Kruger and Southern Africa

[Jacques Vert]

Then it's back to the Chobe Safari Lodge for lunch...

 

[Jacques Vert]

After lunch it's into the Jeep for a game drive...

 

[Jacques Vert]

One of the ugly five:

 

[Jacques Vert]

Male and female Kudu:




At the hairdressers:

 

[Jacques Vert]

Time to head back to Livingstone:




The queue of tucks has grown considerably since this morning:





The wind has come up and the current in the Zambezi is running hard the other way making the river quite choppy.

I'm sure that some of our fellow passengers are not strong swimmers and those that are will have little chance against a current this strong. We only need one passenger to panic and move suddenly; I commented to +1 that: "this is a disaster waiting to happen".

Hopefully that bridge will be finished soon.




The line of trucks is just as long on the Zambian side:

 

[Gem56]

Some more of my favourite animal pics.

Female Kudu



Male Kudu



Lice hunting



Scout duty

 

[Gem56]

Bath time for the Warthog family

 

[Jacques Vert]

When we arrive back at the Protea, the 'man with the can...' arrives to spray our room for mosquitoes. They do this every evening. They also provide insect repellent in all the rooms. Says something about the risk of malaria in this part of the world.

As we had a hearty lunch at Chobe, we just have a light meal at the Protea. Food was fine, nothing special, but reasonably priced and the wine is cheap. Interesting that here, and in many places in Namibia, when you order a glass of wine they fill the glass. It works our considerably cheaper to buy wine by the glass rather than to buy a bottle.

Next morning we check out of the Protea as we are moving to the Avani which is much closer to the Falls (we have been in Livingstone for 2 nights and haven't seen the falls yet). In fact, the Avani is adjacent to the Falls whereas the Protea is 8km away and closer to town. But first, we get a lift to the shops as +1 wants to buy some reef sandals - none available so she buys a pair of thongs instead. (Moral of the story: bring reef sandals with you.)

Before we left the Protea, I asked how much would a taxi cost to take us to the Avani? 100 Kwacha. While at the shops we are approached by a gentleman who asks if we need a taxi. "Not now, but how much to take us to the Protea, pick up our bags, and take us to the Avani." He asks how much I want to pay? I don't like that game so I told him to give me a price: K60 was his reply. I offered K40 and we agreed on 50. A 50% saving and a longer journey as well.

So we pick up our bags and on the way to the Avani I ask him how much to pick us up at the Avani in a couple of days and take us to the airport? He asks how much I want to pay? This time, and considering it cost us K250 for the shorter ride from the airport to the Protea, I make an ambit offer of K100. He accepts:shock:.

The guy's name and phone number:

Mr Mupoti
+260 977 586140

 

[Jacques Vert]

And so we arrive at the Avani...

First, the rate they try to charge us is higher than on our booking, but this is sorted out after I show them a printed copy.

Second, I show them my Rydges Black card and the clearly the lady has never seen one before. (Rydges is a partner with GHA Discovery, of which Avani is a member.) I point out the GHA emblem on my card and she says something about "Guest Relations" coming to see me later.

Our room:










Then we decide to organise something for dinner as it's +1 birthday. We did consider the steam train dinner but at $A488 for two it didn't seem to be good value and I am old enough to have ridden on many steam trains in my youth. Nostalgia yes, but not at that price.

So after checking out the menu at the Avani, we took a walk over to the Avani's sister hotel, the Royal Livingstone, and pass these guys along the way...

 

[Jacques Vert]

The Royal has a lovely deck on the Zambezi riverfront...







From where you can easily see the spray from the Falls:







It's a lovely, relaxing spot and I could easily have settled in here for the afternoon.




However, it's much too early and the Falls are calling us to come for a closer look.

So we booked a table at the restaurant for dinner and headed off.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Back at the Avani I went to reception to ask about something, can't remember what. While I'm waiting I notice a small separate desk on the other side of the foyer with two staff members. I decided to say hello and discovered they were the Guest Relations team. So I said that they had been mentioned while I was checking in. They asked my name and stated that they had been expecting me.

They asked if we had been on a sunset cruise (which we already had). The conversation seemed to suggest that a complimentary cruise was available for Black GHA or Rydges members. I wasn't able to confirm this as I was offered a complimentary High Tea at the Royal instead.

I hadn't looked too deeply into the Discovery program as my Rydges status was supposed to expire at the end of February. As usual, Rydges are way behind and my status is still showing as Black. I have since looked further and I think the Local Experience was offered as this was my first stay at an Avani (one of the benefits for black members not immediately obvious on their website). May I suggest that if you have status with Rydges you go onto the Discovery website and order one of their cards, which I have since done. I'll report back if a card is forthcoming.

So it's off to see the Falls. As the Avani is within the same Nature Reserve as the Falls, you can come and go as often as you please; you just flash your room key and sign the book at the entry gate to the Park.

Not long after entering the Park we come across this sign and decide to check it out first:




It turns out to be quite a steep path down into the gorge and people younger than us have worked up quite a sweat coming back up. But we decide to press on and are rewarded with a great view of the Victoria Falls Bridge from halfway down into the gorge:





And from the bottom...





And the amount of water flowing into the second gorge is astounding:

 

[love_the_life]

So much more water than when we were there in 2015.

 

[Jacques Vert]

So much more water than when we were there in 2015.

What time of year were you there? It's wet season at present and they've had double the usual rainfall.

 

[Jacques Vert]

We arrived back at the Avani too late for High Tea (maybe tomorrow) and retire to our room to relax and recover from our strenuous "walk".

We receive a phone call: it's guest relations and we are being moved to a suite; apologies that we were not upgraded at check-in...

 

[Jacques Vert]

The view from the balcony off our bedroom. We are advised that there is a crocodile in that lagoon, but it's only a metre long and well fed.




and the view from the balcony off the lounge room:

 

[Jacques Vert]

Dinner at the Royal Livingstone:

 

[Jacques Vert]

Back at the Avani there's a band playing so we sit on the balcony and listen to the music.

 

[JohnM]

Special Weaver bird

That shoul be social weaver bird.

 

[JohnM]

What time of year were you there? It's wet season at present and they've had double the usual rainfall.

Seasonal and inter-year fluctuation of flow is enormous. On the Zim side there is a chart on the wall of the information office just inside the entry that gives info on this.

 

[TraceyK90]

Finally catching up. I love The Tug, had many great meals here. Great trip report.

We had dinner at a restaurant called "The Tug" at the beach end of the jetty:

I had the garlic snails:

View attachment 92917

View attachment 92916

+1 went for the Camembert:

View attachment 92918


Then the mains; +1's Coconut Kabeljou:

View attachment 92919


My Oryx Surf and Turf

View attachment 92920


All very good.