The final leg of our amazing Southern Africa adventure was to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Due to logistics and our penny-pinching selves, we took the cheaper route into the area through the Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport (LVI) in Zambia. Unfortunately, the only experience we had in Zambia was driving from the airport and across the border into Zimbabwe. If we had to do it all over again, we would have likely flown directly into Zimbabwe to avoid border control…or just booked some time in Zambia. Although the Batonka Guest Lodge provided transportation from LVI airport about 20km/12 miles, it took us 2 hours to get through border control alone. Lesson learned.

After our long trek to the hotel, we checked in at the beautiful Batonka Guest Lodge. The staff and accommodations were incredible. Upon arrival, we were given a complimentary drink and sat down with one of the staff members to discuss the area. The town of Victoria Falls, which included the falls itself, was within walking distance of the hotel. However, we were advised to use caution during our walk as there had been a small pride of lions spotted in the area. Extremely settling since we knew what lions were capable of after our trip to Sabi Sands mere days before…

However, we laugh in the face of danger, ha ha ha (for our Lion King fans out there) and trekked the 2.5km/1.5 miles to town. On our walk, we came across numerous birds, monkeys, and warthogs. To our joy, no lions in sight! We ventured over to the River Brewing Company, sat down outside, enjoyed a few beers (Kaza Blonde and River IPA, specifically) and a meal. After a few drinks, we walked over to The Three Monkeys for a few more drinks and dessert. As you would expect, the entire restaurant was full of tourists. The food and drinks were great but if you are looking for a more “local” experience, this place is not it.

The following day, we ventured back into town and went to the falls. Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and it runs through both Zimbabwe and Zambia. Visiting Victoria Falls is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The falls are so massive, there are 19 total viewing points; 15 on the Zimbabwean-side and 4 on the Zambian-side.

Keep in mind we were in Victoria Falls in April so it was WET (hence the quality of the above picture). We can only speak about the falls from the Zimbabwean-side. Although February to May is the best time to visit the falls since you will see the greatest amount of water going over the falls, you will have a hard time seeing the falls at certain viewing points due to the amount of mist. We had the best view of the falls from viewing points 1 thru 8. Once we got to viewing point 9, we were completely drenched from head to toe and so was our camera. We advise not only bringing rain coats, but also bringing a rain sleeve or rain cover for your camera. Additionally, we were unable to visit the infamous Devil’s Pool due to the amount of water. The best time to visit Devil’s Pool is typically between September and December.

After visiting Victoria Falls, we walked back to our hotel and dried off before dinner. At 4:30 PM, a shuttle picked us up to go on the Zambezi Dinner Cruise on Ma Roberts. We enjoyed a four-course meal, more animal sightings, and a beautiful sunset on the Zambezi River. If you are looking for a more “romantic” setting during your visit to this part of the world, we highly recommend this dinner cruise!

The following day, we were again picked up by a shuttle at 7:00 AM but this time, we were heading over the border into Botswana for the tour of Chobe National Park. The tour was broken up into a half day land safari and a half day water safari. This national park is known for the highest concentration of African elephants in the entire African continent and we saw why! Every turn of our vehicle, there was a herd of elephants. At one point during our land safari, a male elephant started to charge our vehicle. We remained calm and quiet and he eventually back off.

We enjoyed lunch at the Chobe Safari Lodge where we enjoyed the company of some cheeky monkeys that would venture down to the tables to try to steal food. After lunch, we went on the water safari where we saw more birds including a fish eagle, a monitor lizard, alligators, and a pod of hippos.

After our amazing land and water safaris in Botswana, we headed back to Zimbabwe where we enjoyed drinks and a delicious meal at The Lookout Cafe. If you don’t go for the food, go for the view! The restaurant overlooks like Batoka Gorge which is located at the end of Victoria Falls. You can even choose to go on the gorge swing. However, we chose to just watch this time around.

The following day, we flew back to Johannesburg and then back to our home base. Overall, the trip was nothing short of amazing. Kristen’s bucket list item was not only fulfilled but blown out of the water. Not only did she get to go on a safari (sorry, not “a” safari, MANY safaris) but got to see penguins, and a natural wonder of the world.

To get a quick breakdown of our itinerary for Southern Africa, don’t forget to check out the Itineraries page. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions while booking your trip!

Wait, there’s more? Check out Kristen’s Bucket List Trip Bonus!