Victoria Falls & Chobe: An Awesome Package Deal

3 Countries, 1 Destination

by Dominic Chadbon, 1 February 2008

In the mood for one of the world's natural wonders, big game and all the adrenalin your nervous system can handle?

Look no further than that quirky little corner of southern Africa where Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana meet in the centre of a brown swirling river en route to the region's tourist epicentre: Victoria Falls.

For many years a region whose countries jealously guarded their own resources, the place is now positively humming with cross-border excursions in order to maximise the area's potential.

This means you can tour Victoria Falls in the morning (Zimbabwean or Zambian side, both are good); throw yourself off the border bridge before lunch (you may want to attach a bungy cord) and then head off for an afternoon boat cruise on the elephant-packed Chobe River in Botswana.

It's always made sense to view the area as a single destination. Ecologically, geologically, climatically it's all the same. Kalahari sand cloaks the gently rolling landscape in a red blanket and teak and mopane woodland interspersed with graceful acacias and squat baobabs covers the terrain.

The area bakes brown in a cool, dry winter only to explode in a kaleidoscope of green in the hot, wet summer.

While the animals have never bothered too much with border formalities, tour operators in the area are very much on the ball when it comes to seeing this region as one destination. Mobile phones are on the hip of every guide or driver and they can arrange activities in any place you want; while tour companies chalk up daily specials to here, there and everywhere.

The political borders are the only barriers, but the interminable form-filling that used to characterise crossing the frontiers has eased. The main sticking point seems to be the US$55 visa fee for Zimbabwe; so if you're based in Zambia and you want to do a trip to Botswana, your tour operator may take you there via the Kazungula ferry crossing, avoiding a transit through Zimbabwe.

The ferry crossing is best described as an experience, and one that necessitates the assistance of your local driver or guide - if only to pick a way through the waiting trucks and show you which decrepit building to present yourself and your passport to.

It all goes pretty quickly though; the crossing is done by speedboat and is over in less than a minute. Before you know it, you'll be on another transfer vehicle and on your way.

Zimbabwe:To See or Not to See

Everyone's wondering whether it's still possible to travel to Zimbabwe, and if so, what to expect.

The Zimbabwe side of the Falls - the eponymous Victoria Falls town - hasn't been as hard-hit as the rest of the country. That said, it does require some adjustments, like getting used to arriving at your menu choice through a process of elimination (Burgers? No. Steak? Sorry. Chicken? Yes.) and the electricity could clunk off for an hour or two.

But the town is still booming, albeit with a new breed of visitor: Chinese, Korean, Spanish and African. They're here to spend money and have a good time like everybody else - and there are even more things to do in vibrant Vic Falls than ever before.

Furthermore, one of the unexpected consequences of Zimbabwe's decline is indeed the theme of this article: the opening up of the region as a whole.

The demise of Zimbabwe's wildlife destinations (Hwange National Park, Lake Kariba, Mana Pools and so on) has enabled Botswana's operators to take the gap by offering day trips, overnight excursions and longer tours into the Chobe National Park.

Zambia, benefiting from Western worries over safety issues in Zimbabwe, has quickly thrown up a wide range of good quality accommodation: family-friendly hotels; exclusive, intimate safari lodges and genteel colonial hotels bustling with white-gloved waiters. Service is good, friendly and there's a sense that this could be the start of something big for Zambia.

Time your Package

It's all about what you want to see and do - and when. The area is at its busiest, coolest and driest during the winter months of May to August. The Zambezi is great for rafting, the party season is in full swing, game is easier to spot in the dry woodlands and there are very few mosquitoes.

The dry months reach a brittle crescendo in September and October: the heat builds, sometimes unbearably so, and the Chobe River is a magnet for thousands of thirsty buffalo and elephant - game viewing in Botswana is fantastic.

But the Falls are also at their lowest. The Zambian side is often reduced to a coffee-coloured dribble and the atmosphere is tense as everyone, and everything, waits for the rains.

The region changes with the rains: trees leap into leaf, migrant birds arrive and soaking, rumbling thunderstorms create rivers of red sand.

The arrival of the wet season signals other important changes: drawn to renewed water sources and fresh grazing, the game suddenly disappears into the endless bush of the interior, well away from the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers.

On the other hand, the Falls are recharged and by the end of the rains (February to April) they are in full flood with 500 million litres of foamy water thundering over every minute, creating a mind-numbing, clothes-soaking roar.

Readers' Comments:

Have you been to Vic Falls and Chobe recently or have we inspired you to go? Let us know.

I have always wanted to visit Vic Falls but the political situation in Zimbabwe has been a deterrent for me. After reading this article it appears that Vic Falls has, is and will always be a popular tourist attraction despite Zimbabwe's negative political status. It helped me to realise that now is as good a time as any to plan a trip to Vic Falls.

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