A mind-boggling array of adventure activities has developed around Victoria Falls, like Abseiling, Flying Fox, Gorge Swing, the most popular being Whitewater Rafting and Bungee Jumping.
In December 2011, an Australian girl survived a plunge from the platform on the bridge although the rope tore. Head first, she plummeted into the Zambezi River rushing below. With her feet still tied together, she miraculously was able to pull herself to safety onto the rocks with only a few bruises…
Clever packages offer a combination of all possible activities, making the young backpackers and overlanders believe they are actually saving money. We never stopped being surprise how easily they dish out their money on such perks or beers without blinking twice, but would passionately bargain over a 5 USD dorm bed!
We kept it simple. Gilles took to the skies in a helicopter to get a bird’s view of the falls (15 minutes for 135 USD) and Heidi joined a quiet Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi. She would have done the flight in a micro plane, but those only take off on the Zambian side, a very costly affair when adding two visas to the bill, one for entering Zambia (20 USD for a day visa), the other for returning into Zimbabwe (another 30 USD).
In Victoria Falls it was time to say good bye to Mabon and welcome Jason, who traveled with us till the end of the trip. The perfect place to do this? How about the poshest place in town, the very colonial Victoria Falls Hotel, sipping one of their colorful cocktails?
But THE place to be is the Shoestring Lodge. Backpackers and locals alike invade the lively bar every evening. We also liked the vibes, the food, the rooms and that everything was in easy walking distance. Not that there is much to see in town… The usual infrastructure for a city that size: banks, shops, gas stations and yes a Chicken Inn / Pizza Inn / Cream Inn! Add a few souvenir shops, tour operators and restaurants and you are through…
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