The outlook autoreply is on, bags are packed, and the taxi is on its way to pick us up to take us to JKIA: the perfect start to a weekend in Victoria Falls. These majestic falls were first spotted in 1855 by the British explorer David Livingstone who stumbled upon them during one of his expeditions across southern Africa. Reaching Victoria Falls from Kenya is easy with a direct 3-hour Kenya Airways flight that takes you right to the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe either landing at Livingstone, Zambia or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, in both cases only a few kilometres away from the falls.
The KAZA Visa would enable you to travel seamlessly between the two countries and make the best out of both sides. If you are only there for a weekend, we recommend picking one side though. In our case, we landed in Zimbabwe and our hotel was on the Zambian side and we were able to plan plenty of activities. On your first day, a walk to see the falls is something that we recommend doing to feel the power of the water and admire this natural wonder up close. For the afternoon, we opted for a cruise on the Zambezi River, a relaxing and pleasant way to enjoy the beauty and wildlife of the river and watch the sunset while sipping on a local beer or a glass of wine.
Another major attraction is the Devil’s Pool. On our second day, we visited this natural pool right on the edge of the 111-meter waterfall where travellers flock to take pictures while swimming and sitting right on the edge of the falls. After a good dose of adrenaline, we concluded our second day with yet another unique experience. A 15-minute helicopter ride overlooking the falls is a breathtaking experience where you can see them from both Zimbabwean and Zambian side.
The convenience of Victoria Falls also lies in its geographical position as the falls are just an hour drive away from Botswana. This was our choice for our third and final day. Chobe National Park in Botswana is located close by and is famous for being one of the best safari spots in the region. We spent the morning driving through a lush landscape, looking green after the first rains of the season. Chobe was indeed packed with wildlife, especially elephants. Besides the usual land safaris, it is also renowned for its boat safaris on the Chobe River, which separates Namibia and Botswana. The river, apparently calm, was full of animals, including hippos, and more elephants grazing at its banks. Seeing them from the boat is a very special experience, as you can get relatively closer to them than during land safaris. After an adventurous day, we were back at our hotel in Zambia, watching the moon rising over the falls while the sky turned into a painting of orange and red
A weekend passes by quickly with all that Victoria Falls has to offer. When leaving, one feels in awe thinking about how unique this place is. Memories will stay forever together with a feeling of having visited one of the most spectacular wonders of the world, something every avid traveller should have on their bucket list. Finally, what should not be overlooked are the kind people living across these three countries who always seem to smile and love a good effort from tourists to speak a little bit of the local language, Chichewa, even if it is just for a few days. So, zikomo kwambili (thank you very much), and we’ll see you next time.
Interested in these adventure? Let us create your dream Victoria Falls weekend!
Article by: Linda Jonsson and Riccardo Zennaro