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Email Karen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our Zimbabwe trip was fantastic and unforgettable
I wanted to go to Zimbabwe to see the Victoria Waterfalls. My friend didn't have Africa on his to-do list at all but decided to come along. I convinced him that he should experience at least one game drive while we were there. I organized the trip direct with a Hotel (Livingstone Lodge) and a travel company (Cultural Vibes Travel and Tours), both located in Victoria Falls. We stayed at Livingstone Lodge for 5 nights and all the activities we undertook at Victoria Falls were arranged for us by the very friendly and helpful Livingstone Lodge staff. Most organized tours only spend a day or two at the Falls but we were glad we stayed longer. We did a 2-hour guided tour of the Falls in the morning and then stayed on in the Park by ourselves into the afternoon. It's easy to walk around the 16 lookout points on the Zimbabwe side by yourself but it's interesting to also get the history from the guide beforehand. The advantage of staying on, was that in the morning, the mist from the Falls was a lot less, so we got good pictures of the Falls themselves. In the afternoon, there was a lot of mist, so we got great photos with rainbows in them but the Falls were often completely hidden behind the wall of mist. The next day, we did the 30 minute helicopter ride over the Falls - stunning - and we could identify some of the lookout points we'd been at the day before. The Falls are simply a must-see! Another highlight for us were having lunch at the Victoria Falls Hotel, which is a luxury Hotel built in colonial style - very elegant! - with a patio that looks towards the Falls. The meal prices were reasonable even for our more budget-oriented finances and the view of the clouds of mist rising above the Falls was absolutely beautiful. We also spontaneously decided to walk across the bridge over the Zambesi river. It is very easy and unbeaurocratic to get a (free) ticket from the Zimbabwean border post allowing you to walk across the bridge and back. There are some great photo opportunities of the Falls from there as well.
The absolute highlight of the trip for both my friend and I turned out to be the game drive part of the trip. We had no idea where to go for that, so we chose a 2-night trip offered by the company Cultural Vibes Travel and Tours. That was the best decision we ever made! The staff were very professional, trustworthy, knowledgeable and organized a totally unforgettable experience for us. They booked us into the Iganyana Luxury Tented Camp which is located next to the Hwange Game Park. We were blown away - everything was just wonderful from the people, to the accommodation, food, the bush atmosphere, the game drives (we ended up going on 2 half-day and 1 whole-day drives). It was magic sitting having dinner in the open-air while a herd of elephants came to drink from the swimming pool (pure water from a bore), and we were lucky to see a herd of hundreds of buffalo wandering past as we sat there having breakfast. The temperature was mainly around 28°C or so but it was a dry heat, so easy to tolerate. We hardly saw any flies or mosquitoes, so that was very comfortable too. Although it was obvious that many of the locals didn't have much money, we felt safe walking around on our own during the day. We were advised not to walk around after dark though, not even in the town of Victoria Falls, because wild animals, especially elephants and lions, often wandered around the outskirts then. Getting around was no problem though, as taxis were reasonably priced and the Hotel also had a driver they organised for us. My friend is now also a huge Zimbabwe fan and is already talking about us going back again at some stage.
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Email Tracey Geyser | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It has a natural beauty, the local people are friendly, the wildlife good but the roads terrible.
We used Serious fun tours for our 4 days in Zim. we wanted to do Victoria falls and a game drive. We got so much more.
What a pleasant experience! They communicated well from the start. They offered the biggest variation of things to do (boat cruise, helicopter ride, safari drive etc, for our age. (62 and 67).
They looked after us so well, were on time, showed us such interesting things, were kind and funny.
We saw everything from hippos and elephants to amazing rainbows and wild orchid's.
The Hwange Game reserve is beautiful. the road to get there is terrible and my suggestion would be to fly there, not drive.
The Boma night was nothing like you will ever experience again. Extraordinary food, fun and music.
it was the perfect start to our four week holiday .
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Email Caroline Page | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Zimbabwe is a beautiful country with amazing scenery, great animal sightings, & friendly people!
Our family (four adults) had an amazing time on our trip to Zimbabwe. We loved the scenery on our drive from the Vic Falls airport to our first accommodation stop (Robins Camp). We saw so many wild animals just on that drive alone including giraffes, warthogs, baboons, guinea fowls, & impalas. On the game drives we also saw painted dogs, kudu, elephants, female lions, vultures, African red-billed hornbill, more impalas, zebras, buffalo, & mongoose. Victoria Falls is one of the most stunning places we have ever been. The Falls are so large and there were double rainbows shining through the mist. It was such an experience to see these Falls up close, as well as from the air via helicopter, & in the Devil's Pool. The weather was also great during our trip. In Hwange National Park it was cool in the mornings & just right on the drives. Vic Falls was warmer, but there wasn't too much humidity so it felt nice.
Also, as far as the booking/planning, William was great from start to finish helping up set up our itinerary. We wanted to do Devil's Pool and zipline and he coordinated all of that into the preplanned itinerary. We had great drivers & guides on all of our safari drives and our walk to Victoria Falls. We LOVED the helicopter ride over the Falls and the Boma Dinner & Drum Show was such a fun activity on New Year's Eve.
Email Eunice Sameke | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic place to visit and knowledgeable guides
Zimbabwe is a beautiful and peaceful country. We had an amazing time visiting Victoria falls and Chobe. All guides were very knowledgeable. I would recommend anyone wanting to visit Zimbabwe not to hesitate.
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Email Mary | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful wildlife, but poor conditions for its people
Victoria Falls was amazing - the sound and power of the water was incredible. Hwange National Park was a wonderful experience, numbers and variety of animals was fantastic. Elephants, giraffes, impalas, baboons, zebras, lions, spider monkeys, water buffalo, wildebeest, sables, ostriches, crocodiles, hippopotamus etc.
Cresta Spray View Hotel and Hwange Lodge were both amazing, really good hotels, with friendly, helpful staff and very clean and comfortable.
Mmilo Tours and African Safari staff went out of their way to make it a fantastic holiday.
Scenery was good, but the roads were awful, as was the litter and rubbish strewn everywhere.
People were very friendly, but obviously struggling to survive, signs of poverty everywhere.
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Email Anthony Kim | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
June is perfect for Victoria Falls. For safari, Hwange was good but definitely try out Chobe
We did one full day in Hwange and 1 full day in Chobe safari (all within driving distance of Victoria Falls by 1-2 hrs).
The Zambezi sunset cruise and Victoria Falls are clearly the highlights. If I were to choose safari again, I would do Botswana Chobe another day.
Email Susan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Restorative Return
I have Zimbabwean heritage, but hadn't visited for many years. I felt welcomed as if I had never been away. It's impossible to place any one of the many rich ingredients which made up this overall immersive and mind-expanding experience ahead of the others, so let me just say this:
- The people were warm and positive and loved their country.
- The experience was authentic, whether on safari in the bush, spending time with old friends or everyday contact in shops.
- Being away from light and noise pollution was a gift
- the birdlife in Mana Pools was exceptional.
I am already planning my next visit!
CA
Email Judy Anderson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding
Our safari experience was amazing! The 7 days were seamless; drivers arrived on time and were extremely knowledgable. The Elephant Eye Lodge was one of the best lodging experience. Our tent/chalet was well equipped, comfortable and the provided a perfect viewing for wildlife. On our last day we watched giraffes walk by as we were drinking our morning coffee. Every day the meals were beautifully presented and delicious. The game park was lush and green which made game viewing difficult. However, we saw lots of wild life including herds of elephants at very close range. On our last night at Elephant Eye we dined under the stars with over 20 elephants coming onto the lodge grounds to drink at the pool. Later that evening a herd of water buffalo found their way to the pool. Amazing!
Email Roy Chavrimootoo | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Interesting but tedious. However the staff at Victoria falls and Hwange national park were exception
The wild life and scenery are average. The accomodation at Hwange was superb and rustic . The cook and staff at Hwange looked after us very well. We were lucky to have Liberty as our guide as he was kind and knowledgeable.
We particularly enjoyed the lunch in the bush where the table was laid out to celebrate my friend's birthday.
NZ
Email Michelle Welch | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful experience - loved every moment
We had nervous expectations of travel in Zimbabwe. However, from our arrival in Victoria Falls to the day we departed we
had nothing but positive experiences. This was largely based on the friendly, helpful and kind people we met along the way.
Zimbabweans are resilient. Despite the tough economic hardships they are experiencing they continue to find ways to keep their lives and their businesses operating and they do it with a sense of humour and a smile. We were encouraged by their endurance.
The weather was very hot on the Zambezi and rain was desperately needed. Our guide was a natural bush man - passionate about the flora, animals and birds. He kept us well informed on what we were seeing along the way and helped to educate us on the interactions of the wildlife in the ecosystem. We had plenty of bottled water, good healthy food and comfortable accommodations with warm water for showers and morning washes. Safety was a high priority with the guides and we felt safe both on land and in the canoes.
The highlight of the trip was sitting around the dinner table and to have the guide say 'don't move anyone' - as an elephant walked right past our table.
Our only concern was to see plastic waste on the river banks and to hear powerboats and generators - ruining the pristine nature of this beautiful wilderness area.
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