection. Besides the obvious main attraction of the magnificent Falls itself, and the vast expanse of African bush which surrounded it, we noticed a permanent holiday atmosphere which was both refreshing and uplifting.

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This quaint, quirky town with its plethora of tourists in sun hats and sandals was slow paced and free of traffic jams - warthogs and baboons roamed freely around the town and were respectfully given right of way on all the roads. Victoria Falls to us was paradise, and we found ourselves wondering why we didn’t live there.

All that was required was an international airport for husband and father of two, Phil, to continue his aviation career as a corporate pilot, and that box was ticked in November 2016 when the new Victoria Falls International Airport was unveiled.

Just three months later our whimsical dreaming and wondering became a tangible reality. We found a property to buy on a quiet road in the tranquil residential suburb of the tourist town, and we eagerly swapped our tame suburban life in Harare for an exciting new adventure chasing sunsets and rainbows in Victoria Falls. So began a new chapter for the Scott-Riddell family, filled with possibilities, opportunities and more than its fair share of unexpected twists and turns.

The small 2000sqm property which we purchased had originally been run as a hunting lodge in the 1990’s. It was dark, dingy and run down and desperately needed a complete makeover if we were going to turn it into a successful business as a boutique lodge. We spent the next 4 ½ years planning, designing, destroying, renovating and building. During that phase we endured lockdown, personal loss, ill health, two family deaths and the end of Phil’s aviation career, amidst multiple other challenges: no different from most people in the world.

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By the time covid hit in March 2020, we had reached the point of no return - “PNR” in aviation terms, with the lodge renovations. The future was uncertain, especially in the tourism and hospitality industry. One can make all the numbers fit on a spreadsheet, but uncontrollable world dynamics can make the most carefully laid out plans topple like a deck of cards.

We were either brave or just plain stupid to open our lodge during covid, but we felt we had to make a go of it. On June 25th, 2021, Pamarah Lodge opened its doors to the public for the very first time. We even remember the names of our first guests and nicknamed them the “Brave Belgians” for being brave enough to travel to Zimbabwe during covid! For the next two years we worked tirelessly to build a solid reputation for Pamarah, and the bookings began to pick up as confidence in worldwide travel grew.

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In 2022 our two adult children, Holly and Ross, returned home to Zimbabwe after a sojourn in the UK where they were studying and working. Our family was finally complete again, and we can proudly say that today Pamarah is 100% family run! The name “Pamarah” is an acronym of our first names: P for Phil, M for Mornette, R for Ross and H for Holly. We feel blessed beyond measure to be able to live and work together as a family in our home country of Zimbabwe. Our son Ross, together with his lovely wife Maryna oversee the restaurant side of things, and our daughter Holly manages the finances and day to day operations of the business. Mornette does the marketing, and Phil is the captain of our ship.

The family works closely together to offer a one-of-a-kind personal touch to enhance the hospitality offering. Pamarah’s wonderful staff are all 100% Zimbabwean and part of our extended family.

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