Where the Zambezi Thunders

A signage welcoming visitors to Zambia at the Victoria Falls Bridge, which connects the country with neighboring Zimbabwe. (JG Photo/Christabelle Palar)

Fresh off the election boat in January, traces of Zambia’s political race are still recognizable in March on the drive from the airport into town. Campaign posters can occasionally be seen by the roadside and, moreover, locals still bring it up in conversations — but not with discouraging comments that are typical of political discussions.

“The election was very peaceful,” our guide explains as he drives us into town, confidently adding that they had a pretty smooth transition.

“Our previous president passed away in office, and he was replaced by his vice president for a while, before an election was held soon after.”

Before Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu was elected to the top post, Vice President Guy Scott, a Zambian of Scottish descent, became the country’s interim president — making him the first white head of state in southern Africa since the end of the apartheid era.

In downtown Livingstone, which was the capital of Zambia’s Southern Province until 2012, colonial-era buildings preserved by the government line the main street, serving as shops and the city’s post office. The town’s highest building stands eight stories tall, and it’s just a three-minute trip down the road from a Hungry Lion — a local attempt at filling in the fast-food gap yet to be tapped by the better-known international chains.

“This is where we go to eat healthy food,” our guide jokes, as we come to a stop at a set of traffic lights that were only installed two years earlier.

Such was the small, humble town of Livingstone; picturesque in its simplicity, studded with signs of growth and developments, its people friendly and oozing a good sense of humor.

Up close with nature 

It’s easy and natural to fall into the trap of comparing a new place with one’s own country or city of residence when travelling, and the short drive allowed plenty of room for musing.

But any mental comparisons are quickly swept aside upon arrival at the mighty Zambezi River.

 

A safari boat takes tourists down the Zambezi River to view its surrounding wildlife. (JG Photo/Christabelle Palar)

 A safari cruise along the Zambezi truly gives meaning to the statement that rivers are a source of life. A group of hippos, only noticeable by their eyes peeking above the water, follow each passing boat with their gaze as if suspicious; giraffes feed on the treetops by the riverbank; and ducks swim in a line under a flock of birds flapping their wings in a playful tease.

With tourism being one of the main sources of livelihood for locals in Livingstone, the Zambezi has also become a source of life for those in the business of taking travelers to immerse themselves into the natural wonders of the river. Boats, whether big or small, can be seen sailing down the waters that British explorer and missionary David Livingstone once sailed in his expedition to find the source of the Nile in the mid-1800s. From big cruises, where passengers are spoiled with fancy dinners and a relaxing ambience, to smaller, more adventurous safari boats accommodating a little over a dozen passengers — also packed with drinks and snacks, and allowing closer access to the animals — waiting for the Zambian sun to set becomes an experience of a lifetime.

It is also this intimate experience with the surrounding nature that local hotels aim to provide to tourists. Built in 2001 on the riverbanks of the Zambezi is the Royal Livingstone, a hotel from the Sun International chain that has properties across Africa. Here, the Zambezi is merely a stone’s throw away from each room’s terrace, and guests wake up every day to the peaceful view of the water.

Walking from your room to the hotel’s yard, it’s not hard for guests to miss how close they are to nature. Thanks to the hotel’s expansive grounds, guests will most likely bump into one of the resident giraffes, zebras or impalas, which are taken care of on site.

From the deck built right by the river, the mighty Victoria Falls can be seen on the left, its mist billowing high in the air.

“Victoria Falls is literally located in the hotel’s backyard,” Royal Livingstone business development manager Agata Sobczak says, adding there’s a gate leading directly to the falls, just a 10-minute walk away.

“Tourists typically have to pay an entrance fee when touring the falls, but guests from the hotel are free to visit it as many times as they wish.”

A bird’s-eye view of the Victoria Falls. (JG Photo/Christabelle Palar)

The thunderous falls

Victoria Falls is indeed the main and most sought-after attraction for travelers to Zambia. At 1.7 kilometers wide, the river serves as the natural border between Zambia and Zimbabwe to the south.

While a quick Google search provides tourists with a list of pros and cons to help decide from which side they can best enjoy the falls, many note that Zimbabwe’s longer length, also known as the Western Cataract, makes it a larger section to experience. But a walk along Zambia’s Eastern Cataract dispels any initial doubts you may harbor.

Located right within the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park (the local name for the falls, which translates as “Smoke That Thunders”), a footpath stretches from the riverside and extends all the way to where the body of water takes a 108-meter plunge, allowing visitors not only a close-up view, but also the option to follow the flow of water to witness its massive change.

Several viewpoints dot this path, each providing a different breathtaking angle of the falls. One such viewpoint, a highlight for visitors to the Eastern Cataract, is the Knife-Edge Bridge — a narrow walkway that beautifully connects two ends of the forest right in front of the main fall of the river, exposing visitors to a heavy, almost rain-like spray of water. Without a raincoat, you’re guaranteed to get fully soaked, although that seems to be an exciting part of the trip.

Aside from this must-see tour of this natural wonder, there are also other activities on offer for tourists to get a full experience of Victoria Falls. A five-minute speedboat ride away from the Royal Livingstone takes you to Livingstone Island, where the explorer is said to have stood to view the falls for the first time in November 1855.

Setting foot on the outer perimeter of the island and overlooking the edge of the falls, you’d be hard-pressed not to try to imagine the thoughts that crossed Livingstone’s mind upon being confronted with the awe-inspiring view. With the constant spray of water and the thunder as it hits the bottom of the falls, the name Mosi-Oa-Tunya seems fitting — although Livingstone later named it Victoria Falls, after the British monarch of the time.

The Knife-Edge Bridge, one of the best spots to view the Victoria Falls, is located on the Zambia side of the falls. (JG Photo/Christabelle Palar)

Close to the island is a small pool of water located right at the edge of the falls, where travelers are allowed to take a dip.

“The tour is quite strict, as only a limited number of people are allowed to the island,” says Paul Choy, managing director of destination management company Thompsons Gateway, explaining that having too many people there poses safety risks as guides are required to keep close watch over each of the participants.

If you’re looking for an alternative way to view the Victoria Falls, you can take a 15-minute helicopter ride for a bird’s-eye view of its full length. And for adrenalin seekers, there’s a bungee-jumping facility at the Victoria Falls Bridge, known as “no man’s land” for its location at the border. For those who dare to take the leap of a lifetime, it’s a thrilling 111-meter plunge from a platform to the churning waters of the Zambezi below.

In one of his letters, Livingstone wrote of the falls: “No one can imagine the beauty of the view… It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.”

Standing where he once stood, so close to the magnificent beauty of the falls and the multiple rainbows that adorn the view, one can only concur. To use the term “heaven on earth” would seem more than a little passe – but, surely, it was somewhere close.

By Christabelle Palar on 07:30 am Mar 18, 2015

The writer’s visit to Zambia was arranged by South African Airways, Thompsons Africa and Sun International.