Highlights & Attractions
The superb falls discovered by explorer Dr Livingstone and named in honour of his monarch Queen Victoria will always be the highlight of any visit to Zimbabwe or Zambia. Perched precariously on the border between the two countries they are a leisurely walk from excellent accommodation on both sides of the river. No trip to the region is complete without an evening cruise down the river sipping white wines, enjoying the African sunset while herds of elephants bathe nearby.
Highlights
The Victoria Falls
One of the most spectacular Natural Wonders of the World and World Heritage Site draws in visitors year after year. Dividing the borders of Zimbabwe and Zambia, the Zambezi River dives headlong into a sheer-sided canyon forming the Mosi-oa-Tunya - "the smoke that thunders" creating the largest curtain of water in the world.
Hwange National Park
The Park is Zimbabwe's largest and also the third largest in Africa at 14,600 square kms, offering walking, driving and horseback safaris as a popular way of seeing the wildlife. Easily accessible from Victoria Falls by road, the drive is approximately two hours. The months of July to October offer some of the best game viewing, as the bush is dry and the wildlife congregates around the waterholes.
Lower Zambezi National Park
Situated on the banks of the Zambezi River in the south-eastern part of Zambia, the Lower Zambezi was declared a National Park in 1983 and is still unspoiled today. Its distinguishing features are the rugged escarpment to the north and the 120 kms of river frontage with numerous islands, lagoons and floodplains which attract most of the wildlife. With only a few small safari camps and lodges situated within the Park, the experience is unique.
South Luangwa National Park
Zambia's most famous wildlife sanctuary, the South Luangwa, covers over 9,000 square kms and is dominated by flood plain and savannah. It is one of the best locations in Africa to experience a walking safari. Permanent safari lodges located near to the river are the main bases for safari activities but there are also a number of seasonal bush camps on offer in the more remote areas.
Zambia Attractions
Victoria Falls
Described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800's as 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' - 'the Smoke that Thunders' and in more modern terms as'the greatest known curtain of falling water', Victoria Falls are a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as 546 million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge (at the height of the flood season) over a width of nearly two kilometers into a deep gorge over 100 meters below. The wide basalt cliff, over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a wide placid river to a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges.
Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor who is prepared to brave the tremendous spray with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls.
One special vantage point is across the Knife edge bridge, where visitors can have the finest view of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls as well as the Boiling Pot where the river turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the Falls bridge and the Lookout Tree which commands a panoramic view across the Main Falls.
"The first impression was unmistakable; immense power, the raw energy unleashed when the entire Zambezi leaps wildly into a black two kilometre wide abyss. The scale is massive, the spectacle spellbinding and perpetually changing. The falls hiss and roar as if possessed, they rumble and crash like thunder. Vast clouds spew and billow out from the seething cauldron of its dark impenetrable depths. The moving water creates a magnetism that sucks you closer, so that you recoil in horror to quench a subliminal sacrificial urge." (Jumbo Williams, Zambezi, River of Africa. 1988)
Mosi-o-Tunya Zoological Park
The Mosi-O-Tunya National Park is situated along the upper Zambezi stretching from and including the Victoria Falls for about 12kms up the Zambezi River above the Falls. It is only 66 square kilometres but there are plans to extend the park further up river. Because the park is small, it affords a wonderfully relaxing drive alongside the river for much of the circular route and the wide variety of species can be easily seen. The Park provides a home for numerous antelope species, zebra, giraffe, warthog, a variety of birds and smaller animals.
Elephants cross the Zambezi and freely walk through the park and the surrounding area. One can take a pleasant drive around the park in a couple of hours and all the species there should be seen at close range. Since there are no predators, they are very relaxed and afford some excellent photo opportunities.
Livingstone
Named after the famous Victorian missionary explorer, Dr. David Livingstone, the Town was established in 1905. As a major European settlement, the town was made the capital of Northern Rhodesia in 1911. As the capital, it enjoyed excellent facilities far superior to anything in the country, as can be seen from the surviving Edwardian colonial buildings that line the city's main road, and even had the distinction of having the country's first newspaper.
Sightseeing
The Livingstone Museum is the country's biggest and oldest museum, dating back to the 1930's. It has five sections. The Archaeology Gallery, describes human evolution and cultural development in Zambia from Stone Age to Iron Age. The Ethnography and Art Gallery shows objects relating to the different cultures of the country including handicrafts, musical instruments. The History Gallery includes the origins of the Bantu people, the development of British colonial rule and the attainment of independence. It also houses a large collection of David Livingstone memorabilia, donated by the Livingstone family. The natural history section shows various indigenous animals in their natural habitat. There is also an extensive library with books ranging from archaeology, wildlife and also some of Livingstone's journals. The museum is open every day from 09h00 - 16h30 and is on the main road through the centre of town.
For steam engine enthusiasts, the Railway Museum in Chishimba Falls road holds some fine examples of Zambia's railway heritage including old steam locomotives and vintage coaches to the tiniest railway memorabilia and old photographs illustrating life in the pioneer days of the town.
Cruise on the wide upper Zambezi, go to the boat club where you'll find a two deck cruiser called the African Queen. South Luangwa National Park Experts have dubbed South Luangwa as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and not without reason. The concentration of game around the Luangwa River and its ox bow lagoons is among the most intense in Africa.
The Luangwa River is the most intact major river system in Africa and is the life blood of the park's 9050km2.The Park hosts a wide variety of wildlife, birds and vegetation. The now famous 'walking safari' originated in this park and is still one of the finest ways to experience this pristine wilderness first hand. The changing seasons add to the Park's richness ranging from dry, bare bushveld in the winter to a lush green wonderland in the summer months. There are 60 different animal species and over 400 different bird species. The only notable exception is the rhino, sadly poached to extinction.
Lower Zambezi
This is Zambia's newest Park and as such is still relatively undeveloped, but its beauty lies in its absolute wilderness state. The diversity of animals is not as wide as the other big parks, but the opportunities to get close to game wandering in and out of the Zambezi channels are spectacular. The Park lies opposite the famous Mana Pools Reserve in Zimbabwe, so the whole area on both sides of the river is a massive wildlife sanctuary.
The rivers edge is overhung with a thick riverine fringe. Further inland is a floodplain fringed with mopane forest and interspersed with winterthorn trees Acacia albida. The hills which form the backdrop to the park are covered in broadleaf woodland.
The Lower Zambezi National Park covers an area of 4092 square kilometers, but most of the game is concentrated along the valley floor. There is an escarpment along the northern end which acts as a physical barrier to most of the parks animal species. Enormous herds of elephant, some up to 100 strong, are often seen at the rivers edge. 'Island hopping' buffalo and waterbuck are common. The park also hosts good populations of lion and leopard and listen too for the ubiquitous cry of the fish eagle.
Lochinvar National Park
Lochinvar, although not abundant in the larger mammals, is nonetheless a park of exceptional beauty and outstanding birding opportunities with over 420 recorded species in its 428 square kilometers.
The Park is situated on the southern edge of the Kafue Flats, a wide floodplain of the Kafue River between Itezhi tezhi dam in the west and Kafue Gorge in the east. The area extends for 33kms from the Kafue River in the north to low wooded hills in the south. It includes the large, shallow Chunga Lagoon which fluctuates considerably in size with variations in river levels. The varying vegetation makes it an interesting park to visit with floodplains, woodlands and termitaria
It is particularly well known for the large herds of Kafue lechwe, unique to the Kafue flats. Other antelope are the blue wildebeest, kudu, oribi and buffalo. Waterbirds are especially abundant.
Zimbabwe Attractions
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls must surely be one of the most memorable sights in the world. The mighty Zambezi River expands to an incredible width of over a mile before thundering 100 metres down a sheer chasm and into the turbulent white waters below. Before reaching the falls, the river is a peaceful place with palm-dotted islands scattered throughout the water. The area around the falls is rainforest fed by the constant spray from the falls. Magnificent rainbows can be seen from all angles. Viewing of the falls is done from within the Victoria Falls National Park where you can see antelope, vervet monkey, warthog and banded mongoose living amid the spray.
The town of Victoria Falls is only a few minutes walk from the falls and is the tourist hub for a huge range of activities covering both general tourism and the adrenalin adventure seekers. The town has many craft and African art shops ranging, perhaps inevitably, from the top class through to the cheap and cheerful tourist souvenirs. This means that there is much to do in the area and it is quite possible to enjoy several excursions in the falls area. Activities on offer: Bungi jumping, white water rafting, sunset cruise, Lion Encounter, Elephant Back Safari, jet boating, Flight over the falls, canoeing, abseiling, micro light flights, horse trails, Chobe day trips, cultural village tour, Livingstone tour, fishing trips and game drives.
Please note: Entrance into the falls is USD20.00 per person
River Usage Fee: Sunset Cruise USD5.00 per person
Hwange National Park
To travel through Hwange National Park today is to see what much of the interior of Africa might have been like more than 150 years ago. This is the famed country that drew men from the diamond fields of Kimberley and the gold mines of Johannesburg. Hwange National Park is the largest National Park in Zimbabwe, over 14,000 sq.km in extent, and is one of the countries main tourist attractions. The bird list for this huge area is currently over 420 species. There are two main birding areas, the one around Main Camp and the other in the north of the Park around Robins and Sinamatella Rest Camps. Both areas are linked by a network of roads which take visitors through a variety of habitats including many waterholes which attract large numbers of animals as well as birds.
The Zambezi River
The Zambezi is Africa's fourth largest River system, after the Nile, Zaire and Niger Rivers. It runs through six countries on its journey from central Africa to the Indian Ocean. Its unique value is that it is less developed than others in terms of human settlement and many areas along its banks enjoy protected status. Its power has carved the spectacular Victoria Falls and the zigzagging Batoka Gorge. The Zambezi has been harnessed at various points along the way including the massive Kariba Dam between Zambia and Zimbabwe and Cabora Bassa Dam in Mozambique. Plans for another dam at the Batoka gorge have fortunately been shelved. The River's beauty has attracted tourists from all over the world providing opportunities for a myriad of water sports and game viewing. Running for a length of 2700kms, it begins its journey as an insignificant little spring in the corner of north-west Zambia in the Mwinilunga District. It bubbles up between the roots of a tree, very close to the border where Zambia, Angola and Zaire meet. It enters Angola for about 230kms, where it accumulates the bulk of its headwater drainage, and re-enters Zambia again at Cholwezi rapids flowing due south but substantially enlarged by the entry of various tributaries.