Victoria Falls, otherwise known as “The Smoke That Thunders”, is the world’s largest waterfall and one of the 7 Natural Wonders of The World. The attraction is not only to go and witness the mighty Victoria Falls but the variety of other activities that both Zambia and Zimbabwe have to offer. These countries, which are rich in culture and unique to Africa, ensure a memorable holiday whether you are strapped for cash or can afford the luxuries.
Why Vic Falls?
My first memory of Victoria Falls was when I was 6 years old and my parents were planning a trip to the falls with their friends. Young and extremely naive, I made them promise that they wouldn’t take on the Zambezi River and go white water rafting. From what my innocent eyes had seen, I thought it to be crocodile infested waters which wouldn’t end well.
Fast forward 20 years and there I was, planning a trip very much like my parents had. Every bit of fear still there, but I had to experience Victoria Falls first hand.
My adventure started on Sunday 30 April 2017 with a 2-hour flight from Johannesburg to Livingstone, Zambia. The plan was to go to Victoria Falls before visiting Gary’s parents in Lusaka, Zambia and moving to South Korea from there.
Planning my trip
Time wasn’t a constraint as I had no job to get back to, so the only thing holding me back was the tight budget I was on! Should we road trip from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls? If so, how do we cross the border into Botswana and then into Zambia? Would I be able to appreciate the drive and scenery considering I hadn’t budgeted to visit all the sights along the way?
After hours of research, I concluded that road tripping through Africa is an amazing experience, but also something that you must be a bit more prepared for. If you’re going to do something, do it properly. Those are the words I live by. Perhaps in a few years time, I’ll have a 4×4 and be camping in the middle of the Chobe National Park. However, for now, the easiest and cheapest way to get to Victoria Falls was a quick flight from Johannesburg to Livingstone.
Victoria Falls… and everything else
I envy those people who just book a trip, don’t do much research, yet find all the hidden gems! I often scroll through my Instagram feed and see beautiful pictures from countries I’ve been to, and I think “how did I miss that?!”
When I travel, I don’t have a strict itinerary of where I’m going and what I’m going to see. I like to plan the trip, with enough time to relax and explore, yet also select 2 or 3 must do’s in the area. Having said that, I love reading travel blogs, and researching all the “to do’s”. Often, a location you see may look picture perfect, as I found on my recent trip to Bali, yet in real life, it is not an enjoyable experience and not worth the hassle of going there just to “get that perfect Insta picture”.
So, when planning my trip to Victoria Falls, I researched, and did some more research, and kept researching. Finally, I decided this was most certainly one of those destinations that I’d have to leave a bit more leeway for the unexpected.
Want to find out more about Victoria Falls?
So, I’ve written everything there is to know about the things I was confused about before I left. I’ve detailed my accommodation in Victoria Falls – the way I was analyzing the options. Need to know how to cross the Victoria Falls bridge from Zambia to Zimbabwe? I’ve got you covered. Keep reading and I’ll show you the best, and most affordable activities to do in Victoria Falls, the ideal time to visit the falls, and all the many other questions I typed into Google the weeks before I left. I’ve also included things that never even crossed my mind and my first-hand experience with the Zimbabwean economic crisis.
Looking back at our trip to Victoria Falls, the fondest memories I have are not the paid and planned activities. They’re rather the relationships we formed with the locals, the stories we shared with the tourists and the many local Zambezi beers we drank while enjoying the beauty of Victoria Falls (and trying to figure out how we were going to pay for those beers).
