The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority shared some of the top activities visitors to the town of Victoria Falls can do and my own favourite clearly is the tea time at the Victoria Falls Hotel … where else … That said, the dinner at The Boma was great too though I did not partake of the local speciality as was the sundowner river cruise on the mighty Zambezi just a few kilometres above the Victoria Falls … Read on to find out what that speciality is and what else is available for first time and repeat time visitors.
(Posted 17th September 2015)
Vic Falls: Tourism Update
Six things to do after sunset
Photo by Africa Albida
When the sun goes down there is no shortage of ways to fill your guests’ time, from special dinners in scenic locations to adventurous outings. Tourism Update rounds up some of the best options on both the Zambian and Zimbabwean side of the Victoria Falls.
1.Full-moon dinners
Photo by Wild Horizons
On Zimbabwe’s side of the Falls, perched 120 metres above the rapids of the Batoka Gorge and just downriver of the Victoria Falls Bridge, is the newly opened The Lookout Café. Operated by Wild Horizons, the Café is adjacent to its high-wire facility, where it offers adrenalin-fuelled activities such as the Gorge Swing, Flying Fox and the Vic Falls Canopy Tour. During full moon, the Café offers special dinners, where guests can enjoy views of the Falls and the bridge, lit by the light of the moon. It can accommodate groups of up to 60 guests and the list of Full Moon Dinner dates can be viewed on its website.
For more information, visit www.wildhorizons.co.za/lookout.
2.Dinner river cruises
Enjoying sundowners on the Zambezi is widely regarding as one of the ‘must-do’ activities when visiting the Victoria Falls. Guests are likely to see wildlife on the banks of the river, including elephant and various antelope, along with plentiful birdlife, as well as crocodile and hippo in the river itself. There are several operators, departing from both the Zambian and the Zimbabwe side of the Falls, with vessels that offer dinner cruises, providing guests with the opportunity to stay on the water after the sun has gone down. These vary in terms of capacity as well as luxury. Safari par Excellence, based on the Zambian side, has two boats that offer dinner cruises – the Makumbi, with space for 100 guests and the smaller Mambushi, with space for 23 guests. Both serve freshly baked snacks, a light dinner and local beverages, spirits and wine. Based on the Zimbabwe side, the Zambezi Explorer Cruise Company also has two vessels that operate dinner cruises, Zambezi Explorer with capacity for 150 passengers across three decks (booked on an exclusive-basis for dinner cruises), and Zambezi Reflections, which has capacity for 34 passengers and serves gourmet-style meals.
For more information, visit ww.safpar.com and www.zambeziexplorer.com.
3.Night game drives
Photo by Shearwater Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls is near a number of small reserves and national parks, including the Zambezi National Park and the Stanley and Livingstone Private Game Reserve, both in Zimbabwe. These parks have granted operators special night-time access, as both are normally off-limits to tourists outside daylight hours. Shearwater Adventures offers a rhino encounter game drive, including a night drive and bush dinner. The experience starts before the sun goes down so that guests can see the wildlife that gather at Nakavango Dam to drink, followed by a night drive through the park. The vehicle then returns to the reserve’s reception area, where guests will enjoy dinner under the stars. Wild Horizons offers a ‘Night Eyes’ safari in Zambezi National Park, which enters the park in the late afternoon and continues into the night. Refreshments are served on the banks of the Zambezi.
For more information, visit www.shearwatervictoriafalls.com and www.wildhorizons.co.za.
4.Steam train dinner experience
The Royal Livingstone Express gives guests the opportunity to travel in an authentic, restored train. The Royal Livingstone Express comprises five air-conditioned carriages, two dining cars, a club and kitchen car, lounge car and observation car. The train is operated by Sun International’s Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia and takes guests through the Zambezi Valley, providing them with an opportunity to enjoy views of the Falls from the bridge and the scenery of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. For the dinner experience, guests are collected from the Royal Livingstone Hotel at 17h00 and transferred to the Bushtracks Private Station, where they board the first-class lounge carriage. The dining cars have seating capacity for 92 passengers, who are served a six-course gourmet-style meal.
For more information, visit www.royal-livingstone-express.com.
5.Dinner at The Boma
Photo by Africa Albida
The Boma, on the Zimbabwean side of the Falls, specialises in creating traditional Zimbabwean dishes. Guests are served a four-course meal comprising starters, soup (prepared on the campfire), and a barbecue buffet with a selection of salads, followed by a choice of desserts. The restaurant caters well for those with an adventurous palate, with its trademark dish being warthog fillet. Other delicacies include mopani worms, smoked crocodile tail, impala knuckle terrine and game stews. It also serves more traditional fare, including beef, pork, fish, chicken and a variety of vegetarian meals. Entertainment comes in the form of traditional dancing, story-telling, a fortune teller and an African drumming circle. The Boma can seat 300 people in the dry season (April to October) and 230 in the rainy season (November to March). It is recommended that you book in advance.
For more information, visit www.africaalbidatourism.com/victoria-falls/restaurants/the-boma.
6.Live music at Mama Africa Eating House
Photo by Mama Africa Eating House
Situated on the Zimbabwean side, Mama Africa Eating House offers a traditional ‘township-style’ restaurant environment, featuring brightly decorated rooms and food from across Africa. Mama’s Hot Pots are the restaurant’s signature dishes, and options include Umhwabha ledobi, an Ndebele-dish of dried meat and peanut butter sauce, and Hunter’s Pot, a game stew. The menu also features a selection of grilled meat, including Zimbabwean rump steak, grilled Zambezi bream and Mozambique-style peri-peri chicken. Live music is played by a township jazz band.
For more information, visit www.mamaafricaeatinghouse.com.
Five of the best places to have high tea at Vic Falls
The colonial influence on the Victoria Falls region, both in Zambia and Zimbabwe, is still very much evident, from Victorian buildings that have been preserved, to the legacy of David Livingstone and the other explorers who played a key role in the history of the area. High tea is one of the traditions left behind from a bygone era. Tourism Update rounds up some of the best places to enjoy afternoon snacks and leisurely drinks in and around the Falls.
1. The River Club
Guests can enjoy high tea, which is served outside on the main veranda overlooking a sweeping bend of the Zambezi River, while taking in the view of pods of hippos and the Zambezi National Park on the other side of the river. The River Club places a special emphasis on high-quality dining and high tea is no exception. It is served every afternoon and guests are treated to a variety of freshly prepared snacks to enjoy while observing the wildlife that passes by.
For more information, visit www.theriverclubafrica.com.
2. The Royal Livingstone
Sun International’s Royal Livingstone hotel in Zambia serves traditional high tea every day of the week from 15h00 until 17h00. A selection of cakes and confectionaries are served, which guests can enjoy on one of the hotel’s sundecks against the backdrop of the Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River. The hotel is particularly well known for its carrot cake, as well as its eight-texture chocolate cake. Dress code is smart casual.
For more information, visit www.suninternational.com/royal-livingstone.
3. The Victoria Falls Hotel
Arguably the most famous destination for high tea in Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls Hotel serves up traditional high tea between 15h00 and 17h30 on Stanley’s Terrace, looking straight on to the Victoria Falls Bridge. The silver service tea features a wide selection of traditional confectionary, including scones and cucumber sandwiches, served with tea, champagne or a choice of cocktails. The hotel’s high tea is also open to guests not staying at the property.
For more information, visit: www.victoriafallshotel.co.
4. Toka Leya Camp
High tea is served outdoors on the deck overlooking the Zambezi River and guests at Wilderness Safaris’ Toka Leya Camp are offered a selection of freshly baked savoury and sweet snacks, along with its signature iced coffee and tea. Toka Leya is inside Zambia’s Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, and the bushveld setting means that guests enjoying high tea are likely to regularly see wildlife, including elephant, as well as the camp’s resident hippo, nicknamed Moto Moto.
For more information, visit www.wilderness-safaris.com/camps/toka-leya-camp.
5. Victoria Falls Safari Club
Photo by Extraordinary
The Victoria Falls Safari Club in Zimbabwe offers complimentary afternoon tea every day between 15h30 and 16h30 on its deck, exclusively for its guests. From the deck, guests can enjoy views of the surrounding bushveld and the game-rich waterhole. Freshly made pastries are on the menu, along with a huge selection of flavoured teas and speciality coffees. Victoria Falls Safari Club offers Zimbabwean-produced Tanganda tea, along with imported options such as Arabian mint with honey, Italian almond, white tea and pomegranate, and Darjeeling
Travel to see the Victoria Falls is made easy by Kenya Airway’s regular flights from Nairobi to Livingstone and on to Harare. A UniVisa costs just 50 US Dollars to visit both countries, Zambia and Zimbabwe and is, needless to say, given on arrival without questions asked. Check out www.kenya-airways.com for the flight schedules, as there are as many as three flights a day to Harare, some routing via Lusaka, others via Livingstone. From Livingstone it is easy to cross the Victoria Falls Bridge to Zimbabwe where again the crossing of the border is free of hassles once the UniVisa is shown.
Notably does the cockpit crew after takeoff fly an eight over the falls to give passengers on board the flight the opportunity to see the world’s greatest waterfalls and get some pictures or video clips.
