Day Twelve: Wednesday, 2 September 2015
Zambia Day One: Livingstone Island, Devil's Pool
Taryn, my Dad, Karen, and I headed off for Zambia at 10:30 AM and arrived in Livingstone a quick two hours later. Livingstone is located on the very south coast of Zambia, immediately across the Falls from Zimbabwe.
The flight was easy-peasy, mostly because South African flights include wine and bubbly! Upon arrival at the TINY airport we made sure to make a mad dash right to the visa line, because everything is much slower in Africa in general, and we didn't want to get caught up waiting for hours. Usually two ques form, one for those entering only Zambia, and one for those also traveling into Zimbabwe. We were staying in Zambia, so our line was much shorter. $50 USD in cash or credit gets you in the door. Taryn even paid for my visa for a little early birthday gift - how sweet :)
Our bags arrived quickly, and we made our way to the ATMs before grabbing a cab. The exchange rate here was about $1 USD to 10.8 kwacha, but the dollar is accepted everywhere from street vendors to the fanciest restaurants. The distance to our hotel was about a 20 minute drive, and we paid our driver $20. We definitely could have lowered the price to about $10 or so, but we were excited to get there and feeling in the tipping mood. Taryn and I took a separate car from my Dad and Karen because we were staying at different hotels - us at the Royal Livingstone, and them at the sister hotel called the Zambezi Sun.
We definitely spoiled ourselves on this leg of the trip. The
Royal Livingstone is the premiere hotel in Livingstone. It is known for white-glove five star service and accommodations, and is located on the Zambezi River, with
Victoria Falls or as the locals call it, Mosi-oa-Tunya,
on the edge of the property. These accommodations weren't cheap at about $550 USD per night, but there are plenty of less expensive and beautiful properties in Livingstone. The
Zambezi Sun costs about $275/night and is also located on this prime spot. If you were to stay closer to town, you can find very nice hotels for less than $100/night. Taryn and I chose this property because of the resident giraffe and zebra on the property, the gorgeous sundeck, the 5-minute walk to the Falls, the personal butlers, and the true African luxury 'feel' of the hotel.
As soon as we jumped out of our cab, we were greeted by a hotel host and our luggage was shuttled off. We were sat down in the gorgeous lounge and provided complimentary cool towels and a hand massage by the spa staff on-site. While we checked in the luggage was handled and we were given a tour of the property. We were then escorted to our room and introduced to our personal butler. It was all a bit fancy and overwhelming, but we enjoyed every second.
After we got settled and changed we immediately headed to the bookings desk to confirm our tours. We only had two full days in Zambia, and I had planned two exciting tours while we were there - the
Livingstone Island and Devil's Pool tour and the
Zambezi Sunset Cruise. Things work differently in Africa, there is no real rush and plans always seem to be tentative. As someone who likes to plan every detail, this is a frustrating part of traveling in Africa. We were smart to check right away because although my name was clearly written down for the next day's Livingstone Island tour, there was no actual booking made. This devastated us because that was the ONE thing we had to do while in Zambia. Fortunately the woman at the desk was able to check us in last minute to the tour that started in ONE HOUR, and then switch our Zambezi River tour to the next night. We rushed to our room to quickly grab our bathing suits, cameras, and a change of clothes (oh, who am I kidding - also a bottle of wine!) to meet the tour operator. Fortunately, the tours started right at our hotel so we didn't have to drive anywhere.
While we waited for our guides and the other two individuals to arrive (there are restrictions on the number of people who can be on the island at one time), we enjoyed a bit of wine and the scenery, while chatting with the bartenders on the sun deck. We immediately recognized how friendly Zambians were - they were so engaging, always smiling, and ready with a good laugh.
We met our two tour guides and the couple joining us and jumped into a small boat that took us about a 1/4 mile down the river to the very edge of the Falls. We banked onto the sand and followed a small trail to the David Livingstone landmark. David Livingstone is the Scottish missionary and explorer who is believed to have been the first
European to view Victoria Falls on 16 November 1855 from what is now
known as Livingstone Island. Dotting the trail was elephant dung - it was everywhere! We truly were in the wild - it feels unlike anything else knowing that an animal as large as an elephant could be around any corner.
From here, the Falls were just steps away. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world,
it is classified as the largest, based on its width of 5,604 feet and height of 354 feet, resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water. We were able to sit on the very EDGE of the Falls, dangling our legs over, and pose for photos. The rainbow shown in photos below is always here! Taryn and I were a bit choked up here, as we knew we were looking at the same Falls our mom enjoyed while she lived in Livingstone.
After this photo op we stripped down to our bathing suits and made our way INTO the
Zambezi. We followed the tour guides carefully, and swam a short ways to another small island (which you can see to the right of the people in the
Devil's Pool above us in the photo above).
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| Location of "Devil's Pool" |
Once we got to Devil's Pool, we were able to jump right in! The pool itself is quite deep at points, and there are a ton of small fish swimming about. The water is icy, but not freezing. The "smoke that thunders" surrounds you and the sound is incredible. Swimming on the edge of one of the natural wonders of the world was incredibly exhilarating, but did not seem frightening until I saw the photos afterwards!
After our dip in the world's safest pool (hehe) we were treated to cocktails and appetizers back on the main part of the island. We were almost too excited to eat! Then, our tour guides packed us up and dropped us off back at our resort. We arrived back at the perfect moment to watch the sunset and listen quietly to the sounds of Africa around us, with the mighty Falls in the background. The sunsets in Africa are to die for, and a must-see - because it is so
very dry, a lot of dust can get picked up into the air,
resulting in a more orange color to the sky, particularly at sunrise and
sunset.
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| Cocktails on the Royal Livingstone Sundeck |
After a bit of relaxing we headed to the hotel restaurant for dinner. The hotel was not very busy as it was the slower season when the Falls aren't as strong, so we were seated right away on the patio. The temperature at night was perfect for eating al fresco. The hotel restaurant had a very original menu, with dishes from Africa, India, and Europe. The chef at the restaurant even came out to talk with us personally and offer recommendations. I tried the kudu curry, with fresh veggies and rice - it was delicious!
While we were eating we noticed that an older man was sitting at the table next to us by himself, so we invited him to join us. Taryn and I had already enjoyed a bottle of wine, so I am sure we talked this man's ear off but he didn't seem to mind. We love meeting local people when we travel, and this man was incredibly interesting as he was a Defense Analyst from Botswana. When we finished our meal, all three of us headed inside to listen to the fantastic pianist who was playing mostly classical pieces. This is where it got really interesting (courtesy of quite a few glasses of wine). Taryn started singing along with the pianist, and the whole dining room seemed to be enjoying the music. Then we chatted with the pianist and the servers, received a tour of the kitchen area and met the kitchen staff. We bought a drink for the pianist and everyone had a fantastic time - we could not stop laughing. Zambian people are amazing and so friendly - I will never forget the huge smiles of each person we met that night!
The next day was going to be action-packed, so Taryn and I headed for our room at about midnight. Because we were quite tipsy, we didn't realize that we were standing RIGHT NEXT to a mom and baby giraffe who were munching on the tree tops just outside of our hotel room door! (Look for the shining eyes below!)
Day Thirteen: Thursday, 3 September 2015
Zambia Day Two: Victoria Falls, Curio Shopping, Zambezi Sunset Cruise
The next day we woke up and were a BIT groggy from the previous night's festivities, but we didn't let that hinder our plans! We headed down for breakfast at about 8:30 AM, and enjoyed a fabulous selection of fruit, pancakes, and omelets. The hotel offers a buffet and also a menu to order from. We sipped the amazing coffee (I don't say that often, but this coffee and the coffee in Bangkok have been my absolute favorite) and enjoyed the early morning breeze and bird song.
After we finished our relaxing breakfast, we took a stroll around the grounds towards Victoria Falls. The walk to the Falls takes about ten minutes or less, and you must go through the grounds of the Zambezi Sun to access the gate. Admission is free if you are staying at the Royal Livingstone. On our way we chatted with a few of the groundskeepers around the property - they were all so friendly and accommodating, and offered us rides on the golf carts (it's a large property) to find the resident giraffe and zebra.
As soon as we entered the gates to the Falls, we took the path along the edge which winds it's way up along the beautiful waterfall. There are quite a few scenic outlooks to take photos, and you could even feel the mist of the Falls as you walk across the bridges.
My one word of caution here is to keep on the look out for baboons! They are enormous, and the trees around the Falls are teeming with them. Due to my previous monkey experiences (see the Bali post!) I was terrified of them. I was happy to see that they mostly kept to themselves and didn't seem to get close to the tourists to steal food and other items, but we made sure to keep a safe distance and divert our eyes!
On the way back to the hotel, we decided to stop and shop for the one thing we both wanted to purchase in Zambia - malachite.
Malachite is a greenish-black stone that artisans in Africa carve into intricate animal statues, chess sets, you name it. It is very heavy and can be pricey.
The curio shops by the Falls were in one word OVERWHELMING - and the shop owners are intense, similar to in India. There are at least 30 stalls with vendors calling out to you, introducing themselves to you, pulling you into their shops for 'just a look.' When I shop for curios I like to take a quick peek at everything for sale and then go back to the stalls with the items I like most but it was almost impossible to do that here. Another thing that makes it tough is that the locals truly need the money. Many people here live on less than a few dollars a day, and over 60% of the country is considered below the poverty line. Zambians only have a life expectancy of 58 years! This made me want to purchase something from everybody! Especially because each of them were extremely nice people. Although pushy they were not rude or aggressive at all. It was hotter than Hades outside on this day, and we wrapped up our shopping before we got too dizzy!
Something I didn't realize before my visit is that certain goods we take for granted in the U.S. are luxuries here. The shop owners were looking to trade their goods for pens, hair ties, bobby pins, perfumes, and clothing - especially tennis shoes. If I return I will certainly bring some things to barter for goods rather than purchase them outright. However, even if you barter is it a good thing to also provide a few kwacha because although the shop owners may now have a few items they need, they still need money to feed their family. In the slow season, some of these people don't make any sales for days.
After shopping we headed back to the gate where the guard there had offered to call up a hotel employee to provide us a tour of the grounds and a chance to see the giraffes and zebras up close. The driver that pulled up was incredibly sweet, and took us straight to the giraffe who were grazing quite far from the hotel itself. There were five giraffe total, and they seemed pretty interested in us, although they did not get close and we were sure to keep our distance.
Next we grabbed our bathing suits and headed to the pool to relax for a bit before we had to meet our tour guide for the Zambezi sunset cruise mid-afternoon.
At 3:30 we headed to reception and awaited our driver, who arrived with Dad and Karen already in tow to take us to the
David Livingstone Safari Lodge upriver on the banks of the Zambezi.
We had quite a treat as we entered the lodge, because on the way in there was a huge herd of at least 30 full grown elephants running through the bush! Even the staff at the David Livingstone Lodge all had their cameras out because it was such a beautiful sight. The elephants were literally a few feet away from them at the boundary of the property!
The David Livingstone Lodge was gorgeous, and also has many great reviews. It is on the Zambezi, but not close to the Falls so transport to view them would be necessary. Many of the river cruises depart from here, including our boat - the Lady Livingstone.
We were one of only a handful of people to enjoy the cruise this evening, and walked onboard to the sounds of a local African band. We were immediately provided our drink of choice and took a seat at the tables at the very front of the boat.
The cruise itself was relaxing and we spotted quite a few crocs and hippo while enjoying the gorgeous orange sunset. There were at least ten other ferries and boats along the Zambezi, but it was not overcrowded or loud at all. This was the perfect, relaxing end to our day. We enjoyed appetizers and the evening sounds of Africa, along with a few glasses of wine.
We headed back to our hotel that evening by about 8 PM, and Karen and Dad joined us for dinner before heading back to their hotel. We popped our last bottle of bubbly from South Africa and then checked out the hotel bar for the first time, before calling it a night. Once again, the staff in the bar was incredible, and so personable!
Day Fourteen: Friday, 4 September 2015
Zambia Day Three: Relaxation and Departure
On my last day in Zambia, Taryn and I once again enjoyed an amazing, relaxing breakfast. We then sat by the pool and talked about our favorite memories from our African adventure. Even though I was flying out at 1 PM, Taryn was joining Dad and Karen for an extra night in Zambia before returning to Jo'burg for a few additional nights. I was ready to get home to my family, but knew I would miss Africa. When you go to Africa, it is forever in your soul, and you will long to go back before too much time passes. It's the smell, sound, friendliness of the people, music, food, drink, sights, animals. Africa is truly unlike anywhere else in the world and will always hold a place in my heart.
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