17 September 2025
We cross the border into Zimbabwe today. The border is not far away from where we are staying. We had been warned that it could take a long time but we made it through in record time.
Then we have about 100km to drive to Victoria Falls. We pass through rolling hills covered in leafless trees. They would be magnificent forests once the rains come. For now we can look through the leafless trees and see herds of elephant, kudu, giraffe but they would be impossible to spot otherwise. Monkeys and elephants cross the road in front of us. The potholes have recently been filled so it is a pretty smooth ride.
We arrive in Victoria Falls with time to stop in town for a look around – mostly tourist shops. Then we check in to our rooms at the sumptuous Victoria Falls Hotel. Anne and I walk around and explore.
The Victoria Falls Hotel, popularly known as “the grand old lady of the Falls”, and the Victoria Falls bridge share a close and colourful history. The hotel opened for business in 1904 to coincide with the completion of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls railway line and the arrival of the first trains. It is the oldest operating hotel in Zimbabwe.
The hotel was originally a wooden construction with many verandahs and a corrugated iron roof, and capable of hosting 20 guests at a time. Today the hotel is steeped in history with all suites decorated in the gracious Edwardian style of Zimbabwe’s colonial era. It now has 161 rooms including the Royal Suite.
It really is a magnificent colonial building with rooms named after key players in its history. There is the Stanley Bar that have beautiful fresco-like paintings. The barman says they move once you’ve had a drink. The Stanley Terrace has all day dining and is where the famous high teas are served; it also has amazing views towards the bridge and you can see the spray from the falls (although the heat today means most is just evaporating).
The Livingstone Room is a very upmarket restaurant complete with grand piano. There is a strict dress code requiring jacket and tie for the men and the women must be ‘elegant’ – there is no way we will get in. For the plebs the Jungle Junction serves a buffet breakfast and dinner complete with show.
We are in the Stables Wing that has a courtyard garden in the middle and looks out over vast lawns that are constantly being tended to keep them pristine.
The porters are delightfully dressed in colonial uniforms complete with pith helmets.
Eight of us have booked to do a helicopter flight over Victoria falls. We are in 2 groups, with Safari girls going together on the first flight. There had been some concern that we might miss the flight if it took too long to get across the border.
Our flight was absolutely amazing – we did the 22min scenic flight that took us over the falls and further down the gorge. Of course they filmed our every move and made us watch our flight all over again when we got back in the hope that we would buy the video and/or pictures at some exorbitant amount.
We have a little bit of time to get ourselves sorted before we are picked up to go on our river cruise. We have a very nice double decker boat The River Odyssey which is part of the Ra-Ikane fleet named after Livingstone’s local guide (*see below for more info).
We are served real drinks including welcome champagne) and freshly prepared canapés. We cruise gently up the river (above the falls) only close enough to see the smoke that thunders. There was less wildlife than on our previous cruise but we do se hippos, crocodiles and lots of birds. It is a beautiful setting to relax and watch the sunset.
We also take the opportunity to present Wian with a card and tips to thank him for being such an amazing guide. We do have another day and a farewell dinner but we think that it will be too loud.
As we get off the boat we are given a performance by a local group who try to sell us their dvd. This our entertainment for the evening as although there is live entertainment at the Jungle Junction restaurant at the hotel you have to pay for a full buffet at USD45 and none of us are that hungry. A few of us opt for dessert on the Terrace before retiring for the evening.
*On the cruise menu there is lots of information about Livingstone. I knew some of the story but enjoyed learning more about him:
Dr David Livingstone’s missionary career began in 1841 when he arrived in Africa from Scotland. During his time at the Kuruman Missionary, Livingstone met a young African boy named Lazarus Ra-Ikane, who became one of his guides and a significant aid to Livingstone in his monumental ‘discovery’ of Victoria Falls in 1855. (The locals say that he is famous for naming the Falls after Queen Victoria – because they knew of it all along).
After years of explorations with over 100 men they departed Linyati and on 16 Nov 1855, Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone became the first European to see Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world. Located on the Zambezi River between present-day Zambia and Zimbabwe, the falls were known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning “The Smoke that Thunders”.
Awed by its grandeur, Livingstone named it Victoria Falls after Queen Victoria. He later wrote: “- but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by Angels in their Flight.”
His discovery introduced the Falls to the Western World enhancing European interest in Africa. Livingstone’s exploration also played a key role in mapping the region, promoting anti-slavery efforts, and inspiring further expeditions into the continent’s interior.
After the discovery of Victoria Falls, Livingstone was still determined to navigate the entire Zambezi River. He and his party assembled a small steamer craft and christened it the Ma-Robert, meaning mother of Robert. After the name given to his wife, Mary Livingstone, by the Makololo tribe. The boat took off from Quelimane at the mouth of the Zambezi on the eastern coast of Africa in 1858.
The journey upstream was overwhelming, they were not prepared for the fluctuating channels of the river and the treacherous shallow areas. Much time was spent dragging the vessel over sandbanks and through rapids, while subjected to oppressive heat and disease. The Ma-Robert worked diligently to help the group survive, but in fact she was not equipped for the job.
The Ma-Robert has been described as a ‘wretched sham vessel’ with an engine evidently made to grind coffee in a shop window”. Livingstone persevered by upon reaching the Kebrabasa Rapids, he realised that his dream of navigating “God’s Highway” was over. Things look dark for our enterprise. This Kebrabasa is never what I expected. After months of attempting to overcome and blast the rapids, the Ma-Robert, by then a ‘leaking rusty sieve’ sank in 1860.
Livingstone’s exploration also helped highlight the devastating effects of the slave trade. He was an outspoken critic of it, believing that establishing trade routes and promoting legitimate commerce in Africa could reduce the demand for slaves. However, he faced significant challenges, including disease (he contracted malaria several times), difficult terrain, and the general hostility of local tribes at various points.
His famous disappearance in the 1860s – during which he was lost to the world for several years – made him a legend. He was eventually found by Henry Morton Stanley, who is known for the phrase “Dr Livingstone, I presume?”. In 1871, Livingstone continued his work until his death in 1873 from a combination of malaria and internal bleeding in the village of Chitambo (now called Livingstone) in modern day Zambia.
Livingstone’s legacy remains a miss of both admiration for his contributions to exploration and criticism of the colonial mindset that accompanied European exploration during that era.
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