48 Hours in Victoria Falls

Just some of the highlights of a weekend at play

by Sandra Mallinson, 1 August 2007

"No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England, It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight". David Livingstone

First Impressions

Friday 2pm - Stepping off the plane at Livingstone airport, I took a moment to appreciate the brilliant Zambian sunshine and soft, bushveld air. Thinking about where I would have been, tapping away at my computer on a cold and rainy Cape Town afternoon, made that moment all the sweeter.

On the flight over I'd been lucky enough to have a window seat on the left hand side of the plane and, just before landing, had looked down over the Zambezi River and the huge plume of spray where Victoria Falls tumbles into the deep gash of Batoka Gorge.

This was my second trip to Vic Falls, my first being a family holiday when I was about eight years old. All I could remember was that I'd seen a rainbow and got very wet. Now, many years later, I had the opportunity to revisit this world heritage site, this time with a group of my colleagues.

The smoke that thunders

Friday 5pm - We spent our first afternoon on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. It was a bizarre experience standing under a cloudless sky, watching a few drenched tourists wandering back to their bus. It seems my childhood memories were right, you do get soaked. Luckily our guide was well prepared and lent each of us raincoats.

Known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders), you hear the falls before you see them. The Zambezi, Africa's fourth largest river, was flowing fast, and the sheer volume of water was incredible. Every second hundreds of thousands of gallons dropped over the 108m cliff with such awesome power that a constant drizzle fell in the surrounding forest.

That being said, do take note of the seasons when planning your trip. Almost no water flows over Rainbow and Armchair Falls, on the Zambian side, between the months of September and November. During this time it is even possible to swim in a rock pool on the edge of the falls, which would have been suicidal in July when I was there.

Daybreak in Zimbabwe

Saturday 7.30am - After a four-course meal, relaxing bath and good night's rest, I woke up refreshed and ready for the day's adventures. The breakfast deck at our hotel, the Stanley & Livingstone in Zimbabwe, overlooks an active waterhole. As we tucked into brekkie and drank wonderfully strong coffee, we watched kudu come down to drink, and were entertained by the antics of a troop of baboons.

With all the press about food shortages in Zimbabwe, I hadn't expected to be treated to buffet spreads, delicious treats and full English breakfasts. Vic Falls is a tourist enclave separated from the problems facing the rest of the country. I felt completely safe during my time there, and was amazed by the optimism of the locals I chatted to.

After breakfast it was back to the falls. We spent the morning exploring the well laid out footpaths and viewing points. Often I found myself walking along a path with dense rainforest on one side and dry savanna on the other. We could see more of the falls from the Zimbabwean side, including the iconic view of the main falls.

Adrenaline capital of Africa

Saturday 11am - Words like 'leap', 'hurtle' and 'freefall' don't so much fill me with excitement, as with rising panic. Perusing the range of high wire adrenaline activities on offer, I decided that wizzing across Batoka Gorge at 106 km/h was a far better option than plummeting headfirst into it.

Before I knew it I was strapped into a harness, dangling 120m above the swirling waters of the Zambezi.

'Ready?'

I tried a confident smile, which quickly turned into a scream as I hurtled, yes hurtled, through the air. Being one of the longest 'foofie slides' in the world, I eventually ran out of breath, stopped screaming, and started enjoying the ride. It was an incredible rush.

My colleagues, who are either adrenaline junkies or just plain nuts, opted for the most extreme activity available. They lined up for the gorge swing and I watched in sweaty palmed awe as they began with a handstand, or dropped backwards off the platform into a 70m freefall.

Floating down the river

Saturday 3.30pm - Our guide handed me another drink as we drifted down the Zambezi River. Our group was divided between four canoes. Being on holiday, we weren't expected to do anything as strenuous as paddle ourselves. Instead, we simply sat back in comfort and watched the river slide by.

It was so peaceful without the distracting drone of an engine. We caught the occasional glimpse of a hippo, thankfully not too close, and crocs basking on the river banks. I could think of few better ways to spend a lazy afternoon, especially after the morning's excitement.

Africa's gentle giants

Sunday 6.30am - Rising with the sun, we set off for the elephant sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to a herd of ellies, and does fantastic work taking care of adult elephants injured by poacher's snares, as well as orphaned babies.

It takes a bit of getting used to, swaying along on the back of an elephant, looking down on the surrounding bush. After an hour-long elephant back safari we got to meet Chizi, one of the baby elephants. One 'hug' from her and I was ready to give up my beloved Cape Town, and devote the rest of my life to taking care of wildlife.

Must do markets

Sunday 1pm - Our final stop was the craft markets. The formal indoor market was closed, being Sunday, so we wandered through the large outdoor market past rows of intricate wooden carvings, salad bowls and soapstone animals of all shapes and sizes.

Prices are low, and can drop even lower if you enjoy a good bargaining session. Many forms of currency are accepted, even clothes, as Lauren discovered when she traded her denim jacket for a large wooden hippo.

On the flight home my mind wandered back over all the experiences of the previous 48 hours.

I'm sure I'll return to Vic Falls some day to try the much talked about white water rafting, or spend some time at the lion sanctuary, or go bungee jumping, ok, maybe not bungee jumping. But I honestly think I'd be hard pressed to find another destination that offers the same diversity of incredible activities.

Print this page | Send to a friend