Following our epic safari in Botswana (which you can read about here) we decided to do a quick stop in Victoria Falls to visit one of the seven wonders of the world (Victoria Falls!). There is a debate over which is the “better side” to stay (Zimbabwe or Zambia) and as you might expect I chose to stay on the side with the nicest hotel, the Anantara Stanley & Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe.
Since our plan was to do a very quick visit we had a packed agenda which became even more compressed due to the fact that our flight from Botswana was slightly delayed and all of the computers in the Victoria Falls International airport were down when we arrived, so even with our greeter/expediter everything had to be processed by hand.
Once we finally left the airport our guide Yvonne and driver Bernhard (who would remain in charge of us during our brief visit) sped us to the Anantara to quickly check-in, drop our bags and then head to lunch at a pre-arranged spot.
Check in was efficient (I even received a shoulder massage while I filled in my forms which was a pretty nice amenity) and they made an effort to get us all situated before we had to rush back out. The Villas were nicely appointed and roomy, and there were a variety of snacks waiting for us.
What should have happened next was for us to unwind for a bit, enjoy a drink and some snacks and then continue on to our evening activity, a sunset dinner cruise. What we actually did (which was a mistake) was to race out to our pre-booked (pre-paid) lunch at a mediocre restaurant with a view of the top of the falls at 4 pm, ate too quickly and then continued to the dinner cruise at 5:15.
Baines (the restaurant) was situated along the Zambezi River and is quite fancy as far as local spots go but it was poor planning, we definitely could have skipped the experience. Sometimes it is better to follow your gut rather than follow your tour guides (strong) suggestion.
Following lunch we made a short detour to visit a massive Baobab tree that is more than 1200 years old.
Next up, a private Pure Africa sunset dinner cruise on the Zambezi rivver. The staff was so welcoming and genuine, and the chef so earnest and well meaning that we felt just awful being presented such a lovely multi-course meal and having little or no appetite left after lunch. We kept reassuring them that it wasn’t their fault that we were only nibbling, but we truly felt terrible.
The sunset was indeed lovely, and we even got to see some elephants along the way!
The Anantara was clearly briefed on the big birthday(s) so when we finally returned to our villa at 10:30 pm there was a cake waiting for us though we were still too full to indulge!
Wake up time was 5:30 am as we were heading to Livingstone Island in Zambia for a very special and unique experience. The hotel sent us off with boxes of pastries as we loaded into the van with Bernhard in order to cross the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. As an aside, our brief trip to and from Zambia necessitated a Visa and ultimately resulted in 8 stamps in our passports! The border crossing was fairly calm on our trip to Livingstone Island at 7 am, but when we returned at 10 am it was utter chaos; thankfully we had Yvonne to usher us through. Our journey between the countries took us over the Victoria Falls Bridge which in itself is remarkable as it dates back to 1905 and is actually somewhat harrowing as it is built high above a gorge. Thankfully the bridge decided to hold out the day we visited so we made it to and from Zambia successfully.
When planning our trip I had not realized that a visit to Victoria Falls is incomplete without a swim in the Devil ‘s Pool at the top of the Falls (on the Zambia side) so of course we had to book the experience, but as it turned out only 2 of the 8 of us were brave enough to actually take the plunge. The Devil’s Pool can only be reached via Livingstone Island and access is very limited. A large submerged rock wall at the top of the falls is the secret to the “safe” space to swim (along with lots of supervision). First things first though, there were multiple release forms to be signed (using carbon paper!!) and then a quick boat ride.
A swim is only possible when the water is high enough, usually beginning at the end of August – January so we were lucky to be visiting at the start of the season. There are just twelve – sixteen people per session (of which there are 5 per day) who commit to trekking through the water (while holding onto a rope and accompanied by guides) ultimately reaching the actual pool. The rainbow (which is always present due to the reflection of light off the mist) makes it look fake, but it was 100% real!
The temperature at 8 am was about 55 degrees which meant that those participating had to be extra hearty. In the photos below you can see the guide who leads you in to the pool, positions you and then holds on to your feet so you don’t catapult over the edge. There is another brave soul who stands on the edge with your iPhone taking photos for posterity.
Just to give perspective, this photo of the Devil’s Pool was taken from the Zimbabwe side, and honestly it gives me chills just looking at it.
Following the swim we admired the monument to David Livingstone, he remains a controversial figure but was well respected by our guide nonetheless. The catering was quite tasty taking into consideration just how rustic the facilities were on the island (notice the loo with a view)!
Following breakfast we re-boarded our boats and reversed our trip from Livingstone Island and headed to Zambia to cross back into Zimbabwe. When I mentioned chaos at the border control I wasn’t kidding, even the baboons were getting into the act.
Our last stop on our the whirlwind tour was viewing the falls from the Zimbabwe side. There are many separate viewing spots as the width of the falls is what makes them so remarkable, they go on and on. It is breathtaking to contemplate the volume and strength of the water that is constantly flowing, in certain sections the spray is so mighty it feels as though it is raining.
We had somewhat of an abbreviated tour as we were scheduled to fly out at noon in order to arrive at our next stop in time for an afternoon game drive. The Anantara was waiting for us when we arrived back at the hotel to check out and even provided us with coffee to-go as we never had a chance to experience a meal with them.
I am glad we had a stop over in Victoria Falls and enjoyed our experiences there (especially the Devil’s Pool) but I don’t think I ever need to return, and 18 hours was plenty of time to spend there.
Next stop…Singita Pamushana which is someplace I most certainly would return to give the chance. Subscribe so you don’t miss the details!