December 22, 2024
Following breakfast at the hotel our post-cruise group of four gathered in the hotel lobby for transfer to the airport for our flight to Zimbabwe and a visit to Victoria Falls. We were surprised yesterday when there were only four of us on the city tour and thought perhaps Regent had divided us into smaller groups to get us to the hotel, but it turns out we four are it. Ironically our fourth musketeer is a fellow “12”, residing in Kirkland, WA!
We flew from Cape Town to the Victoria Falls International Airport in Zimbabwe. By the time we got through customs and purchased our Visas, our luggage had already arrived at the carrousel. Our guide met us outside baggage claim and swiftly delivered us to our new digs.
And what digs they are!
The Victoria Falls Hotel was built in 1904 to accommodate passengers on the newly built National Railway of Zimbabwe. It is still owned by National Railway and over the years has played hosts to royalty and been the site of a variety of pivotal political meetings. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous – and teeming with baboons! An electric fence surrounds the property, an effort to keep other wildlife out.
As you walk the pathways it’s easy to imagine women in their Victorian gowns sashaying down the walks with their parasols to protect them from the sun’s rays or floating down the stairs on their way to a formal dinner. Things are far less pretentious now, but the décor and furnishings continue to reflect a bygone era of elegance. The hotel boasts multiple seating areas, three restaurants, a bar, a beauty salon, a spa and a chapel.
First time we’ve ever found this in our hotel bathroom…
From the back porch area, you can see the bridge that is home to the railway, built in support of Cecil John Rhodes’ vision for a railway system from Cape Town to Cairo. It was impossible to accomplish this without building a bridge across the great Zambezi River. Rhodes never visited the Falls and died before construction on the bridge even began, but he was familiar enough with it to insist that the bridge be built in a place that would ensure spray from the Falls would land on the passing trains. Mission accomplished!
After settling in and enjoying an impressive lunch we embarked on a sunset river cruise down the Zambezi River. The Zambezi is the fourth largest river in Africa, and the longest east-flowing one. Rising from a natural spring in Zimbabwe, it flows through eastern Angola, along the northeast border of Namibia, the border of Botswana, and along the border between Zambia and Mozambique where it empties into the Indian Ocean.
We were treated to snacks and beverages as we trolled the river hoping for wildlife sightings. We could see the mist from the Falls.
It didn’t take long for the wildlife to appear. What a treat! Hippos, elephants, crocodiles…it was great! (BTW, those “bumps” in the last picture below are hippos.)
We arrived back at the hotel just in time for a traditional bar-b-q and performance of traditional song and dance. The performers were incredibly energetic and engaging. At what initially appeared to be the end of the show Aunt Dori was asked if she’d like to take some pictures with the group. She enthusiastically agreed and found herself front and center performing with them instead, kicking and jumping and waiving her arms. It wasn’t what she expected, but she was a trooper! We’ve got the video to prove it but not many “still” photos.
She finally returned to the table 20 minutes later, exhausted but laughing. She may not be able to move tomorrow, but she sure had fun tonight!
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