18 September 2025
Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and we explore this incredible location on foot this morning.
We have an early start (breakfast at 6.15) as we head off to do our Victoria Falls National Park Rainforest walk before it gets too hot (temp has been in high 30sC every day) and before the crowds.
Even though it is the dry season and the Falls are at their lowest level, they are still spectacular and definitely worth their Natural Wonder of the World status. It is good because we can actually see the falls. If the volume is too high the spray means that you often can’t see the falls.
We take so many photos because as we walk along the edge of the falls (on the other side) the view just keeps getting better and better. We see some people on the other (Zambian) side but we are much better off because they can’t actually see the Falls.
Although it is referred to as Victoria Falls, it is in fact made up of a series of different falls spread across the face of the drop: Devil’s cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, Armchair Falls, Eastern Cataract.
There is of course a statue of Dr Livingstone in the park.
At the end of the walk we see the Victoria Falls Bridge and the Boiling Pot below. This is our next destination – for a bridge walk (after a stop for an iced tea/coffee). All of assume that we will be walking across the top of the bridge – and are very confused when Wian rushes us across. It turns out that our bridge walk involves getting harnessed up and walking along underneath the main deck.
We start with an explanation of the history of the bridge ostensibly by George Imbault, the Chief Construction Engineer who helped build the bridge (he would now be 140). It is quite well done and a fun way of conveying the information- creating a journey back in time to 1904-1905 including tales of how the bridge was made and the men that built it. Our ‘elderly’ informant then helps us into our harnesses and then leads us on our walk beneath the bridge on the original catwalk.
Cecil John Rhodes (1853-1902) was an English-born businessman, mining magnate, and politician in South Africa. An ardent believer in colonialism and imperialism, he was the founder of Rhodesia, which was named after him in 1895. At the time Rhodesia was divided by the Zambezi river into Northern and Southern Rhodesia, later named Zambia and Zimbabwe respectively.
Rhodes felt that the best way to advance British interests in Africa was to build a railway from the Cape to Cairo. He placed a great deal of emphasis on this after becoming Prime Minister of the Cape Colony in 1890 and until his death in 1902.
The Cape to Cairo Railway was never completed for a variety of reasons, not least of which was the death of Rhodes in 1902, and the fact that the British Government did not share Rhodes enthusiasm for this vision.
The Victoria Falls Hotel’s logo is an African lion and Egyptian Sphinx, symbolising Rhode’s unfulfilled ambition for the Cape to Cairo Railway. The hotel proved to be a popular watering hole for the construction workers of the bridge and many an evening was described as “lively”.
Walking over the bridge takes us into Zambia (although officially we are still in no mans land). Wian has a permit for us all and although we are all expecting to have to show passports we are just waved through (in both directions). We had been warned that we were just to show our passports if asked but not to hand them over otherwise we would end up having to go through immigration again and pay the USD30 fee.
Back at the hotel we head out to the Stanley Terrace where Wian has organised a table for us. He has also organised a surprise birthday cake for Anne that the staff bring out all singing happy birthday. We have cake first and then most of us stay on for lunch.
We then have a free afternoon before our farewell dinner tonight. Anne joins some of the others to walk back into town but I opt to avoid the sweltering heat, deciding instead to relax in the cool of our room and find a shady place outside to read for a while.
The farewell dinner is held at Dusty Road, and features Zimbabwean food. ‘Dusty Road’ encapsulates the personal and professional winding journey of the founder, which reflects the agricultural upbringing that moulded her approach to food. From her recipes, to her colourful, unconventional style of cooking and her wholesome outdoor lifestyle, every road that Sarah travelled led her somewhere special and interesting. She has a passion for food, people and all things out of the ordinary. For her, cooking was always about friends and family and it’s been that way ever since. The restaurant’s wholesome food where the heroes are seasonal ingredients that have been locally farmed, locally grown, locally produced, and locally reared.
Dusty Road works with Consolidated Africa Services (CAS [PVO]), which is a Zimbabwean non-profit organization. CAS’ work focuses on boosting awareness of and improving the mental well-being and generating greater economic and social opportunities, particularly for women in the Zambesia region, as well as better management of that area’s natural environment through conservation. CAS helped coordinate international assistance of the Dusty Road food programme that was offered to families when Covid struck, and again came to the fore when donations were made to the Dusty Road children’s programme later on in the year. As a way of continuing its support for CAS’ advice and help, a percentage of all sales of Township Tastes are donated towards their outreach programmes, in an effort to reach and help more women. In particular – at Dusty Road Township Experience – there is a group of 12 children who sing for the guests in the evening, which enthralls and delights both performers and audience. The children have permission from their parents to do this, and In return for their singing, guests can donate money towards the children’s school fees and other projects. As the world opens up after Covid, Dusty Road looks forward to working with Chinotimba’s other women and children in other projects, as Sarah’s extended family helps the community in which it lives.
Although we didn’t get to hear the children sing, I was very happy to purchase a local painting from their store to support the cause.
Back at the hotel we bid a sad farewell to Wian who will be departing at 5am tomorrow morning for a 2 day journey to take the bus back to Windhoek. We will see the others at breakfast.
It is the end of an absolutely amazing tour with so many wonderful experiences that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Wian thinks that this tour is the best available in Southern Africa and we are all inclined to believe him.
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