Learned Travels

We started our two-week South African honeymoon adventure with two days in Victoria Falls. Ideally we would have had more time in this incredible place, but we really packed everything possible into our time so if you’re like us and have limited time in “Vic Falls” (as the locals call it), you can be sure you’re hitting the highlights with this itinerary! 

The airport in Victoria Falls is very small and therefore an easy experience. The biggest thing is to decide on what type of Visa you need for your time in Zimbabwe. There are three options for Zimbabwean visas, a single entry visa, double entry visa or a Kaza Univisa. If you’re coming in and know that you won’t be crossing the bridge into Zambia or needing to come back to Zimbabwe at any other point during your trip, then the single-entry visa will be just fine. If there is any chance you will be able to pop into Zambia (and you should!!), the double-entry visa is the way to go. A newer option is the Kaza Univisa. This allows you to stay in either Zambia or Zimbabwe and can be used for multiple entries to both countries. We ended up going for the double entry visa with the hope that we would have time to cross into Zambia. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to do this, but if you have a clearer idea of your itinerary it is a really easy visa process. It should be noted that you can purchase your visa in advance, but almost everyone getting off our plane just bought their visa at the immigration desk at the airport. It should be noted that the visa purchase was cash only. They took American cash, but it should be noted that they didn’t seem to always have change so try to have exact bills. Actually, as a general rule, everywhere we went in Zimbabwe accepted the American dollar, but no one seemed to have small bills for change. We were hard pressed to find anything below a $10 bill and even those were hard to come by. One of our waiters mentioned that the small bills have been really hard to come by- especially since COVID, so this may change (pun intended), but save yourself some hassle and pack extra $1s and $5s.

Our time in Victoria Falls was booked with the same company that we booked our Botswana Safari with, Wilderness Safaris, so their team members met us at the airport to take us to our hotel. The Victoria Falls Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Africa and is currently a beautiful luxury hotel with views of the gorges and even the bridge in the distance. From the outside the hotel is definitely beautiful with an old-school style and charm, and we were pleasantly surprised by the modernness of our room. Our room (unfortunately) didn’t have one of the amazing views that the other side of the building would have had, but we did overlook the little garden courtyard area. There was a large king size bed that they would drape with a mosquito net during turn-down service, a closet area in the front of the room with amenities for tea and coffee. The bathroom was very modern with a large, walk in rain-shower and nearly perfect water pressure (if you’ve stayed in “old” hotels before, you’ll know that this is rare and wonderful!!). As comfortable and beautiful as everything was, the thing that made this hotel absolutely outstanding was the service. Every single staff member from the greeters outside the front door, to the front desk staff, the waiters, the cleaning staff and everyone in between was exceptional. They were helpful, knowledgeable and genuinely friendly. I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels, in places around the world – I’ve even worked in the hospitality industry – and everyone is “friendly”, but every person we met in Zimbabwe was so GENUINELY nice and friendly that you immediately feel at home. It was the most wonderful part of our whole time in Zimbabwe (and honestly the same held true in Botswana).

Once we settled into our room, we popped down to the activities desk to talk over all of our options and decide on our itinerary. After about a million questions answered by a wonderfully patient lady at the desk, we picked as many exciting activities as we could fit into our time. 

Luckily, we had time to fit a sunset cruise down the Zambezi River into our first evening so that is exactly what we did. This was an activity that a handful of people I knew who had been to Victoria Falls highly recommended- and now I will pass on the recommendation! This is definitely a cannot miss. There are actually quite a few options for sunset cruises and then there are options within options!

There are Ra-Ikane sunset cruises which sit lower to the water and hold less people. It was explained that these boats served snacks, but they were more pre-packaged compared to the larger boats. These seemed to be the most popular boats on the water, but our concierge recommended the triple decker boat that serves unlimited drinks and small appetizer plates cooked fresh on the boat. The levels were sold on a tier basis with the top tier being the most expensive for what I can imagine is only because it has an open air section with no roof and they got less expensive as they went down. Beverages were all inclusive on each level and I believe the food plates were the same as well.

We were encouraged to book the top level of the large sunset cruise boat because “its your honeymoon, do something special”. It sounded like such a great idea to be up high and able to overlook everything, but in retrospect I think I actually would have enjoyed being closer to the water on one of the lower decks. Don’t get me wrong- it was absolutely beautiful from the top deck and I don’t think any of the decks are bad, but I just don’t think it was worth the extra splurge. And if I’m being really honest, I think I would’ve really loved the Ra-Ikane sunset cruise for the slightly more adventurous vibe, but that’ll have to wait until next time! We did get to see our first African wildlife while cruising which was so exciting! A group of hippos were submerged around some rocks with their heads in perfect view as we cruised by.

The food was surprisingly delicious, the drinks were strong and the staff was delightful. The absolute best part though is just the general atmosphere. It was peaceful in a way I was not expecting and sitting there sipping cocktails floating down the wide open river spotting hippos splashing around and watching the sun fade from blue to pink to the most vibrant orange. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more relaxed in my life. It could have been the lack of sleep from traveling or it could have been the number of “included beverages”… but I’m saying it was the atmosphere.

When we got back to the dock after sunset, we were transferred back to the hotel and went to one of the three onsite restaurants at the Victoria Falls Hotel- the Jungle Junction-and were surprised to find that we were there on a night when they had live entertainment from different ethnic groups including the Makishi dancers which wear these intricate masks and dance to traditional drums. The food in this restaurant is buffet style and there are no shortage of options. This was our first introduction to African food and it was above and beyond anything we expected. Everything was delicious and the service continued to be fantastic.

We headed back to our room which had had a turn-down service where they had drawn the mosquito nets and left some more water bottles in our room. We got a wonderful nights’ sleep on the very comfortable mattress which prepared us for the action packed day ahead. 

Breakfast is included with the room at the Victoria Falls Hotel, but we were both still stuffed from the buffet for dinner so we decided to skip it and head right to the lobby to meet our guide for our early morning guided tour of Victoria Falls. Now, you can tour the falls on your own and there are informative signs just inside the park and the views speak for themselves, but we really enjoyed having the guide to answer all of our questions. “Big Boy” (I swear this was the name he gave us and what it said on his name tag) has been a guide in the area for over 20 years and he was wonderfully informative. I’ve always really enjoyed doing guided tours and try to take one whenever possible. I find it really interesting to speak to locals and hear their stories.

We were here in early September, which is technically “low-season” meaning the falls had less water coming over them and some parts of the drop even had no water at all. Even at this somewhat “less impressive” time of year, our jaws absolutely dropped when we caught our first glimpse. It was a short walk through dense, lush brush to start on the far end of the falls – which our guide recommended to attempt to avoid some of the crowds that would start gathering and he said he thought it made for a more dramatic first view – and I must say I agree. The path then meanders near the edge of the cavern with various viewpoints of different parts of the falls. The whole length of the falls is more than a mile long so there are plenty of opportunities to get some stunning photos, but be warned! Even during the low season, the backsplash from the spray of the falls will get you absolutely soaked. At one point we were standing at an overlook and listening to our guide talk about the shift of tectonic plates that led to the formation of the falls and a bit of wind picked up and essentially dumped a cloud full of waterfall spray onto our heads. It was mother nature’s way of getting us really involved in the action.

The whole tour took about two hours between the walking and our incessant questions. Our guide then took us to our next activity which was only about a two minute drive from the parking lot of the Victoria Falls National Park. After a leisurely morning admiring the views, it was time to get our adrenaline going…

Victoria Falls is often compared to Queenstown, New Zealand, because it is considered the adventure capital of Africa – and for good reason! Everywhere you turn there are adrenaline pumping activities available. You can spend half a day going white water rafting down the Zambezi, or there is a Gorge Swing, the “Flying Fox” (you’ll have to youtube this because I don’t even know how to describe it), zip lining and probably the most well known- bungee jumping. The bungee jumping happens right off the Victoria Falls Bridge that connects Zimbabwe and Zambia- and if that is something you’re up for, it does look like an incredible experience that everyone I have met says is an absolute must-do. As much as I was tempted, I wanted to do something that both of us could (and would) do, so after much convincing, Brandon agreed to do tandem zip lining. See, Brandon is NOT a big fan of heights (read: Brandon is terrified of heights), so I figured if he is literally strapped to me, I can make this happen – whether he wants to or not.

We were dropped off at the Wild Horizon’s check in desk for all of these adventure activities, which happens to be right next to the Lookout Cafe. Fortunately, it was a very quiet day for them and they were able to take us about half an hour earlier than our reservation. After a quick check in process and a couple of signed release forms, they point you down a small path next to the gorge. It’s a cute little walk to the platform that you’ll eventually fling yourself off of. There were two nice gentlemen there who helped get us in our harnesses and run through a quick safety briefing. As I looked at Brandon, I could see his face getting paler by the second as he realized what I had essentially conned him into. Next, you walk up the platform to get locked in – I went first and as Brandon came up to join me he made sure to hold absolutely anything solid- looking as he inched towards the edge. Once you’re both strapped in, it’s a fairly quick process to sit and make your way over the edge so you’re suspended over the last section of platform. There was a three second countdown and then my left eardrum was blown out by Brandon’s screaming (not really – but almost). The initial drop definitely gives you that weightless feeling and then you’re careening the almost 1,400 feet across the gorge with nothing but the Zambezi river almost 400 feet below you. Momentum swings you back and forth a few times before you get to dangle and enjoy the views while they come down to haul you back up to the platform with some sort of electric motor. I loved it and would highly recommend the zip lining option for anyone who isn’t thrilled on the idea of bungee jumping, but still wants to experience some adventure activities.          

One of the other activity options that we heard from so many people was an incredible experience was doing the Devil’s Pool. If you have the time (and the double entry visa), you go into the Zambia side of the falls and hike out to a little pool where you can swim right up to the edge of the waterfall and get an incredible thrill of being on the edge of one of the largest waterfalls in the world. It sounds absolutely incredible and all you have to do is google all of the Instagram-worthy photos to make this a bucket list item. The only reason we didn’t get to go was our time constraint because it takes about half a day. While we did our walking tour though we saw people hiking across the water towards the pool and a few people were getting in and swimming to the edge while we watched. There are options for everyone’s comfort level so if it’s something you’re up for, I think you’re missing a big part of Vic Falls if you don’t participate in something!

After our ziplining adventure we both needed a strong drink and something to eat. We were fortunate to get reservations at the Lookout Cafe right next to the Wild Horizons check in desk that is appropriately named for its view overlooking the Batoka Gorge with views of the zipline, gorge swing, flying fox and white water rafting boats floating down the river. The restaurant itself has a very pleasant atmosphere and the view would have been worth it even for mediocre food, but I was thoroughly impressed with the options and the quality of the food. Brandon tried a local beer and I had a cocktail (because, vacation…) and for lunch I had a chicken and butternut squash tart and Brandon had a lamb burger. They were unbelievable. 

The food was delicious and pretty reasonably priced for the quality and the general location and atmosphere. We were fully satiated and content to take the small walk through the brush to get back to our hotel. It was about a ten minute walk and on our way back to the hotel entrance we saw a whole group of monkeys playing around in the grass and the trees!                

We were only at the hotel briefly to change out some things in our day pack before we were picked up for our next activity (when I say jam pack a two day trip, I mean it!). It was about a fifteen minute drive to the helipad for our helicopter ride over Victoria Falls!! This was something that came highly recommended all around and I have to say I will pass along the recommendation. We were a little early and got to watch another group go up for their ride while we were waiting. There are three different options for helicopter rides- a 13 minute, 22 minute or 25 minute flight. We chose the 22 minute flight on the selling point that you not only fly over the falls but also over Zambezi National Park and have a higher potential of seeing some wildlife.

They give you a short briefing and an overview of what your flight path will be, hand you your headphones and then point you in the direction of your waiting chopper. We were fortunate that we were the only ones for our trip so I got to sit up front with the pilot. The floor of the helicopter has a big glass section so you can even see directly below you. The helicopter goes up and you can see the mist clouds over the falls from a distance which get bigger as you get closer. We caught the briefest of glimpses of three elephants wandering around in the brush between the helipad and the falls, which was beyond my wildest dreams, but being someone who gets very bad motion sickness, I couldn’t focus long enough to get a great picture.

You circle over the falls twice in a figure-eight pattern, and then if you opt for one of the longer rides you fly down the gorge a ways to admire the geological feat that is the whole Victoria Falls area before you fly back up past the falls again and follow the vast river where you can spot dark patches in the water that are hippos happily munching on river grasses.

If I’m being honest, a thirteen minute flight probably would have been more than enough. Although I loved the views from up there, it just wasn’t worth the extra money for those nine more minutes of mostly flying down the gorge (in my opinion). As a whole though, I completely recommend getting up in a helicopter to see falls from above. The view is unlike anything you can imagine and gives you an even better appreciation for the sheer size and magnitude of the falls. They call this the “flight of angels” for a reason. After your flight they usher you into a little room where they have put together a little video and photo compilation where they input your video and photos into a pre-made video, which is cute and creative, but not our style. We left and headed back to our hotel absolutely exhausted, but thrilled to have seen so much of Victoria Falls.

Back at the hotel, we ate at the second of the three restaurants at the Victoria Falls Hotel. Slightly more upscale than Jungle Junction, and known for their afternoon tea (which we had briefly seen when we stopped back before our helicopter adventure and looked amazing), Stanley’s Terrace is outside (on a terrace – go figure) with a faint view of the Victoria Falls bridge in the distance. Brandon had a steak which he said was delicious and I had the three course preselected menu (I shared, don’t worry!) which started with the most delicious mussels I have ever had (maybe aside from Green lipped mussels in New Zealand, but that’s a different story). After that the dinner was a vegetable tartlet with melted cheese and a panacotta for dessert all washed down with a delicious bottle of Pinotage (a red wine that South Africa is known for – but more on that later when we visit Franschhoek, SA).

By the end of dinner we were so stuffed and exhausted from our last two days of adventuring that we were basically unconscious by the time we hit the bed. We definitely splurged on some unnecessary things in the name of “but its our honeymoon!”, but use these mistakes to inform your own trip to Victoria Falls and definitely stay longer than just two days! This area is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is well worth a visit, so while we recommend spending at least 3 to 4 days, if you can only squeeze in two, we found this itinerary covers all the highlights and you’ll leave feeling like you did get a great feel for the adventure capital of Africa. Are there any things you’ve done in Victoria Falls that you think we missed? What would you add a must see? Let us know in the comments!