Here you can fly over in a plane, helicopter, microlight , hot air balloon or parachute. Or bungee jump, canoe or raft rapid. And stay in the elegant Edwardian style Victoria Falls Hotel with its manicured gardens and great views of the gorges. And if the mood takes you it is fun to go on safari or big game hunting too.
The falls’ history goes back a million years when the Zambezi River coursed down a wide valley over a plateau. Where the Maletsi River mouth is today it fell over an escarpment and eroded a deep channel. By around the Middle Pleistocene period the process had formed the Batoka Gorge. The erosion eventually resulted in eight such gorges and geologists predict a new waterfall – but not in our lifetime.
The first written description of the falls was by Scottish explorer Dr David Livingstone. “The most wonderful sight in Africa,” he gushed in awe, and named the falls after the reigning British monarch Queen Victoria. Soon the place became a magnet for visitors and Old Drift not far away became a settlement. In 1905 CE the Victoria Falls Bridge was opened, linking the two sides with a railway. The settlers moved to a healthier site 10 km north of the falls and called it Livingstone. It became the capital of what was then Northern Rhodesia.
Today of course it lies in Zambia but many of the classic colonial buildings with wooden verandas and corrugated iron roofs can still be seen. Livingstone is probably the best base in the area. Along with top accommodation, restaurants, a market and shops it offers a Railway Museum, a historical treasure crammed with locomotives, rolling stock, and other memorabilia. A Field Museum showcases prehistorical artefacts along with tools that reveal Stone Age life while the Livingstone Museum displays anthropological exhibits, maps, weapons and more.
Lying just upriver from the falls the elegant 173 room Royal Livingstone Hotel is located in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Here spacious guest rooms open onto wide verandas overlooking sweeping lawns and the river. Attention to detail and old world style service are the order of the day here. Guests are assigned their own personal butler who can arrange a helicopter flight, horseback riding, golf or a sunset cruise.
The swimming pool is sunk into the lawns where zebras and giraffe graze, especially at night. From The Deck restaurant you can see the falls in the distance. Guests can enjoy a traditional afternoon tea in the lounge and a candle-lit dinner in the main restaurant. Naturally fine dining is the order of the day – the lobster steaks and Zambezi riverfish are succulent and mouthwatering, And the breakfast buffet is the best I have ever experienced.
Also part of the same group the 212 room Zambezi Sun is a 10 minute stroll away through the park. Built in a striking contemporary style with warm ochre walls, ethnic details and crenellated roofs, this younger sibling caters to a busier, livelier crowd. Along with a children’s club and playground, it boasts a large pool that snakes through the grounds, a relaxed alfresco restaurant, an Italian cafe and the formal Squires Grillhouse. The hotel’s location, near the lip of the falls, is unbeatable.
If you have time it is best to see the falls from both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides as each offers entirely different sights. On the Zambian side start your walk at the Field Museum. Get a panoramic view at Knife Edge Bridge or descend to the water’s edge at Boiling Pot. Don’t go too close! Towards the end of the July-March dry season you may venture as far as the wooded Livingstone Island and arrange lunch or afternoon tea through Tongabezi Lodge.
To get to the Zimbabwean side take a taxi to the border, not forgetting your passport of course. The visa fee for a day visit or short stay is US$ 55, payable in cash only. My experience of the immigration and customs procedure was that it was quick and efficient. From here you can hire another taxi to take you to to the Vic Falls entrance. It is much quieter and less touristed on the Zimbabwean side and the entrance fee is a $35 cash payment. Try to time your visit for the afternoon when the light is usually at its best.
From here it is a short ride into town. First stop is the renowned Victoria Falls Hotel which enjoys a spectacular location with views across the gorge and bridge. Incidentally a short detour leads to the bridge and the entertaining bungee jumpers. Afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches, scones with cream and cake on the terrace is a must. Fine dining in the hotel’s formal restaurant is a must and appropriate dress is required.
The towns of Livingstone and Victoria Falls cater to all manner of activities, be it a day on the river, rafting including whitewater rafting, scenic flights, golf, a game drive in the nearby Zambezi National Park or horseback or elephant riding on safari trails.
Shopping for crafts is fun. Try the well-stocked Elephant’s Walk shopping complex or the Victoria Falls Craft Village. Good buys include baskets, carvings, bead jewellery and curios. Back on the Zambian side Studio Africa caters to the serious collector. This company specializes in unique, upmarket interior furnishings, Kuba textiles and artefacts. There is also a Curio Market beside the Field Museum.
Should you fancy an authentic bush experience consider staying at Taita Falcon Lodge. Perched 200 metres above the Zambezi on the edge of Batoka Gorge, the lodge is 11 km from the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. Here there are only 7 guest chalets which can be configured in double, twin or family style. All are ensuite with reed walls, outdoor shower and garden and are clustered around a pool. The cuisine is EuroAfrican, and in winter there is a barn where meals are hosted around an open fire. A haven for birders and nature lovers, the owner-managed lodge is remote enough to experience Africa in all its glory.
Another rural retreat Royal Chundu is a new 5 star lodge situated 50 km upstream from the falls. Also on the mighty Zambezi, it is a piece of untamed Africa with 15 km of private waterways. Some 10 spacious suites and public areas masterfully blend colonial elegance and African charm. Also there are 4 private villas on Katambora Island, 4 km upstream. Activities include island and community walks, canoeing, fishing and relaxing at a unique floating river spa. And outings include a picnic at Vic Falls and day trip to Chobe in neighbouring Botswana to view the magnificent wildlife.

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