The Ultimate Guide For Your Safari in Victoria Falls

The world is stirring back to life, and Africa is calling. It is time to veer off the beaten track – to leave the confines of narrow walkways, to emerge from the clusters of building blocks and detach from the crowds of people. The nature of a safari in Africa and the defining characteristics of Victoria Falls have not buckled under the weight of the pandemic because exclusivity, space and nature have always been the epitome of a wilderness safari. We are entering an era where people will travel with purpose to places that protect and celebrate cultural and natural legacies. Adventurers are rewriting the adage, “Take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints”. Instead, we will go where we can make a difference and leave something good behind. A safari in Africa will fulfil our desire for meaningful, enriching travel that is authentic and enlightened. 

The Restorative Power of Nature 

For months, virtual safaris and digital diaries were our windows to the natural world. Live videos were an innovative answer to the qualms of quarantine, and they inspired an affinity with the wilderness and wildlife across Africa. However, desensitization is an unavoidable consequence of digitization. The purpose of a safari is to break down the barriers between humans and nature by engaging all our senses. The restorative power of a safari is stripped away when it is reduced to pixels that we scroll past.

Victoria Falls is an immersive experience that calls to something deep within us. It will simultaneously calm and reinvigorate, replenish the body and soothe the mind in many different ways.

Negative ions create positive vibes.

Negative ions are created naturally in nature when air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. If you have ever been to the Victoria Falls rainforest, you will have experienced the power of negative ions. It is an empowering sensation awash with a sense of euphoria and awe. Though the feeling may transcend words, it can be explained by the science behind negative ions. Though the words positive and negative usually collapse into their prescribed connotations, positive ions affect us negatively, while negative ions spark a positive reaction. During the lockdown, we have been plagued by positive ions generated by artificial light, pollution, air conditioners and technology. Now more than ever, we need the positive impact of negative ions and Victoria Falls delivers this powerhouse molecule in a variety of exciting ways:

• Explore the rainforest on a Tour of the Victoria Falls. The canopy of trees, plumes of mist, cobbled pathways and wild forest flowers harness the beauty of nature and the power of the cascading water.
• Victoria Falls is one of the only places in the world where you can see a Lunar Rainbow or Moon Bow. If you visit during the Full Moon, a nighttime trip around the rainforest adds a dimension of enchantment to the experience.
• Take a dip in Devils Pool, on the rim of the waterfall. The energy generated by the plummeting water will make you feel on top of the world.
• Go on a white water rafting safari on some of the best Grad Five rapids on earth! It is a thrilling and rejuvenating expedition that will have you walking on clouds for the rest of your stay. There is a high and low water rafting season, and each promises a unique adventure.

Safaris stimulating creativity and reduce stress 

This year has been rife with challenges and demands, all of which have been emotionally and mentally draining. It has been hard to live in the moment when uncertainty lurks in every corner. However, mindfulness comes with little persuasion when the intrinsic tranquillity of the wilderness envelops you. Away from the white noise and daily distractions, we can organize our thoughts while we connect with our creative side. On an Art with the Elephant Safari, the sweeping scenery and stirring presence of elephant will inspire your inner artist and give you the chance to focus on the beautiful aspects of our world. You will feel more in touch with your environment while enjoying the benefits of sunshine and fresh air.

Victoria Falls leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller

Travelling is just one of the ways we write the story of our lives, and it is also one of the best ways to hear stories of other cultures, beliefs and people. Cultures we don’t find at home; cultures that provoke us to think about the lives of others as well as our own. For traditional food and enriching conversation, book a home-hosted meal with a local family. Embark on a village tour, where art, history and architecture have not buckled under the pressure of foreign influence. Explore craft markets where ancient carving, beading and weaving techniques still produce treasures today. Dig beneath the surface of Victoria Falls, celebrate diversity and enable local people to share the benefits of tourism.

When you travel with Wild Horizons, know that a portion of the profits pays the school fees for over 100 children, support Old Age homes, clinics and initiatives that empower the local people. 

The freedom of structure creates a continuous adventure

When you leave your lodge on a game drive, you move towards a plethora of possibilities. Monotonous predictability has no place in the wild. Your vehicle will change its direction and pace after one crackle of static on the radio. Imprints on the earth direct the route, and the journey unfolds according to the calls and contours of the bush.

The natural rhythm of life 

Hurried highways disguise the natural rhythm of life, but on safari, you will slow down and look up. A bicycle tour or horseback safari is one of the best ways to discover hidden gems in the National Parks. The feeling of connectedness you get from making yourself tune in to the environment is a vital source of health and happiness.

Victoria Falls: Leave nothing to compromise

There are few places in the world where you will find such an eclectic array of natural wonder, adventure, culture and conservation in one place, but Victoria Falls delivers everything in abundance.

Natural wonder

Victoria Falls has captivated philosophers and poets, and yet the Natural Wonder transcends the limitations of language. It engages all the senses, vibrates through you, and swirls in the currents of your mind long after you have emerged from the emerald canopy that frames the rainforest. There are a few things you need to know to make sure your experience is as spectacular as you have imagined.

The Victoria Falls straddles two countries, Zimbabwe and Zambia. A 114-year-old bridge connects the countries across the chasm of the Batoka Gorge. The Victoria Falls is 1.7 kilometres long, and there are 20 viewpoints altogether, 16 of which are on the Zimbabwean side. During our low water season, the thunderous roar of the waterfall is slightly tamed, and the Eastern Cataract does expose more rock face; therefore, Zimbabwe does offer more dramatic views. Victoria Falls is spectacular throughout the year and on a guided tour, you will not only see the natural wonder but also learn about the fascinating geology and history.

A different perspective 

• Take to the skies in a helicopter to view the waterfall as the angels do. A Flight of Angels will give you a bird’s eye view of the waterfall and the zig zagging gorge. Time and nature have carved a massive crack into the crust of the earth, and from a helicopter, you can see how the landscape has transformed over centuries.

• Swim to the edge of Devil’s Pool on Livingstone Island and let the roar of cascading water engulf you! This activity is in Zambia, but a short transfer from Zimbabwe is easy and hassle-free to arrange. Be sure to check if you need a KAZA Uni-Visa to cross the border.

• Cruise along the Zambezi River as the sun sinks beneath its surface and the ripples reflect a golden sunset. The Smoke That Thunders stretches high above the waterfall, competing with clouds in the sky. It can be seen for up to 50 kilometres away! On a Zambezi Sunset Cruise, you will have an uninterrupted view of the mist while enjoying all-inclusive drinks, snacks and an introduction to the river.

Take your body and mind to extraordinary places and let them humble, excite and awe you. It is easy to create a perfect day in Vitoria Falls.

Africa’s Adventure Capital 

There seems to be no limit to the adrenaline-inducing activities you can do in Victoria Falls, but that is not the only reason the town deserves the title of Africa’s Adventure Capital. Victoria Falls will transform every moment of the day into an adventure.

 

Every meal is memorable

Instead of a quick sandwich at a street-side, carbon copy café, have dinner on the Zambezi River, silently slicing across the smooth surface while sipping gin and tonic and dining on grilled Zambezi bream. The Malachite Dinner Cruise is one of the most popular activities for travellers in Victoria Falls.

Visit the Wild Horizons Lookout Café for a sensory overload like no other. The restaurant promises an iconic dining experience. Perched on the edge of the 100-meter gorge, this is undoubtedly the best view in Victoria Falls. This is also where the high wire activities unfold, so you can watch as adrenaline enthusiasts go on the Flying Fox, Zip Line and Gorge Swing! After one of their creative cocktails, you may be tempted to do the same. During the Full Moon, the mist from the waterfall drifts eerily through the lips of the gorge while the roar of the Zambezi rapids fills the atmosphere.

Pay it forward at a local crafts market

Victoria Falls is dotted with curio markets filled with bright chitenge and beautiful beadwork. The Matabele sculptures are world-renown, and these are made in different shapes and sizes. Malachite bowls are dotted along the mat-covered ground, like stunning green flowers bursting through the earth. Roaming among these are intricate woodcarvings of rhino, hippo, elephant and antelope. Everything is hand made and unique, and when you pay it forward and purchase an artefact, you support the livelihood of the local community so that they can share the benefits of tourism.

 

Ecotourism is about savouring the natural world to save it

Tourism is the life-giving force for the conservation of iconic areas. Ecotourism provides vital revenue to keep wilderness areas going, so guests leave Africa having made a lasting contribution to its legacy.

Our lodges exist in harmony with the environment

Our lodges are built and managed in the most eco-friendly way possible, from solar heating to organic vegetable gardens, recycling plants and plastic-free philosophies. There is enlightened self-interest to tourism in Victoria Falls because without the wild, there would be no Wild Horizons and we go above and beyond to ensure that our presence enhances and protects the landscapes that have shaped our lives and careers. Our Environmental Officer monitors soil erosion and vegetation at all our properties, rehabilitating areas with indigenous trees from our nursery and eradicating harmful alien plant species. Annually, we bring over 1000 children to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust where they learn about conservation, wildlife and sustainability. With the revenue generated from tourism, we invest in conservation and provide support for organizations such as the Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit and the Wildlife Trust.

Safaris remind us that there is more to life than the view from your window

There is a feeling you get when you wake up in the wilderness that we can’t quite put our finger on—a sense of being wonderfully lost in a foreign place and yet totally at home. There are no crowds of people, just herds of impala, prides of lion, dazzles of zebra and journeys of giraffe. There are no city lights to distract from the scatterlings of stars and no traffic jams on the elephant trodden paths.

The world is bigger than our computer screens and suburbs. It is craft markets and culture, rivers and rainforests, the ripple of a new language and the taste of adrenaline. In Africa, the true meaning of travel has not been buried under technology and tenacity. A safari in Victoria Falls will be the tonic we need to reengage with life. Get in touch to book your safari retreat today.