Ok, so here's where we made a mistake.
Zambia is WAY cheaper than Zimbabwe.
So we booked our hotel in Zambia. BUT we flew into Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe. Don't do that. Stay consistent. Maybe that's obvious. But we messed up. Livingstone is just 25 minutes from Victoria Falls airport. But don't.
Visa-wise, no big deal because there is a uni-visa (highly recommend) even if you're just staying in Zimbabwe because the Devils' Edge experience is on the Zambia's side, and might as well cross over the border to see another country, right??
But here's the issue. Taxis can not cross the border. So you take a taxi to the border. Do immigration. Walk over a 200 meter no-mans-land, and then take another taxi.
So basically- it's a pain to constantly cross the border.
If you're staying on the Zambian side, you need to fly into Zambia. Cross over to Zimbabwe ONCE to see the falls, and stay on the Zambian side for other experiences. But we kept going back and forth and it was tiring. And we made the mistake of flying into Victoria Falls airport instead of Livingstone.
Couple things to be aware of:
1- December- the Zambian side is fairly dry. Helicopter is a good option to see everything quickly and a unique vantage point. AND you don't have to cross borders.
2- Flights stop in Victoria Falls and then go to Livingstone and on the return as well.
The helicopter is expensive, but there's no age limit, so great for kiddos. Especially since they can't white water raft, horseback ride, bungee jump, or do the Devil's Edge. So options are limited in terms of activities.
Ok, so on the day we arrived- we planned just one thing and that was going on a Zambezi River Cruise. It is one of the highlights of our entire trip. Maybe because it was simply perfect way to unwind after a long day's journey. But they keep the drinks and snacks flowing, and it was just lovely. So I HIGHLY recommend following our itinerary on this one.
Day 2- we did morning helicopter rides, which was nice. Don't know if it's possible to do it at sunset, but perhaps that would be better. We had originally booked Devi's Edge, but when we learned the kids couldn't go, we nixed it and moved our helicopter ride up.
Some really great aerial views. And rainbow to boot!
Then we took a break and had tea at the Royal Livingstone (one of our unnecessary crossing of the borders) but I do recommend the hotel and the tea service. Like going back in time to the Colonial era.
And we finished the day inside the Victoria Falls park itself to get on-the-ground views, and do some walking/hiking.
In the beginning, I hadn't really planned this, thinking our aerial views were enough and I'm not a huge Falls person... but you really should walk and hike around. Negotiate with the street hawkers selling their wares across the entrance. There are also dancers. It's pretty fun.
We packed in a lot on Day 2 because on Day 3, we went off to Chobe National Park in Botswana. But if you have the time. I would do the helicopter and high tea on one day and keep it relaxing. And then do the ground tour of the falls plus something adventurous on the next day. Just a thought.
Overall, the kids enjoyed this part of the trip. Enough activities. And no museums! And the weather was lovely.
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