The Smoke That Thunders
On the Zambezi River where Zimbabwe meets Zambia I visited Victoria Falls, known to the locals as The Smoke That Thunders. Some sites should be seen in awed silence, and like The Taj Mahal in India, Victoria Falls is one of those places. It should be breathed in without the chattering of a tour group and without a camera constantly in your hand.
You can do this best by arriving early before the crowds descend. The gates to the national park open at around 6am. We arrived around 7am and it was still very quiet. However, if you want a photo with a rainbow across the falls as your backdrop, you stand the best chance of snagging that shot around 4 p.m. It’s a good excuse to go twice and experience both ends of the day.
At just over a mile long, it’s the world’s largest sheet of falling water and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The waterfalls can be seen from both countries, but only 25% of the falls can be seen from Zambia, with the other 75% best seen from Zimbabwe. Our flight with Ethiopian Airways landed at Victoria Falls International Airport on the Zimbabwe side so we opted to spend our first couple of days here. Livingston Airport is the closest International entry on the Zambian side.
When to Visit Victoria Falls
We travelled in the middle of August just a few weeks before the rains. You need to choose your time carefully because your experience of the falls can be affected by the water levels. In August the Zambia side was a little underwhelming to us, so if Zambia is your destination, June or July might give you a better experience. Unless of course you are one of the adventurous types who want to take a dip in The Devil’s Pool at the top of the falls. This is done from the Zambian side, but for safety reasons can be closed during periods of heavier flow. In August, from Zimbabwe the falls were spectacular!
We were advised to take raincoats to protect us from the spray, but we are British and its 27 degrees, so we found the spray refreshing and barely enough to dampen our clothes, which dried within minutes. You can guide yourself along the viewing trail, as it’s an easy walk along a straight path with short side routes leading to 16 viewing areas. Most of these are also wheelchair accessible. You can take as long as you like, but you can walk it all in about an hour to an hour and a half at a leisurely pace.
A Helicopter Ride Over the Falls
We couldn’t resist taking a helicopter ride over the falls, which you can do for about US$200 depending on the duration. From up there you can better appreciate the power of the mighty Zambezi as well as see the whole length of the gorge. It’s well worth the money and not bad value as helicopter trips go.
Crossing Borders and Visas
If you are staying in Zimbabwe but want to go over the border to Zambia or Botswana, as a UK citizen you can take a day trip into either country and still be covered on a single entry Zimbabwe visa. However, if you intend to stay overnight, you should get yourself a double entry visa for Zimbabwe. We did this online before we travelled but there were people paying at the immigration arrival desks too. I should say that these rules change regularly, so make sure to check the foreign office website before you travel.
Victoria Falls Town
Hotel staff told us not to walk away from the main areas at night because of the elephant and hippo who walk the streets. I thought it was a discreet way to tell us it wasn’t safe to wander about after dark. That was until I saw a group of wild elephants in the middle of town grazing at the side of the road! Apparently, there are no fences at the boundary with the national parks so elephants wandering the streets is a common sight. The locals I talked to seemed to accept wildlife as a fact of life, and there was no evidence of human-wildlife conflict. But this is a town whose life blood is tourism, so I guess the elephants add to the charm of the place for visitors.
Other than that, it does feel very safe here. Victoria Falls is a small, quiet town with lovely locals, fabulous art galleries, local craft markets, as well as some great places to eat. So unless you are staying outside town, Bed and Breakfast is perfect. Taxis are affordable and distances are short.
Where to Eat: A Local Experience
Dusty Roads is a masterclass in up-cycling and immersive tourism. Described as a township experience, this restaurant in Victoria Falls was started by Zimbabwe resident “Mama Sarah” and is staffed by locals who also teach you about the native dishes you are eating. It’s a fascinating way to support a grassroots project, and the food was fantastic. Our hotel was around 10 minutes away and it was USD$5 in a taxi each way.
Where We Stayed: A Historic Experience
We opted to treat ourselves to a stay at the historic Victoria Falls Hotel. This was a bucket list thing for me, and there are far more reasonably priced options if you don’t want to splash out. But I couldn’t resist a chance to sit on the terrace where British and European Kings and Queens, literary royalty like Agatha Christie and Hollywood A-listers had all sat before me and enjoyed High Tea watching the spray rise off the falls as the wild warthogs tormented the hotel gardeners.
The Victoria Falls hotel was originally built in 1904 to accommodate the engineers working on the iconic bridge that crosses the Falls.
A Unique Experience: The Bridge Steam Train
Bushtracks still run a steam train across the bridge with the vintage rail cars now lovingly restored. The train sets off just before sunset treating passengers to a white glove dinner whilst on board. It stopped on the bridge so that we could enjoy a glass of champagne with a view of the Batoka Gorge system as the sun set behind the waterfalls. The train doesn’t run every day so if it’s something you want to do, it’s worth pre booking the excursion so that it can be worked into your itinerary.
Sunset on the Zambezi
Our stay in the town wouldn’t have been complete without a dinner cruise on The Zambeze. Whilst there isn’t a view of the falls from the boat, the river itself is no less impressive and it certainly offers a romantic evening safari. It was wonderful to enjoy good food and some tasty sundowners whilst watching the white egrets, crocodile, and a charming encounter with a baby hippo along the mud banks.
What My Clients Thought
Some clients of mine did a similar trip, this is what they had to say:
“We’ve just returned from the most incredible trip to South Africa and Victoria Falls, all thanks to Andrea, whose expertise and care made it truly unforgettable.
The final stage of our journey was Victoria Falls, where we stayed at the beautiful Shongwe Lookout. Enjoying cocktails while watching the spray from the falls in the distance was a moment we’ll never forget. Victoria Falls itself was stunning — powerful, beautiful and easy to explore. You can actually feel the force of the falls in your chest. It was truly magical.
Andrea’s personal knowledge of South Africa and the region really shows. She didn’t just organise a holiday — she created a dream trip for us. We can’t thank her enough and would recommend her to anyone looking for a truly exceptional travel experience.”
Mandy and Aly