Safaris and many more adventures in South Africa

[Milboo]

Nice! You were in Thornybush. We stayed there last year at Shumbalala and loved it and thought the reserve overall was very well managed. We only occasionally encountered another lodge vehicle when on our drives.

We actually flew out of Thornybush back to Nelspruit in a 4 seater.

 

[Mattg]

This morning I flew on South African Airways to Livingstone. BA and SAA each had a similarly-timed and similarly-priced flight this morning, so I decided to go with South African just to try something different. The flight wasn't that cheap though, at around $260 one-way. I almost considered using points for this sector.

When I checked in online, "social check-in" was offered. I decided to link my facebook profile and try it out, and it didn't work. Interesting concept though.



I'm glad I did check in online. When I got to the airport in Johannesburg, the regular check-in line was a shambles. It was just a short wait though for the bag drop. Also, this time the check-in agent was able to add my Velocity number to the booking.

I was approached several times by random non-uniformed people trying to tell me what to do/where to go after arriving at the airport. I must say, I found it rather irritating. For example, this guy followed me when I walked into the airport, telling me I had to go to the self-service kiosk. I told him I had already checked in (which was true) but he kept following me for some reason. He did not work for the airport or any airline and I have no idea what he was doing. (Is this normal?)

SA48 Johannesburg - Livingstone
A320
Departure time: 10:40
Arrival time: 12:30

The plane actually looked quite new and was in good condition. There was a large business class cabin which made up the first six rows. The business seats looked pretty good, although it was almost empty. That might explain why I received an invitation to bid for an upgrade before the flight. The minimum bid was only $110, but for a short flight I decided not to bother.

The plane was almost full in economy, but the service was good. An Adam Sandler movie was played on overhead screens. The meal wasn't anything special but better than nothing.



Some pics of the plane:





We arrived at Livingstone slightly ahead of schedule.



After queueing for over half an hour at immigration, I was issued with a visa that allows for entry into both Zambia and Zimbabwe. This cost USD50. The visa is valid for 30 days, as long as you remain within Zambia or Zimbabwe. It also allows for day trips to Botswana.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Here is some evidence I encounted this morning that one of the big five likes to roam around Thornhill Safari lodge ....

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Here is some evidence of a little critter roaming last night, meters away from Thornhill Safari Lodge...

 

[Mattg]

I only had one full day at Livingstone/Victoria Falls so decided to visit both sides. I had met someone at the hostel where I was staying who wanted to do the same thing, so we jumped in a cab down to the border and negotiated the bridge crossing together.

The border crossing was a fairly simple affair. When departing Zambia we literally just had our passports stamped in the office and kept walking towards the bridge. At one point we had to fill out a form (when arriving into Zimbabwe IIRC) but otherwise we had no issues. They are used to tourists crossing over for the day. The famous Victoria Falls bridge is only a few hundred metres long but the walk between the two border checkpoints took about 15 minutes. (You could also take a taxi for about $1-$2, but we chose to walk so we could stop and take photos on the bridge.)

Walking over the Victoria Falls Bridge:



And approaching the Zimbabwe side checkpoint:



Before I talk about the Falls, I'll just compare Victoria Falls town with Livingstone briefly. I did prefer Livingstone slightly; Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe was just a bit more run-down and there was less going on. The salespeople also seemed a touch more pushy in Zimbabwe.

We had lunch near the craft market in Victoria Falls town. I went to the loo there before walking back to the falls and one of the guys from the craft market came in and stood next to me at the urinal. Before I'd even finished he started showing me these copper bracelets he was selling and asked me to name a price! Now that was a first for me... (For the record, I didn't buy anything from that guy.)

Part of the craft market:



Perhaps one advantage of staying in Victoria Falls though is that you would be able to easily walk to the bridge from in town. In Livingstone, it's too far to walk (although you can easily get a taxi for about $10 each way).

 

[Mattg]

As you probably are aware by now, the Victoria Falls are right on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Some people have a favourite side to view the waterfalls from. Everyone's different but I thought the view from the Zimbabwean side was slightly better. Probably the best view was from the edge of a cliff, where there was no fence separating the rock face and the crevasse below. Some people were a bit anxious about stepping out onto those rocks (the "Exercise extreme caution" sign perhaps didn't help matters) but the view from there was simply stunning.



Hopefully this panorama does the view justice.



Getting soaked wet was unavoidable on either side due to all the mist coming from the falls below.

 

[Mattg]

The view from the Zambian side was still very good. But what I liked about that side was that you could also watch the people bungy jumping off the Vic Falls Bridge from the valley below. We saw quite a few jumpers, until one got stuck dangling from the bridge for around half an hour and they had to go and rescue her! I didn't see any more jumpers that day after that incident!

Some photos from the Zambian side:

 

[Mattg]

As you can see, the Victoria Falls are pretty spectacular and well worth a visit. Just some practical info: visiting the Zambian side costs USD20, or 140 Zambian kwachas. I don't think they take credit cards, so cash only. The Zimbabwean side costs USD30 for entry, but they do now take Visa and Mastercard. They don't accept the local Zimbabwean currency which is suffering from extreme hyper-inflation.

Just to clarify, this cost is for entry into the parks. Visas are a separate matter, but if you buy the visa for Zambia and Zimbabwe you can cross freely.

(Interestingly, most ATMs and shops in Livingstone only accepted Visa - the excecption being Barclay's Bank which also took Mastercard.)

You can pay for most things in USD, though the rate may work slightly against you. At the hostel I stayed at, the bar prices were in kwachas, but you were always charged in USD based on whatever rate the hostel decided to use that day.

I found South Africa generally a very affordable and great value place to visit. I probably wouldn't say the same thing about Vic Falls which is a tourist hotspot more than anything and priced accordingly, but by Aussie standards prices are not unreasonable.

 

[drron]

An enjoyable read bringing back memories of the trip we did in 2013.
The place with the unusual sculptures is a store/deli with homemade jams and sauces,all sorts of nuts and lollies and great ice cream.
Also loved the Drakensbergs though we stayed at Cathedral Peak.Would thoroughly recommend a stay there.Also not far from many Boer War and Zulu War sites.Found Islandwana and Rorke's Drift moving.
Couldn't miss Victoria Falls either.

 

[Milboo]

You picked up one of the things I found irritating in Vic Falls - the traders who'd follow you asking you to buy stuff. The tourist police are pretty ineffective there.

That look out point amazed me - with no barriers. We were there with a fair bit of spray so it was slippery and there was a guy up there rotating with a selfie stick.

I did the Ziplining across the Batoka Gorge. Yeah. Did not enjoy that or the climb out of the gorge after in the heat.

 

[Mattg]

You picked up one of the things I found irritating in Vic Falls - the traders who'd follow you asking you to buy stuff. The tourist police are pretty ineffective there.

That did annoy me quite a bit. Thankfully they were nowhere to be seen once you passed the barrier to get into the Falls.

On my first afternoon in Livingstone, this one guy followed me all the way from my hostel to the supermarket (despite my requests to be left alone). He then waited for me and was still there when I left the supermarket. I must have looked like an easy target.

I generally found that saying hello but avoiding too much further conversation was the best way to go.

 

[Mattg]

Unfortunately Victoria Falls was my last stop before heading back home.

On Tuesday morning I caught a taxi out to Livingstone Airport. I was flying out on British Airways to Johannesburg, connecting to the Qantas flight back to Sydney.

Livingstone airport was small but functional enough. The advertised lounge was being renovated. (Either that or construction was never completed in the first place.)

Every airline except BA had a priority check-in line.



Flight: BA6292 Livingstone - Johannesburg
Boeing 737-300 | ZS-OKK
Departure time: 13:30
Arrival time: 15:15

The 737 operating this flight was the oldest I've been on in a while. According to my research, it was built in 1986 and operated for Australian Airlines and later Qantas for the first 19 years of its life. Despite this, the plane didn't look noticeably ancient - which was a pleasant surprise.



We took off punctually. A "snack" consisting of a pulled pork roll was served. It wasn't quite as appetising as it sounded but pretty good for a snack.



I asked for a glass of wine with the snack and the flight attendant sort of looked at me for a few seconds before asking how old I am. Now, I am fairly young but I'm an adult and definitely above the drinking age in South Africa (and everywhere else except for the USA).

Now, if the flight attendant had any doubts about my age I would have been happy to show my ID. I'm rarely asked to show ID on flights but have been once or twice in the past. But instead of doing that, she basically insulted me. The conversation went on as follows:

"Are you sure you're that old?"
"Yes"
"Why don't you have any facial hair then?"
"I shaved this morning."
"Did your mummy shave you?"

She wasn't even joking; her tone was serious and slightly condescending!

I opted not to say anything in response but I was offended and shocked to be treated like that by the flight attendant. She did end up giving me a glass of wine, but it would be good if she'd not insulted me in the process.

The flight was otherwise fine and uneventful. We flew over the city of Johannesburg before turning and coming into land on time.

 

[kpc]

I went to the loo there before walking back to the falls and one of the guys from the craft market came in and stood next to me at the urinal. Before I'd even finished he started showing me these copper bracelets he was selling and asked me to name a price! Now that was a first for me... (For the record, I didn't buy anything from that guy.)

I think we ended up with 4 or 5 said copper bracelets:shock:...did you get a chance to swim in the "Devil's pool"?

 

[Flying mermaid]

That did annoy me quite a bit. Thankfully they were nowhere to be seen once you passed the barrier to get into the Falls.

On my first afternoon in Livingstone, this one guy followed me all the way from my hostel to the supermarket (despite my requests to be left alone). He then waited for me and was still there when I left the supermarket. I must have looked like an easy target.

I generally found that saying hello but avoiding too much further conversation was the best way to go.

We had lots of conversations - we decided they had all gone to the same training school, as they used the same patter. One was quite fun, as he had memorised all the Australian Prime Ministers! With one just for a change I said I was Canadian and we had a nice chat about Canadian things instead of Kangaroos. We bought a few things - these people are seriously poor particularly on the Zimbabwe side and it was a more direct way of helping than giving money to charities in Australia, where most of it gets gobbled up in admin fees. We have the same attitude towards tipping in Africa - transfers money from first world to third world.

I gather you didn't have time to go to Livingstone Island/Devil's Pool/Angel's Pool? You will have to do it another time - definitely one of my best experiences this year - probably equal with going in a balloon in Capoadocia!

 

[love_the_life]

Thanks for your impressions of Vic Falls compared with the Zambian side. We are still torn between the two at the end of August but will probably stick with the hotel on the Zambian side which we have booked (Zambezi Sun) though have pricing for Victoria Falls Hotel and Royal Livingstone. Deciding whether it's worth the extra for a couple of nights only. Can I go less than 5 * ?

 

[Flying mermaid]

Thanks for your impressions of Vic Falls compared with the Zambian side. We are still torn between the two at the end of August but will probably stick with the hotel on the Zambian side which we have booked (Zambezi Sun) though have pricing for Victoria Falls Hotel and Royal Livingstone. Deciding whether it's worth the extra for a couple of nights only. Can I go less than 5 * ?

We stayed at the Royal Livingstone in March and the Zambezi Sun was in the same complex. If you don't want to spend the money the Zambezi Sun would be fine. We walked through it and it looked very nice - just a slightly more crowded ambience. I had photos of both in my trip report. Staying at the Zambezi Sun, you are slightly closer to the entrance to the falls and also to the bridge going over to Zimbabwe, although you are talking maybe 10 minutes extra walking at most. As a guest at Zambezi Sun, you can use the facilities at Royal Livingstone e.g. Sunset Deck, restaurants etc and sign to your room. Also if you want to go to Livingstone Island, it leaves from Royal Livingstone so easy for Zambezi Sun guests as well. If you are staying at Zambezi Sun/Royal Livingstone, you are just as close to the falls as if you stay at Vic Falls Hotel - the hotels are not in Livingstone.

 

[love_the_life]

Thanks FM. I read your TR and chose Zambezi Sun based on that. It's only 2 nights I know so I am sure it will be fine. I may end up booking Royal Livingstone (still vacancies). We are flying into VF rather than Livingstone which is a bit of a pain and that was one reason we looked at VF Hotel and also it is where we meet to join the train. However, the Zambian side seems to suit us better for hotels being within the Park. The location of ZS/RL look better.

 

[kpc]

Thanks FM. I read your TR and chose Zambezi Sun based on that. It's only 2 nights I know so I am sure it will be fine. I may end up booking Royal Livingstone (still vacancies). We are flying into VF rather than Livingstone which is a bit of a pain and that was one reason we looked at VF Hotel and also it is where we meet to join the train. However, the Zambian side seems to suit us better for hotels being within the Park. The location of ZS/RL look better.

We stayed at the Ilala Lodge on the Zim side 3 years back as we went in the dry season and were told the Zim side was better when water flow is low...it was a 15 minute walk to the Falls, and it is the closest hotel to the Falls on the Zim side. We also walked across the Victoria bridge to the Zam side, and caught a taxi to the Royal Livingstone hotel where we caught a boat to Livingstone Island for a swim in the Devil's pool (a MUST in low flow season). We quite liked the Ilala hotel (has a fabulous restaurant) but it was a touch on the pricey side even when the AUD was parity with the USD but I suspect it would be more costly now. You also MUST do a helicopter (or Microlight flight if you are brave!) ride over the Falls!!!

 

[JohnM]

We stayed at the Ilala Lodge on the Zim side 3 years back as we went in the dry season and were told the Zim side was better when water flow is low...it was a 15 minute walk to the Falls, and it is the closest hotel to the Falls on the Zim side.

The first time I went to Vic falls was in the dry season and I stayed at Ilala. It was excellent and very convenient to the Falls. The mist in the wet season seriously limits viewing from the Zim side.

An advantage of staying on the Zambian side is the swim (only in low flow) and perching on the edge at Livingstone Island (any flow):



Just be thankful that boats going to the island have two motors...

 

[Mattg]

We had lots of conversations - we decided they had all gone to the same training school, as they used the same patter. One was quite fun, as he had memorised all the Australian Prime Ministers! With one just for a change I said I was Canadian and we had a nice chat about Canadian things instead of Kangaroos. We bought a few things - these people are seriously poor particularly on the Zimbabwe side and it was a more direct way of helping than giving money to charities in Australia, where most of it gets gobbled up in admin fees. We have the same attitude towards tipping in Africa - transfers money from first world to third world.

I share a similar view about giving money to locals. I am happy to buy a few things, and indeed did. It's more the constant hassle of being followed in the streets that annoyed me.

I gather you didn't have time to go to Livingstone Island/Devil's Pool/Angel's Pool? You will have to do it another time - definitely one of my best experiences this year - probably equal with going in a balloon in Capoadocia!

Unfortunately I didn't get time for that... Hopefully next time!