When David Livingstone first saw Victoria Falls in 1855, he said “No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England… but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.”
David Livingstone is certainly not alone in his admiration of this massive waterfall on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and tourists today come from all over the world to admire the falls. We visited Victoria Falls as the final stop on our trip to Africa with Ben’s family, after going on safari in Botswana.
Getting to Zimbabwe
After spending three days on a houseboat on the Chobe River, we made our way to the Zimbabwe side of Victoria falls via road. We had been staying near Kasane, a small town near the border of not only of Botswana and Namibia, but Zambia and Zimbabwe as well. It’s like the Four Corners of Africa. Victoria Falls is located just an hour away from Kasane by car.
So, we packed up all our stuff and hopped into what was essentially a safari jeep to make the drive. The safari company (Pangolin) organized the car and the driver for us, so we just got to sit and enjoy the ride.
Crossing the border from Botswana into Zimbabwe was not hard, but it was time consuming. We had to pay for our visa at the border crossing with cash, and no one at the passport office was in any kind of rush. Handing over $30 and getting a stamp in your passport doesn’t seem like it should take that long, but such is life. Besides waiting a long time at the border, getting to Victoria Falls from Botswana was a piece of cake.
Where is Victoria Falls?
Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. (Boy, my “Z” key is getting more use today than it has ever before!” In fact, the falls themselves are split across the border, with a Zambia side and a Zimbabwe side. If you want to see both sides of the falls, you’ll have to get a visa that allows you to cross the border. We, however, opted to stay only on the Zimbabwe side of the falls, which supposedly has prettier views anyway.
Ilala Lodge
We arrived in Victoria Falls (the town) around midday and checked into our hotel: Ilala Lodge. Ilala Lodge is a luxury hotel that is one of the closest to the falls themselves. The property is gorgeous, with lush gardens where monkeys wander around, and a beautiful pool. Our room was very spacious with an amazing bathroom. If you read my post about our houseboat experience on the Chobe River, you’ll know I hadn’t washed my hair in several days before we arrived at Ilala Lodge, and let me tell you, that shower was glorious.
We ate both dinner and breakfast at Ilala Lodge, and the food at the restaurant was exceptional. I’d highly recommend this hotel if you are visiting the area.
Walking Along the Falls
After freshening up at the hotel, we had a very nice lunch at The Lookout Café overlooking the Zambezi, then did an afternoon tour of Victoria Falls. Honestly, it would not be hard to visit Victoria Falls without a guide. There’s only one path, so you can’t really get lost. But we liked having a guide who could tell us all about the history of the falls. There are several viewpoints along the path, and if you’re like us, you’ll stop and take pictures at all of them.
Victoria Falls’ name is the local Sotho language means “The Smoke that Thunders,” which is an apt name for more reason than one. We visited during the rainy season, which meant the falls were rushing with enormous amounts of water, so much and at such a force that the mist coming out of the chasm really was like smoke. It was so thick, that it sometimes obscured our view, which really gave us all an appreciation for just how powerful and majestic nature can be.
Scenic Helicopter Flight
For thrill seekers, Victoria Falls has tons of activities on offer, including bungee jumping, ziplining, and microlights. We decided instead to do an activity neither Ben nor I had ever done before: a helicopter flight.
Our short helicopter flight over Victoria Falls was astoundingly beautiful, and gave us the chance to appreciate the beauty of the falls from a completely different angle. Seen from above, Victoria Falls is somehow even more beautiful, and I highly recommend doing a helicopter tour if you are visiting this area.
We stayed in Victoria Falls only about 24 hours before heading to the airport to go back to Johannesburg, and back home from there. While we didn’t stay long in Victoria Falls, and didn’t make it to the Zambian side at all, we had an amazing time. Victoria Falls is really one of those places that takes your breath away in person no matter how many pictures you’ve seen, and I’m so glad I was able to tick this spot off the bucket list.
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