Independent Victoria Falls Trip Report

Liza, her husband and two of their friends went on a short Victoria Falls trip near the end of the rainy season. She shared the experience with me via e-mail:

We stayed at JollyBoys Backpackers in Livingstone, camping. It's behind the museum and just off the town's main road, about 10-15 minute's drive from the Vic Falls.

The camping area was small but very nice, the facilities great and clean (hot showers).

There is a swimming pool, with great deck chairs around, big trees in the garden, a small bar and seating area, a pool table and table tennis. There are many cosy and nice spaces and big cushions to sit and relax.

There was a free delivery service to the Falls every morning at 10am. The trip back with a taxi was 25 000 Kwacha (or $4).

The backpackers picked us up from the airport free of charge.

JollyBoys has a good size self-catering kitchen with hot plates, a kettle, mugs, crockery and cutlery. We used the kitchen in the mornings and went out for dinner. There is a supermarket within walking distance from the backpackers.

A menu for breakfast and lunch was available. For supper you had to pre-book the set-meal for the evening, anything from a BBQ, local food etc.

A Mosi beer costs around 7000 Kwacha.

The weather during our Victoria Falls trip was hot and sunny, about 30-40°C (86-104°F).

After breakfast we'd head off to the Falls at 10am.

The one day we looked at the Falls from the Zambian side, and the next day we walked over the bridge to the Zimbabwean side to view it from there. (Need your passport and possibly a visa, but very easy to do, if you don't want to walk there are many taxi's.)

We did lots of walking.

Late afternoon we returned and rested before going out to find supper.

Viewing from the Zambian side, at one point you cross a small bridge ("Knife-edge"), one of the reasons we got soaking wet. After getting that wet on the first day, we tried to be more prepared on the second day when we viewed the Falls from the Zimbabwean side by dressing in swimming tops and the guys without shirts, but it didn't really help. The spray was more like rain!

We went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River and we saw a hippo in the water, only his head and he disappeared quickly under water. We saw a giraffe and waterbuck in the distance.

We also saw a baby crocodile on the banks, but were suspicious if it was real, as it looked very still and a bit plastic.

We met Everince our Zambian taxi driver. We also went to the Presbyterian Church on the Sunday and met the Minister.

The people at the market - where there are lots of stalls! - were very eager to sell their goods and were even prepared to swop it for the socks and clothes that we were wearing.

The Falls! The massive force of the waterfall was very impressive.

Due to the high-water levels no water activities were open, we would have liked to river-raft.

If you're going on a Victoria Falls trip in high-season the spray (more accurate: rainstorm) is so high and you are guaranteed to get soaking wet looking at the Falls.

When it is so hot, you dry easily but it will be wise to get a waterproof bag to keep you camera and passport in.

Mosquito repellent - although we didn't even see one.

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