Victoria Falls Travel Forum

Hello,
I am planning a long awaited trip to SA from India, in Aug. We are planing 3 nights in Vic Falls. Need to know if its a reasonable time and what are the must do activities, bearing in mind that we would be doing Kruger park before or after. And which country is best bet in terms of good views, activities, value for money,etc.
Thx

3 days is more than eneough. You have 2 national parks, either side. If its the dry season climbing the falls on the Zambia side and transport to there from Livingston is a whole day. There are loads of activities around the river from helicopter flights to white water rafting and a barbeque in the middle of the falls. Your budget is the limit. You can also zip line and bungee jump on the bridge between the borders.

Victoria Falls Zimbabwe is walking distance to both sides. Longish walk and the walk between the sides is 45 minutes. Livingston is about 16kms away and evryone will try and charge you as close to the price of gold for a ride as they can rip you off for. Vistoria Falls is beautiful, Livingston, Zambia is dirty. Zimbawe has a shoratge of electricity and food in the shops. They have zero petrol. Makes it quieter and cheaper. Livingston is fully functioning and a thriving economy where you have ATM machines and banks.

Would suggest maybe 1 night Zim side just for the experience. All 3 nights if you can get some assurances from the accomodation. If all things were equal Zim would win out everytime.

There is a good museum in Livingston.

Have a great time. The Falls never change. They will alwyas be stunning.

There is a Sun International hotel right at the Falls,on the Zambian side. I have visited the falls from both sides, and enjoy the Zambian side more. If I was there for 3 days, I would use one of these to do a day trip to the Chobe river in Botswana...Basically a one hour drive from the hotel.Bookings can be made at the hotel..This trip is a morning on the Chobe river,and the afternoon in the Chobe Game reserve.

Enjoy the trip

I am doing an organised tour in April. All the orgainised tours have cancelled the Zimbabwe part of the itinerary due to the political situation there. I dont know if you are not able to go to the zimbabwe side or if it is just inadvisable.

There is zero political issues that affect Vic Falls. Robert Mugabe is crazy, but he would never mess with a cash cow. If you stay in Zam (and the Sun is right there as stated, very lovely, but expensive) you can walk over and spend the day in Zim no problems at all. Also as stated, Jollyboys organises every activity going and you do not have to stay there to take one of their adventures.

Have a great time and see both sides or you will do the equivalent of only seeing half the Eiffel Tower....

Is it easy to cross the border into Zimbabwe, are visas expensive?

Goes by Nationality. A UK passport is less than a USA one for example. Then it gets interesting. Only at Victoria Falls does Zim offer a cheaper 1 day visa. Zam works the same.

The Zambia "Day Tripper" costs £20
http://www.zambiaimmigration.gov.zm/zims/VISA_FEES.aspx

Zimbabwe offers a day visa as well, but does not advertise this on their websites.

Just in case I was in Zimbabwe with a single entry visa, went into Zambia then walked past the always crowded Zimbabwe post just in case when I returned. They don't pay attention.

If you stay on the Zambia side you will have to pay Zimbabwe $20-$30 max plus $25 to get into the park.

All figures in US Dollars.

That information has to be worth a thumbs up!

And here is the tip with a photo of the Border Post at Vic Falls (ZIM)

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/30b4a/106a/4/#1955886

(Last tip)

hey thanks for all the tips/info everyone. About the Botswana day trip-is it worth it if we are doing Kruger too? I read somewhere that trip to Livingstone Island is a must do? Is the rafting (we are dieing to do it)ok for a 65+ but healthy person? I heard that the return is a quite a climb up a gorge or something.

The Chobe day-trip in Botswana is DEFINITELY worth it!! Make sure you do a river cruise there; it rivals any other African game park I've seen. Don't settle for only Kruger at all.

The rafting in the Zambezi is indeed a must do. It is true though that the walk up to the top of the gorge at the end is draining and takes I think about 45 mins or so, all with a steep incline. There were 20 year olds with me that were huffing and puffing. It's a tough call for a 65+ year old but if he is healthy, I think he can do it. I climbed Kilimanjaro with a 68 year old. Have a good time either way. I'm jealous I'm not heading to Africa soon :(

hey thx for the thumbs up for Botswana I was hoping someone would share my enthusiasm for it as others on our trip were a little hesitant. About the climb from the gorge, i vaguely remember reading somewhere that one can be picked up by heli(?) to do a birds eye view of the falls from there?

There are 3 compnaies doing helicopter tours. All of them are detailed here:

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/30b4a/228e85/4/?o=1&i=1

Not only political issues, though cholera is rather political as well, and though maybe not affecting the areas down around the Falls area, but be mindful tha cholera is rampant in Zim at the moment - I would be very wary of eating or drinking anything there - many who are attending funerals of those who have died of cholera are also catching cholera - one of my good friends, who is well to do Zimbabwean, is now even having to deal with family members who have died and are dying with it as well.

Hi. are you serious about the cholera being so rampant? even around Vic Falls? After the advise I had almost decided on Zim side, and also hoping that things would be cheaper (and available) on this side due to the political situation. What if staying at Vic Falls Safari Lodge/Hotel,etc?

I have been trying to decide if I want to go to Zimbabwe also. A couple of points.
1) Zimbabwe is on our governments DO NOT TRAVEL list therefore it may void my travel insurance if I go there.
2)My doctor said that the Cholera vaccine doesnt work so dont bother getting it and as long as you eat cooked and peeled food and bottles water you should be OK.

I drank bottled water, drank beer from cans and cooked my own food. Just threw a few supplies n my car and bought a few things from the store (mostly canned goods).

The local folks in the countryside get many illness due to lack of food and reduced imune systems. You would not have that issue unless you went on to their 'diet' for a long time and stayed there for a long time. Vic Falls is a gateway of goods from Zambia. They do have supplies other areas do not (other than fuek). The road over the falls area is full of goods lorries back and forth.

You insurance should cover you unless you go to a known area of civil war - Zim has no war. Any violene is against locals by locals. Tourists have not had issues over the last few years.