Zimbabwe
Feeling the might of Victoria Falls
After Botswana the next stop on our African adventure is the iconic Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. We join the queue to get our visas into the next country on our list. The heat of the day beats down as we inch our way forward to the tin shed that separates Botswana from Zimbabwe.
Passports stamped, fees paid and we’re on our way again.
Our driver takes us to a giant Boab tree and points out the township of Vic Falls. At our accommodation we’re driven past warthogs, guinea fowl, monkeys, mongoose and antelope grazing on the lawn and are shown to a traditional African boma – our home for the next few nights.
But it’s Victoria Falls that we’re here to see. So, three weeks after we saw the spray of the Falls from the Zambia side, we stand in awe at the face of the falls on the Zimbabwe side.
There are 12 viewing points of the Falls and we stop at each point, assessing the spray, the drop, the view of the falls and capturing it from every possible angle. At about 1700 metres wide, it’s an impressive curtain of water.
Known as Mosi oa Tunya (the smoke that thunders) the Falls provide the biggest curtain of falling water in the world. We stand in awe at the sheer volume of water cascading into a narrow crevasse.
At night we are picked up again and taken back to the Zambezi River for a cruise. This time our cruise is fancy. We’re greeted by a band of African musicians serenading us as we board the boat. We sink into plush couches as waiters bring plates of finger foods and drinks throughout the journey.
But once again, it’s the wildlife and the epic scenery that holds our attention. We see crocodiles and elephants on the banks of the river, hippos in the water and waterbirds in the trees. And we watch as river cruises jostle for position to watch the sunset over the Zambezi.
In the city of Victoria Falls we find a bustling town. We walk to lunch overlooking the Zambezi and stop at a brewery to try the local beer, we walk through a market and see high end sculptures, locally produced paintings, even a book on ducks of Southern Africa.
On our final night in Zimbabwe we attend the central Boma at our hotel for a cultural experience. We dance on the way in, we drum and enjoy a buffet of every conceivable African delicacy possible.
It is a fitting end to our African adventure.
We leave Africa with heavy hearts but promises of ongoing adventures. There is still so much to see, so much global diversity to take in.
Read more about our adventures in Africa here.
Fast Facts
We travelled to Zimbabwe in 2023 with Kalahari Breeze.
We stayed at Lokuthula Lodges.
We were here for two nights.
Was it long enough? No! There is lots more to see in Zimbabwe, but it was long enough in Victoria Falls.
Highlights: The Falls are simply amazing. Ade and I had been before, in 2004, but only to the Zambia side. Seeing them from the Zimbabwe side gives you a greater appreciation of the scale of them. We travelled with my Dad which made this trip pretty special.
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