On top of the amazing wildlife that filled my two days (and camera!) at Chobe National Park, what makes a visit to this corner of the world even more rewarding is the close proximity to one of the earth’s most breathtaking natural wonders: the Victoria Falls.
Situated a mere 100kms east of Chobe, it’s an easy addition to your trip and has been a very popular choice for honeymooners and people wanting to pack in a lot in a short amount of time. After a pain-free border crossing from Botswana into Zimbabwe, the entire ride to Victoria Falls is done within the Zambezi National Park, keeping you in safari-mode with wildlife sightings along the way.
The small town of Victoria Falls is the getaway to the falls on the Zimbabwean side and the launching pad of every tours and activities this side of the river. It has a few hotels in its compact center though for most people wanting to continue their safari experience in plush accommodations, a place like the Elephant Camp only 10 minutes away is really the way to go. The intimate lodge under canvas is set on a private game reserve with spectacular views of the mist rising from the falls in the distance.
The 12 luxury tents have everything you could wish for a relaxing stay and their setting overlooking the gorges which separate Zimbabwe and Zambia is unmatched.
The inside of your suite sure is luxury and as comfortable as can be, but it’s the outside that’s truly taking over here, the large private deck offering commanding views you’ll have a hard time taking your eyes of.
The magnificent panorama accompanies you all the way to the bathroom where you’ll have to decide between a relaxing bath at sunset or the spacious outdoor shower in the company of exotic birds…tough life isn’t it?
Your private plunge pool will tempt you to cancel your afternoon activities and soak in while searching for game through the bush below.
Meals are of course taken alfresco on the terrace where you’re likely to indulge in tender game meat washed down with a good South African Cabernet or a cold Zambezi Lager.
I know you’re itching to see the falls by now which are teasing you with their cloud-like spray but there’s one more reason to stick around the lodge a little bit longer.
If the name didn’t steal the punch already, you might have glimpsed a few ‘larger than usual’ shapes in the bush surrounding the camp belonging to its most famous residents…
Staying at The Elephant Camp means you’ll have the opportunity to meet and literally shake hands with the Wild Horizon’s Elephants, a remarkable project which is taking care of orphaned and abandoned elephants.
Standing so close to these majestic and beautiful creatures without the usual zoo fence we all got used to is incredible. As you watch them drink, their handlers will affectionately tell you their story, how they ended up at the sanctuary, and how the safe haven they successfully created here has saved their lives and connected them with a new family.
You’ll have a chance to get real close and gain a new perspective as shown here with the head of the family easily towering over my 5’7”!
Then comes the interactive part where you get to participate in their feeding by dropping pellets into their eagerly upturned trunk or, for an extra dose of adventure, throw them straight into their opening mouth!
Genuine smile or request for more food…what do you think?
OK, now that they’re fed you can leave the herd to their leisurely ways and drive the 10 minutes separating you from the real show-stopper. There’s a fairly quick intro to the falls’ geological history in the welcome center before you start walking on the trail towards the sound. Salute Livingstone on the way, the Scottish missionary and explorer who is believed to have been the first European to see the falls in 1855. He gave them the name of the reigning queen at the time, Queen Victoria.
Your first glimpse will be of a rushing though comparatively small sheet of water dropping at full force into a blind abyss.
As you approach from the side, the old local name of ‘The Smoke that Thunders’ spells out loud and clear what your eyes are seeing and your ears hearing.
This being the end of the rainy season, the water debit is at its highest and visibility isn’t great, though the sheer force of the falls is sure to impress you. It is after all twice as tall as Niagara Falls with its 350 feet drop, creating a powerful mist rising up to a height of 1,300+ feet and visible from more than a dozen miles (20 kilometers) away! Besides wetting you the bones, the mist also produces many rainbows all around, adding to the outstanding beauty of the place.
As you walk towards the main and largest sheet of water (which at this time of year can claim to be ‘the biggest single curtain of water’ of any waterfall in the world), you can pretty much forget about capturing anything worth it with your camera. Even with the rain gear given to you at the beginning, which consists of a poncho and umbrella, the constant and heavy downpour from the falls is such that you’ll be totally soaked and should keep your camera well hidden during the rest of the trail. Just enjoy the force of nature for what it is!
A bit of respite awaits at the end where you can get a good look at the Victoria Falls Bridge over the Zambezi River, nowadays a famous spot for Bungee Jumping.
Conclusion: it feels like you’ve just witnessed the world’s most badass waterfall and you can check off that box from your list of ‘Seven Natural Wonders of the World’…but visually I must admit it was a little bit disappointing, especially when you’ve visited Victoria Falls’ #1 competitor the year before – Iguazu Falls in Argentina/Brazil! For photographers, Iguazu offers hands down the best experience and is indeed bigger than Victoria Falls.
While Victoria Falls is higher, the fact that it essentially cascades into a large crevice is a major drawback since you can’t see it from the bottom, while in Argentina I was riding a boat all the way underneath them. Therefore, if you really want to get the most impressive views of Victoria Falls, there’s only one way and it’s from the air…
From a helicopter, you’ll fully appreciate the vastness of it all and will be able to capture stunning images – an impossible feat from the ground.
You’ll follow the Zambezi River as it plunges over the plateau at an impressive width of more than 1.25 miles (2 kilometers).
The 15 minutes ride tours the falls twice, giving you plenty of snapping opportunities at every angle, and of course more rainbows!
What was only a giant cloud of white mist before suddenly materializes as the superlative phenomenon that it is – the world’s truly largest curtain of falling water.
After this stunning tour I felt great about my shots and definitely more excited to have seen one of Africa’s top travel icons, highly recommended!
One final activity that seems to be on everyone’s list when they come here is to do a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River.
While it says you can usually spot crocodiles and hippos, it’s really more of an excuse to sit back and relax while being fed small bites and cocktails for 2 hours.
Yes, you’ll get yet one more view of that mist rising from the falls, still adorned with rainbows.
The star of the evening though is the sky at sundown over the perfectly still river, the best way to end an eventful day at Victoria Falls.
Along with Chobe National Park, this made for a fantastic 4-day itinerary and really only made me hungry for more… Watch this space for the second leg of my trip in which I fly west to get deeper into the wonderland of Botswana.
