Oct 10, 2015 | Wild Horizons Activites, wildhorizons, Zambezi river
A helicopter flight over the Victoria Falls offers an entirely new perspective on a truly special sight. It is only from the air that the scale and majesty of the zig zagging gorge carved by the progression of the Waterfall over millennia are apparent.
The flight over the waterfall is nicknamed ‘The Flight of Angels’- a phrase taken from what Davis Livingstone said upon seeing the Falls “Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by Angels in Their Flight”.
As you take off you first follow the incredibly wide lazy path of the upper Zambezi- an entirely different character than when it spills over the waterfall’s chasm and crashes through the narrow gorge. Then you encounter the majestic spectacle of the Victoria Falls- the entire width apparent as you fly lazy figure eights giving everyone a chance to view the Falls and capture the rising spray and plumes of falling water. It truly is something that gives a sense of awe- and in the helicopter you glide in such a smooth way that it’s easy to forget what is propelling you. To me, it truly feels like a magic carpet ride.
If you are taking a 13-minute flight, your pilot will then fly you back upstream and return to the launchpad. If taking the longer 28-minute flight, you will continue down to the Batoka Gorge. This offers the opportunity to spot wildlife from the sky as you take in the beautiful scenery of the Batoka Gorge.
Flights take place every day (weather permitting) from dawn to sunset. For enquiries and bookings contact info@wildhorizons.co.zw or visit our website.http://wildhorizons.co.za/helicopter/#6 The ‘Flight of Angels’ Helicopter Ride
Sep 17, 2015 | Uncategorized
The water levels at Victoria Falls are lower than is normal for September. This has resulted in the best viewing being from the Zimbabwean side of the Falls. The image above shows the two sides of the Falls with Zambia being to the right of the bridge in the image and Zimbabwe to the left you can clearly see how little water is visible from Zambia.
We encourage all agents with guests staying in Zambia to ensure they purchase a KAZA Visa for Zambia and Zimbabwe so they can view the Falls from Zimbabwe and avoid disappointment. There is still good viewing from the Zimbabwean side to be had but we expect water levels to continue to drop in the following months (until mid January dependant on the rains further upstream.)
One upside of the low water levels is great white water rafting. On the whole, lower water levels means higher thrill levels and more rapids in the river. As the water level drops, so the river follows the contours of the river bed more closely and the white water starts to really boil and crash through the gorge. You can read more about what is rated as the best one day rafting trip in the world here.
Sep 11, 2015 | The Flying Fox, The Gorge Swing, The Wallow, The Zip Line, Things to do in Victoria Falls, wild horizons activities
A High-wire Activity is an adrenaline rush and a must do when visiting Victoria Falls.
There is a range of activities from the family friendly and exciting Canopy Tour to the extreme gorge swing for those who are more adventurous. Wherever you fall on the adrenaline scale try something new and you won’t regret the memories you make.
There are 4 levels of Activity:
The Canopy Tour: The gentlest of the high-wire activities. This exciting and scenic activity offers amazing views of the turbulent rapids, the Victoria Falls Bridge and the spray of the Falls. This unique experience is suitable for families or groups who will be able to enjoy the activity together. Adventure seekers of all ages can partake. Observe the riverine forest from a variety of vantage points – from above, below and within the canopy itself. Experience forest bird-life, which can include the Black Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Knysna and Purple-crested Turaco (Lourie).
Flying Fox: You get clipped into a harness that is attached to a pulley which then glides along an almost horizontal cable across the gorge, 125m above the canyon floor. This gives you the sensation of flying. It looks tame in comparison to the Zip Line and Gorge swing, but this is still a thrilling experience.
The Zip Line: This is similar to the Flying Fox but here the cable is not horizontal it is at a steep angle so once you let go you accelerate down-hill at speeds of over 100km/h. It is extremely exhilarating and can be done singly or in tandem. It is twice the distance as the flying fox.
Gorge Swing: Leave your stomach behind, this is only for the totally insane. Your harness is attached to a rope, the rope is attached to the middle of a cable that runs across the full width of the gorge.
Once you are all set, you stand on a platform on the edge of a sheer 120m cliff, say a quick prayer and jump off – how crazy is that? You jump off and free-fall for about 70m straight towards the river below, then as the rope becomes taut you start to swing away from the ravine you were hurtling towards, fractions of a second ago. You then swing in a gentle arc giving you time to appreciate both the beauty of the scenery and the adrenaline rush.
Sep 3, 2015 | Family Friendly Activity, Things to do in Victoria Falls, Wild Horizons Activites
#1 See the Mighty Victoria Falls
The sheer power of the Zambezi water cascading over the cliff into the gorge below and sending sprays of water over the rainforest is spectacularly beautiful and restores an inherent love of nature. It is the awe that you feel seeing the power of Nature at its best. The views, the Rainbow ever-present, the humidity, the feel, it’s really breathtaking and a ‘must’ on any bucket list.
Tips:
- The Zimbabwe side of the Falls offers the most impressive views of the Main Falls.
- No matter the time of the year you may get wet! It is hot in Zimbabwe so many find it refreshing but ensure your camera gear/ cellphone/passport is protected with a ziplock for wet areas and try not to wear anything that may become sheer.
- Bring water, the cost of water is more expensive on site than if you buy it else where before arriving.
- Wear good walking shoes, especially important for the wet areas that could be slippery.
- The walk back through the rainforest is beautiful but it is long! It’s a very relaxing walk with benches to stop at along the way and the path is nice and wide and smooth!
- Rainbows are cool. But what trumps rainbows? Moon-bows. If you visit Victoria Falls during a full moon, the light of the moon through the waterfall’s spray produces a lunar rainbow, or moon-bow.
- If you can afford it get a guide, they tell you so much about the History of the Falls and the surrounding Area than what you can figure out for yourself from just visiting.
Coming soon #2 on our list of the seven wonders of Victoria Falls: Raft the mighty Zambezi!
Aug 25, 2015 | Family Friendly Activity, Home Hosted Meals, meetourpeople, Sustainiable Tourism, Things to do in Victoria Falls, Victoria Falls, Wild Horizons Activites, Zimbabwean Culture
Victoria Falls Home Hosted Dinner
As someone with a passion for culture, travel and food I love the idea of a home hosted dinner. The concept is a simple one; your host cooks and shares a traditional meal with you, at his or her place.
In Victoria Falls this means that you are welcomed into a typical Zimbabwean house in ‘Chinotimba’. Chinotimba is a high-density suburb of Victoria Falls and away from the general main town and fancy hotels. It is where most of the population of Victoria Falls lives and is also known as Chinotimba Township.
I had the chance to attend a home hosted dinner recently (You can also go for lunch). The cost of the meal includes your return transfers and I was picked up first. We collected the other guests from the beautiful and manicured Victoria Falls Hotel. The other attendees were two American couples. As we moved in the bus away from elegant lawns and colonial architecture into Chinotimba the sounds and smells coming through the windows which we had opened became more intense. It was as if we were watching Mother Africa peel off layers of adornments to reveal her heart.
In Chinotimba the streets are uneven and crowded; crowded with women dressed in colourful ‘chitenge’ fabric wrappers and firewood precariously balanced upon their heads; crowded with children playing and laughing; crowded with old men chatting in the street. Whereas at night the streets in the centre of town were quiet Chinotimba was full of life. There was a sense of palpable excitement in the bus.
We pulled up at a small European style house in close proximity to its neighbours. Our host Tshipo made her way down the front steps. She was dressed in a traditional ‘wrapper’ made from local fabric around her waist and had another as a head-dress. She welcomed us warmly, clasping our hands in both of hers as she greeted us. Her yard was swept clean and rather than an ornamental garden it housed rows of vegetables (Tshipo proudly told us that this is typical here where most households grow and use vegetables). Children of varying ages shyly peeked at us and darted forward to touch a hand or ask questions. After we had all been introduced our host showed us into her living room.
From early on the interaction was very human; everyone wanted to know about each other ‘Where are you from?’, ‘Are these all your kids?’ Once we got to know each other we were seated. Tshipo had prepared the meal prior to our arrival and there were multiple covered dishes. Tshipo opened them one by one and explained the different dishes as she served them.
There was sadza (polenta or maize meal) the staple of all of Southern Africa, kale with a peanut (similar to satay) sauce, kale sautéed with onion and tomato, Kapenta (small, dried and salted fish), beef stew, chicken stew and a side of Mopane Worms (dried caterpillars) for those who were adventurous. The table burst into laughter when a guest enquired about the tiny kapenta fish ‘How do you find a hook small enough to catch them?!’ and Tshipo responded ‘We use a net’.
As we ate we talked loudly and excitedly, the guests and host shared images of their grandchildren… We learned that everyone had far more things in common than different. And after dinner, the children who had eaten in the kitchen with their grandmother crowded around to meet us. An American lady started singing songs her children had liked to one of the little girls and the next thing we knew we had a sing-a-long. The little children were really excited to sing for us so we got to hear a few Ndebele songs before Tshipo sternly reminded them of bedtime on a school night and ushered them off.
After a cup of tea or coffee with our host it was time to return to our hotels and we said a warm farewell to Tshipo. It was a delightful evening and an experience I would recommend to anyone visiting Zimbabwe. The experience is so genuine. You have an interaction that is deceptively simple, yet somehow meaningful; the sharing of a meal. If you’re lucky you’ll make a friend as we all did exchanging email addresses and swapping photos.
Details
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Home Hosted Dinners and Lunches are offered by Wild Horizons
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A great experience for children or teens who will enjoy meeting other children and learn about other cultures.
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Expect an authentic home cooked meal- there will be options you are familiar with that are commonly eaten in Zimbabwe such as beef stew as well as some local dishes that may be new to you. You do not have to try these if you are wary but it is great fun if you do.
Text and Images by Sarah Kerr
