This is a veeeeery long post, so go make yourself some tea and get comfortable.
New Years Eve is generally the biggest let-down of the year. Parties never live up to the hype, everything is overpriced and its a giant pain in the ass actually. So Dave and I decided to get away instead and booked a trip to Victoria Falls in Zambia. We stayed for 5 days and to say we were awestruck is an understatement. No one can really prepare you for the pure majesty of the falls - but more on that later.
We stayed at the Zambezi Sun, which in retrospect was not our best move. We much preferred its slightly more expensive sister hotel, The Royal Livingstone (their high tea is as good, if not better than our own Mount Nelson). The Zambezi Sun is great if you have kids, but as a couple traveling and hoping for some quiet time, its not the best option.
It is however, perfect, in terms of location - as the hotel has direct access to the Victoria Falls. You quite literally walk out of your hotel room, through the hotel gardens, and out the other end, is the most glorious sight you will ever see. Hotel guests don't have to pay the National Park entry fees, so you have unlimited access, and we made the most of this by taking a walk along the falls daily. Because the hotel is in a national park, wildlife roams freely through the hotel grounds, and seeing a few zebra poolside became the norm.
While on the subject of these walks, you are going to find all sorts of advice regarding not getting wet. Ignore all of it! Why on earth would you want to stay dry? We thought getting soaked was half the fun. Also, by purchasing raincoats and umbrellas, you're really only delaying the inevitable. While the spray is like a delicately soft rainfall, it is coming from all sides and angles, and no matter what you do, you will get very wet. So take along some sneakers that you don't mind having to air out each day, and ruin a little bit, and some shorts and a t-shirt and just let yourself get sopping wet. I mention sneakers because it walkway gets very slippery so you'll want shoes with some grip. Lastly, buy or borrow a Go-Pro camera with a waterproof case - or get a waterproof case for your current camera, so you can get some great shots without coming home with a waterlogged camera.
Zambia, while beautiful and brimming with wonderful wildlife, scenery and the friendliest people ever, is ridiculously expensive. Apparently even though their currency is stronger than ours, the government taxes are sky high and so certain things are very expensive. Alcohol is one of them. So that limited the cocktail ordering a little. Another thing to note when planning your trip, is that the day trips and activities are also very pricey and apparently a lot cheaper on the Zimbabwe side of the falls. Hence we only did two - the helicopter ride and the trip to Livingstone Island. I would have loved to have done the sunset cruise up the Zambezi river, and the river rafting as well. However, the two activities we did do, came highly recommended by various travel blogs and I can see why. Seeing the falls from the sky was breathtaking, and it is only from above, that you can truly gage the scale of this massive expanse of falling water.
The second trip that we did was lunch on Livingstone Island - which is in the middle of the river, and right at the edge of the falls! We were taken on a tour of the little island, followed by a dip in the Angels pools. This was the single most exhilarating experience of my life to date. The Angels and the Devils Pools are naturally formed pools at the edge of the falls by a grouping of rocks that trap the water, and you, in a bubbling pool, about a metre away from the 120m drop of the Victoria Falls. We were helped in, and then watched by an experienced guide, while we spent about 10 minutes taking in the insane view and get a little thrown around by the incredibly strong current.
After we dried off and got changed at "the loo with a view" (no really, it has a great view), we had a 3 course lunch under a gazebo overlooking the falls and the little island we were perched on. This is an experience I would urge anyone thinking of going to the Victoria Falls not to miss. It is worth noting that you can only do the Livingstone Island trip from the Zambian side, so this may affect your decision on where to base yourself on your trip.
Zambia, and the majestic Victoria Falls really stole a little piece of our hearts, and we loved that got to see another little corner of Africa.
If you'd like any more info, or travel tips to Zambia, talk to me in the comments section.
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Love it? Need more info or have a question? Chat to me in the comments section. xx Leigh