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Zim, Zam, and Victoria Falls

January 7, 2016 By Lauren 10 Comments

Only about one month after Chris and I started dating, he asked me to go to South America with him. I guess that was a good sign that 1.) we really liked each other and 2.) we were kindred travel-loving spirits. We visited the remarkable Iguazu Falls on that trip, and we both count the day we “snuck” into Brazil from Argentina to see the falls up close as one of our favorite days of our lives. Like Iguazu, Victoria Falls is also on the border of two countries (Zambia and Zimbabwe), and we knew we’d once again want to see the view from both sides.

Visitors to Victoria Falls can choose to stay on either the Zimbabwe side in the touristy little town of Victoria Falls (the city) or the Zambia side in the more real city of Livingstone. We picked Livingstone due to a combination of flight availability, hotel points options, and our desire to experience a more authentic African city. And once we found the outdoor courtyard of the Zambezi Café—filled with locals drinking beer and watching soccer and an array of crocodile dishes on the menu—we knew we made the right choice.

Saturday afternoon beer drinking and soccer watching at Zambezi Cafe
Crocodile spare ribs
A lovely evening under the African sky

Although Chris loved his crocodile spare ribs, of course the real draw of our visit here was Victoria Falls itself. Victoria Falls isn’t the highest or the widest waterfall in the world, but it is classified as the largest because its width and height result in the largest sheet of falling water. It’s about twice as high as Niagara Falls and rivaled only by Iguazu. The falls also looks very different depending on what time you visit. The rainy season for the Zambezi River, which feeds the falls, happens from late November to early April, and, paradoxically, this period is when the falls are usually at their weakest. The river volume grows during this time until the spray from the falling water reaches such force that its mist shoots up high in the air and is visible from miles away, giving rise to the other name for the falls Mosi-oa-Tunya or “the smoke that thunders.” During this time the falls are shrouded in mist and nearly impossible to view from the ground.

We started on the Zam side, and our taxi driver Simon (who loved to show us pictures of when he was a driver in the caravan for Bill Clinton and George Bush during their visits) appointed himself our tour guide for the morning. The sights on this side were relatively underwhelming since we were visiting during the low season for the Zambezi River. We could actually see the rock face of the cliffs and even the bottom of the gorge, which would be completely covered in water in a few months.

Simon showed us this 2000-year old baobab tree on the way to the falls
2000 years old and it’s still really fun to climb up
Hello, Victoria Falls!
Two of the world’s greatest waterfalls? Check.
So many rainbows
The national park on the Zam side is mostly green and rocky
These cliffs would be covered with water during the high season, but we couldn’t stand here due to the spray
Our man Simon, driver to presidents and now two RTW travelers
A nerve-wracking walk across this bridge puts you high above the gorge

In addition to actually being able to see the falls without the heavy mist, Victoria Falls during the low season is also a prime destination for adrenaline seekers who want to take a dip in the “Devil’s Pool.” This pool right at the edge of the waterfall is “safe” to swim in during the low season thanks to a naturally occurring lip (think of it as nature’s infinity pool). I told Chris I wanted to do this in a moment of insanity, but then subsequently chickened out later. Now, as I’m researching this on Wikipedia and reading, “occasional deaths have been reported when people have slipped over the rock barrier,” I’m glad that I’m a scaredy-cat. That said, hundreds of people do it every season and have a fantastic time, and we did catch a glimpse of a few adventurous folks taking a dip in the Devil’s Pool from across the gorge.

We glimpsed some crazy fools swimming in the Devil’s Pool from across the gorge

We next ventured over to the Zim side, which boasts the best views of the falls. Our trusty driver Simon dropped us off at the Zam border and we walked across the picturesque Victoria Falls Bridge—a popular bungee spot—to experience our first border crossing on foot.

The picturesque Victoria Bridge
1-2-3 BUNGEE
Walking to the Zim side

Even though we were visiting during the low season, the Zim side still had spectacular views. As we got nearer to the falls themselves, we started to feel the mist—like an inverted rain—grow heavier. We were drenched by the time we reached the end of the trail, but it was a welcome relief on a sweltering day.

Approaching the falls from the Zim side
We met a few friends (or foes?) along the way
There are countless “little” waterfalls along the gorge
It’s stifling outside- show us the water!
These cliffs will fill with water during the high season
We’re heading into the largest part of the spray next
Now that’s a waterfall!
Even in the low season, the smoke still thunders
And we certainly got drenched
Chris-who does not fear heights-almost gave me a heart attack here…
…But he was able to snap this amazing picture
Looking back at Zam from the end of the Zim trail
There are no fences at the end of the trail
This gorge wouldn’t be visible during high season

This is probably a good time for a quick word on the town we are staying in’s namesake, David Livingstone. Livingstone was a Scottish missionary and explorer who was believed to be the first European to view the falls in 1855. He viewed it from a landmass—now known as Livingstone Island—in the middle of the river on the Zam side. He named his discovery Victoria Falls in honor of Queen Victoria (though its indigenous name “the smoke that thunders” continues today as well). Livingstone returned to England after viewing the falls and wrote about the beauty he saw, earning himself international fame. He returned to Africa a second time, but the expedition was unsuccessful and the members of his party abandoned him one by one. Livingstone’s whereabouts were a mystery for some time until the New York Herald sent a reporter out looking for him who succeeded in finding him (uttering the famous line, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”). Livingstone would ultimately die of malaria and dysentery in Africa, but he is one of the few colonial Europeans still respected by modern-day Africans thanks to his life’s mission to end the slave trade.

Dr. Adams, I presume?

After the falls, we decided to check out the city on the Zim side, which is also named Victoria Falls. We explored the town a bit and then found ourselves a table at the famous Victoria Falls Hotel, which opened in 1904 and still has a very colonial aura. We had high tea on the patio overlooking the bridge and were surprised to find warthogs roaming free on its grounds. [This wouldn’t be our only encounter with wild animals on this trip; on the walk back to Zambia, the locals advised us to arm ourselves with rocks to guard against some very aggressive baboons].

Checking out some seriously cool local art
The view from the patio of the Victoria Falls Hotel
You can see the bridge and the mist from the falls from the hotel’s lawn
Don’t mind the warthogs
It’s teatime!
A throwback to the colonial era
I’m pretty excited about this
And now on to the stronger stuff
Zimbabwe beer > Zambia beer, for sure
Time to head home
Simon took a detour on our way home to show us some zebras
Hey, zebra!
And an impala, too
And this amazing view of the river right before it tumbles over the falls… thanks, Simon!

After a hot day hiking and our first on-foot border crossing, we needed something a little stronger than tea to celebrate. Zimbabwe’s Zambezi beer (made with maize) was significantly better than the Iguana brand beer we capped off day with at Iguazu with. And so we toasted to seeing the world’s two greatest waterfalls together and two of Africa’s most beautiful countries in one day.

Filed Under: Adventures Tagged With: Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Comments

  1. Mary McCausland says

    January 7, 2016 at 8:12 am

    Incredible day spent at Victoria Falls. Such gorgeous photos. How in the world did Chris become Livingstone?! Fantastic pic.

    Reply
  2. Jen says

    January 7, 2016 at 10:58 am

    Looks amazing!!

    Reply
  3. Aunt Tina says

    January 7, 2016 at 11:24 am

    Hey Lauren and Chris….much more fun than Niagra…..no commercialization…….what great stories you will be able to tell and show your kids……..”before you were born……many years ago…….it looked like this”………I do remember Niagra believe it or not before the junk…….from the 50’s. You will be bored back here at normal jobs eventually for sure…….hope you will see our own west and southwest. I should have had you collect recipes, I can see the cook book now!

    Take care,
    A. Tina

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      January 7, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      Can you believe we haven’t seen Niagara yet! Gotta save something to do with the future fam, I suppose 🙂

      Reply
  4. Molly says

    January 7, 2016 at 11:27 am

    What a cool spot- this obviously needs to be on our list! Thanks for the fun review and great pics!

    Reply
  5. Kaylyn says

    January 7, 2016 at 12:24 pm

    Reminds of the Irish girl we met in Mozambique who went out in the Devils Pool with a group. When one tourist got a little too close, the guide was like “I warned her once, if she falls meh it is her life.” The Irish girl was shocked at his reponse, but “Welcome to Africa!”

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      January 7, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      I KNOW! These were all the scenarios that went through my mind as I was chickening out…

      Reply
  6. DB says

    January 8, 2016 at 10:27 am

    You totally should’ve swum in the Devil’s Pool! And that logo for the Victoria Falls Hotel is pretty awesome. Great pictures and looks like an amazing experience!

    Reply
  7. Lindsey says

    January 9, 2016 at 2:22 pm

    That picture of Chris as Dr. Livingstone is hilarious!! Can you bring takeout croc ribs home for me?

    Reply
  8. Melissa Bailey says

    January 10, 2016 at 11:23 am

    I absolutely love the pic of Chris in front of the statue…how fun! Your photography is so great!

    Reply

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