Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Places to stay/things to do at Victoria Falls

I'm trying to figure out how many days I want to stay at Victoria Falls. This will be a side trip to a larger vacation and will include my wife and two teenage kids.

I'm thinking we will want to stay at least 3 nights if not 4. What all activities are there in June? I know there will be tours of the falls and river tours/cruises, but what else?

How about places to stay? I don't want to stay in a hotel, but don't want to spend a fortune on a resort. Any recommendations? Zambia or Zimbabwe? Any side trips into Botswana?

(And JJ, I will be calling you, just never think about it during the right time of day)

We stayed over a night there waiting for our luggage to catch up and was reasonable and nice. The manager and staff were great. It's a long story but we ended up catching a ride back with the manager after a night that we ended up at the Boat Club with some locals. We ended up staying another couple of nights there on the way out because we had a good experience. It a small quaint place and they stored our guns in the safe room during our stay.
The Boma is a must for dinner plans and is a great family experience.
The Safari Lodge is a place I have not stayed but would like to one day. The bar at the Safari Lodge is a great place to visit at Sunset. It overlooks a water hole and is a perfect spot to end the day.

I would perhaps not want to stay that long. 4 nights will be pushing it because there is only so much to do.

We're off to Church and will be back in a couple hours. When are you going to be there, we may just hook up for a beer becuase I'll be there in June.

I was hoping there would be some day trips out of there. I know the waterfall is worth the trip, but I want to get the most out of what it's going to cost for 4 of us to make a side trip there.

I'm really struggling with this trip. For the money I'm going to spend on a family vacation, I could do a lot of hunting for 14 days.

How about getting to Chobe from Vic falls? Would Chobe be better than Kruger?

We (me, wife, three son's) are doing ~ three weeks in Africa in June.

Three days at Muchenje Safari Lodge Western Chobe, Kasane Botswana. Will include game drives (day and night), river cruise, village visit.

Three days at Hide Safari Camp in Hwang National Park, Zimbabwe doing more of the same.

Three days at Vic Falls Safari Lodge which will include tour of the Falls, a Boma dinnner, Mpisis village trip, sunset cruise...

We then fly to East London SA for seven days of hunting then on to Cape Town for three of touring then depart.

Just some options I thought I would throw out. This trip all planned with the help of Steve Turner and Co.

Thanks Tony, I may give them a call for some help.

Are you driving or flying into Botswana from Vic Falls?

My biggest hang up is the cost of the airfare for 4. With one or two side trips, we'll easily be over $10K just for plane tickets. Add in what we will spend over 14 days in Africa, and I could have had a pretty nice time in Tanzania hunting buffalo.

I can't imagine there being enough to do in Vic Falls to spend 4 days. When I went we spent one night at the Vic Fall hotel, but it was kinda dear, so moved over to a local motel, who's name escapes me. Was every bit as nice as the hotel, but a 1/4 the price. We did spend 2 days there maybe 3 outside. The falls is 15 minutes from most of the hotels, etc., as you have to walk the 1/4 mile or so to it, which is as it should be. We had been hunting across from what is now Hwange ?,park, at the time, I think it was Vic Falls park.. this was 40 years ago, and some things, I'm sure have changed.. We stayed one night (before the hunt) at the Southern Sun Safari lodge, and it had an eating area facing a water hole.

As to the airline tickets, a lot of the time, if you work it right, ask your ticket person, you can set it up, so you fly to all of the places for pretty much one price. I have done this a couple of times. FI: if you're were flying from there to say LA here, and book it for LA, with a stop in DC, you get the same price as just flying to DC, with out the additional $500 to fly on to LA..

I was looking for my diary from my trip there, and can't reach it but believe the motel was "Peter's". I look at it this way, you're going to sleep in a room there, not live there, so a good clean room etc. is what you want, and gold faucets, and etc. not necessary, especially at 4 times as much..

I just did a search, and Peter's motel now Sprayview Hotel. 38 rooms and looks a LOT spiffier and modern than when we stayed there. Appears to be new construction. There is a large park right next to the town, so that could be toured by car, which we did there, and in a couple of parks when in Africa.. you can do a search on Sprayview hotel, and see what it's all about.. there are several other big hotels there too, which I'm sure are not any less expensive than they were when I was there last.

We are flying and, yes, it ain't cheap as I am running with 5. I am well beyond two buffalo hunts I am sure. Doing it as the older boys are finishing college and moving on soon. The last family hurrah so to speak.

There are plenty of day trips in all directions. You can visit the Clearwater booking agents who are well informed and efficient. They are just a stones throw from the city center and within easy walking distance from most of the hotels. When walking beware of scam artists trying to free you of more cash. Put money in different pockets so if you have to pay something nobody is going to suspect you have plenty cash.

The booking agents and the major hotels accept MasterCard and Visa. NOBODY else does and nobody touches travelers checks. There are only two ATM's in town that regularly have cash and are mostly online. You cannot draw more than 1000 US per day per card and that comes direct from the central bank. The banks in town CANNOT process your credit cards and the hotels will likely not allow you to swipe in exchange for cash.

There are helicopter flights over the falls that if your budget allows I would highly recommend it. 26 minutes was 220 US last year per person, and 15 minute flights were in the region of 90 US per person. Currency used in Zim is the US$. You can go on a 90 minute walk with the lions. Do not be fooled, the lecture takes up a lot of that time and the walk is dependent on the mood of the cats. The Parks dept smokes foreign butts - when you go for the helicopter flight you have to pass through part of the park. That means you have to pay a Parks levy of about $13 per person, is payable only in cash and they NEVER have the correct change. Another reason to have plenty $1 bills.

Chobe can never be better than Kruger IMO. However, to want to go to Kruger from Vic Falls simply won't cut it for you. There are day trips to Chobe and you will see elephants. Many elephants in fact. There will be plenty of other game to see also and this is a full day.

Be sure to book a sunset cruise on the Zambezi and have a cold Zambezi. The Zambezi beer is not bad at all, in fact after the first 5 I really start enjoying them and life and...

If you get your yellow fever shots now you can opt for a day trip across to the town of Livingstone just inside of Zambia. Lots of shopping and a stamp in the passport. The concierge in all of the hotels will be well connected, just ask them.

Water in the hotels will be ok to drink but for US stomachs I would go with beer and bottled water alone.

Hwange National Park is about a 2 hour drive from Vic Falls. Hwange is the only park I have ever visited where I saw more elephants than impala. This was at the main camp and is close to the wild dog research facility. That facility is good to see an African wild dog (aka Cape hunting dog) in an enclosure. They were revamping when I was there so did not get to see the inside of the facility but you get to walk on a walkway above the animals.

If you play golf the Elephant Hills hotel has a course.

That's about what you can do out there. The walk inside the Falls area will take about 2 - 3 hours on a casual stroll. It's between 30 and 50 $ per foreigner access fee and you will be subject to high sales pressure by the guys at the stalls at the entrance. You rent a rain coat from them for not more than 2 - 3 $ per coat. They will try and rent it to you for at least $5 but you can haggle them down to the real price.

Take plent of $1 bills. It makes for good persuation money anywhere. You will encounter the dirtiest $1 bills you have ever seen.

At Vic Falls you will be able to buy some of the old currency up to 100 billion $. Buy the whole set for not more than $10. Again there will be many guys selling, so pressure them a bit too. Beware of the baboons (real ones) walking in town.

There are plenty of cops in town and it is safe to walk around during the day. As a matter of principle I prefer not to walk around at night on the streets.

What else would you like to know?