As soon as we booked our flights to South Africa, I knew I had to build space in our itinerary to make the trek to Victoria Falls. A bucket list item of mine for many years, one I thought I might never cross off. Matt quibbled about the cost of the extra plane ticket to Zambia but I stood my ground on this one. We weren’t going THAT far to not see (and swim in) one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World!
A few weeks before we left the states, I set aside a day for us to visit the Zambian embassy in Washington, D.C. in attempt to be better prepared to enter the country without hassle. I had read online you could either get your visa prior to your travels or purchase it right there at the arrivals terminal. I thought I was being proactive, but as it turns out this approach did not save us any time. If you are considering getting your visa before you arrive, I’d advise against it. Nearly every other traveler waiting in line with us was conducting the transaction with the customs agents as we stood behind them – grimaces, no doubt, plastered to our faces. While we did have a good day together in D.C., it was ultimately time that could have been better spent.
Finally, we made it through to the other side and we were ready to party! Zambia, on the other hand, had different ideas. The driver who was scheduled to pick us up for our hotel transfer forgot about us and we were left standing outside the tiny airport like two loners that the bouncer wouldn’t allow into the club. We must have looked lost for a second too long because we were quickly surrounded by a horde of eager taxi drivers just pouncing at the chance to give us a ride.
Shortly after checking in to our bed & breakfast, we scheduled a sunset cruise on the Zambezi river. The company, Safari Par Excellence, picked us right up from where we were staying and transported us, along with the other guests, to where the boat was docked. No sooner than we boarded were we clinking our cold glasses of gin and tonic and saying, “cheers!” to the warm weather and beautiful, hippo-lined river that flowed before us. The staff onboard was lovely. The gentlemen tending the bar always had our next drink prepared before we could finish the last and we made fast friends with the cheerful grill master on the deck below.
While we didn’t cruise too terribly far, we were treated with the sights of some bathing hippos, lounging gators, and a playful elephant chasing some ducks along the edge of the river. There really is no thrill quite like seeing these beautiful creatures in their natural environment.
The next morning, we were up quite early to start our jam-packed day of adrenaline inducing activities. We caught a cab from our bed and breakfast to the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe where we would be bungee jumping with Shearwater. The long walk to the jumping spot was peppered with local artisans trying to sell us bracelets, figurines, and Zimbabwean dollars (don’t fall for this trick unless you want it purely as a souvenir as this currency has been suspended indefinitely) but our minds were focused on one thing only : The Jump! When we made it to the sign-in, the energy was palpable. The employees really tried to make this a great experience from start to finish. After we got a few formalities out of the way including having our weight and shoe size marked on our arms for safety reasons, we were off to conquer fear. The view of the area was incredible. If we were going to defy death, this seemed like a spectacular spot to do so. The photos below are of the mighty Zambezi River and the bridge where we made our jump.
I wish I had better footage of our actual descent, but we decided not to purchase the videos Shearwater had captured of us. In order to ease your nerves, they ask a few questions as they get you ready for your jump and one of the crew members make a short intro video for you. They then capture your freefall! The entire process ran very smoothly and I can’t recommend the company enough. It was evident these guys were VERY competent and skilled in what they were doing. They were not only technically sound, but great at keeping your mind from wandering to the worst case scenarios. There were several other participants on the bridge with us at the same time, some of them partaking in the other activities offered by Shearwater. While I can’t speak to those directly, the smiles and laughter all around leads me to believe they were just as enjoyable.
Matt mentally preparing for what he is about to do. A few seconds after I snapped this picture he stood up and turned to me, looked me dead straight in the eyes, and said in a monotone voice, “This is the worst idea you’ve ever had”. I beg to differ! One of the first questions each jumper is asked as their legs are being wrapped up in towels and the bungee cord is, “How are you feeling?” Matt, along with every other jumper before him answered in some rendition of “nervous” or “terrified”. When I was asked the same question I responded with “brave”, although I have to admit that as my toes wiggled closer to the edge of the bridge I was beginning to feel anything but. The staff coaxed me closer and began their countdown. 5-4-3-2-1 BUNGEEE! At first, the sensation of the free fall paired with the view of the sharp rocks and raging white waters below caused my heart to pound through my ears. Though it only lasted a few seconds it felt like much longer. I finally felt the initial jolt of the cord as it hit its max and my lungs let out the loudest roar. In total Tarzan style I pounded my chest and shouted a few expletives for conquering fear – $*%# Yeah! Before I knew it a young man was lowered to meet me and together we were winched back to the bridge. At this point I was clipped onto a line under the bridge and tasked with making the long walk under the bridge, unclipping and reclipping myself for safety. With JELLO legs this was more difficult than it sounds but eventually I made way onto solid ground, this time in Zimbabwe. Does this count as adding another country to my growing list, I questioned to myself. My thoughts were cut short by two men who greeted me, looking to make a sale. Matt and I quickly realized this was part of the culture here. From bottled water, to handmade trinkets, and even out-of-circulation money, if there is an opportunity to sell you something, these guys will not let it pass them by. Don’t let that intimidate you, some of the handmade items are actually really awesome. At times I wish we had been traveling with bigger bags so we could bring more souvenirs home. Besides, tourism is the heart of these people’s income and our purchases go a long way.
I finally made it back to the jumping point where Matt greeted me with a celebratory hug. We high-fived and then high-tailed it up to the bar for a beer to calm our lingering nerves. Over those beers we decided we had quenched our thirst for the bungee experience and saw no need to repeat it in the future. We’ll see 🙂
After we finished up we headed over to The Royal Livingstone, our meeting spot for our tour of Livingstone Island and a swim in the Devil’s Pool. Finally, a bucket list item realized! We opted to walk rather than take a taxi as it wasn’t very far and we had some time to kill. We passed a horde of monkeys swinging through the branches along the way. Even after spending a few days on safari the amazement never seemed to wear off and I could stare at those playful monkeys for hours, but Matt ushered me along after a few minutes. Even though we took our time getting to the hotel, we still arrived with plenty of time to spare so we sat out at the bar by the water to have a drink and some lunch. 
From our seats we had the perfect view of a group of hippos hanging out in the water. I couldn’t dream of a more perfect setting for lunch while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive.
Not long after we finished our meals everyone started to gather and our guides pulled up in the boat. After taking care of some nuances (signing our lives away), we loaded onto the small boat, strapped some life vests on ourselves, and were whisked away through the water and past the sleeping hippos to the main attraction. It only took a few minutes before we arrived to the place where we, like David Livingstone did many years ago, set our gaze upon Victoria Falls, or “The Smoke that Thunders”. Our visit took place during the dry season, the only time the Devil’s Pool is accessible, but the sheer amount of falling water was still incredible to witness. We all stopped to snap a few photos before stripping down to our bathing suits and making the short swim to the pool. Our wonderful guides lead the way showing us exactly where it was safest to step. Pro tip: the rocks here can be quite sharp on the bottom so if you can make the room in your bags, water shoes are really helpful although plenty of people in our group braved it barefoot. Once in the Devil’s Pool, the view was insane including a beautiful rainbow sprawling through the sky to our left. The guides were really great about making sure everyone got a turn at the edge of the falls by themselves to soak up the magic of the moment and to take a few photos defying death. Don’t be afraid to hand over your camera, these guys know what they are doing and you will be so happy to have the memory captured beyond the selfie. They even got some great video footage on Matt’s camera! 
Back on dry land, a high tea feast was set up for us. Depending on the time of the day your tour is, I believe the food options vary but we had a couple small bites of savory and sweet. The food was actually pretty good which surprised me considering the location of where we were eating. We toasted to our new friends from near and far and that just about wrapped up our short visit to Zambia. The next morning it was back to the airport.
If you are planning on making the trip to the Devil’s pool it is important to note that Tongabezi is the only company that operates the tour and spots fill up quickly, so it is important to book ahead of time. From my understanding this is the only way you can legally access this area as well.
Travel safe, friends! Let us know about your favorite spots or memories from Zambia in the comments!
