Southern Africa
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, & Botswana
Travel Itinerary & Guide
15 Days in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia & Botswana
Experience South Africa’s Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Gansbaai, and Kruger then adventure into Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe with unforgettable experiences by crossing the border into Botswana at Chobe National Park and Livingstone, Zambia.
Day 1:
Tired from the long journey, but beyond eager to start our first adventure in Africa, we landed in Cape Town from Johannesburg a little after noon and went out and explored the vibrant nightlife.
Green Point Airbnb
We took an Uber from the Cape Town Airport to our magnificent AirBnB at the base of Signal Hill that offers breathtaking views of Green Point, Cape Town Stadium, the ocean, and even Robben Island. The patio or even their pool is the perfect place to open a bottle of South African wine and watch the sunset. The price is excellent for the value you get from this Airbnb. It’s in a wonderful neighborhood and a 10-15 minute drive from most cafes, restaurants or bars.
City Grill Steakhouse
We wanted to start our South African journey out with some unique meats and dishes of Africa, so we visited the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront which houses City Grill. We enjoyed two main dishes: Mixed Grill on a skewer (South African boerewors (sausage), chops, steak, skewered grilled and served with an egg) and giant grilled mixed venison skewer (Crocodile, ostrich, warthog, springbok, home-made venison sausage, red bell peppers and dried fruit skewered and grilled with a quince-jelly sauce.) The food was excellent and gave us an excellent introduction to game meats. The views of the waterfront were lovely, and on a cold night, they offered us blankets when we sat outside, a testament to their kind service. The price was very reasonable, especially compared to meals in the U.S..
V&A Waterfront
Take an after-dinner stroll through the V&A Waterfront. There are quite a few bars, restaurants, shops, and live music.
Day 2:
With our first full day in Cape Town, we adventured around getting ourselves oriented with the city.
The Chicken Shop
We slept through breakfast and went straight for lunch at the Chicken Shop. Start with how you want your chicken prepared, which there is a large variety of ways (mostly rotisserie style with different bases), then work your way to their incredible side dishes. Very fast-casual environment.
Mojo Market
We then walked off all of that delicious food at the Mojo Market, a collective eatery, bar, and shop. This is also another great option for lunch as they feature unique dishes from all across the globe. Perfect for any world traveler! Regardless, it’s still a fun place to walk around and they have great live music throughout the day and into the evening.
Crumbs & Cream
When you’re on vacation you deserve delicious treats, so why not enjoy a custom ice cream sandwich! Choose the type of cookie or pastry you like then throw some delicious ice cream into the mix!
Hop On Hop Off Bus
We spent much of the afternoon exploring Cape Town on a Hop On Hop Off City bus tour. It was a great way to get familiar with the city and learn about its history in a very cheap way. We bought our tickets online at a discount and then started the tour a few blocks away from Crumbs & Cream on St. John Road and Corner Beach in Seapoint. We then rode the bus all the way to Long Street with a few stops here and there, where we made it just a few minutes before a free walking tour at the City Sightseeing tourism office. Since we had a few minutes to spare before the tour, we checked out the crafts market around the corner. The free tour was over an hour long and gave us useful information about Cape Town and its history. Just to note, be very careful on Long Street, since it’s a popular tourist area there are a lot of beggars, and we’ve heard about pickpocketers as well.
Mama Africa
Right down the street from the City Sightseeing tourism office is Mama Africa a vibrant restaurant that offers traditional South African dishes with an electric mix of musicians and drummers to accompany your meal. The food was good and the ambiance was great. Be sure to make a reservation well in advance. We were able to make them online a month before our visit. We had the Vegetable Samoosas, which were delicious. The Mozambique Chicken Livers were good as the sauce helped cover up much of the chicken liver taste and texture. For our main dishes, we shared the Mama’s Bobotie (almost like a meatloaf) and the Hunters Game Potjie (similar to a stew). The vibe and service were great!
Long Street
We then visited a variety of places on Long Street to enjoy the nightlife. Please keep in mind that Long Street can be a bit dangerous so keep an eye on your surroundings and belongings. The bars we visited:
Beer House: 20 taps and 99 bottles of beer, you can’t go wrong here! There are also nightly specials like taco night or wing night. They have a nice balcony too.
Baghdad Whiskey Cafe: A great variety of whiskey and hookah.
The Waiting Room: Has local DJs and hip-hop artists. They also have a rooftop and balcony. We had to pay cover though.
The Dubliner: Irish Pub with live music.
Day 3:
We used our third day to visit the penguins at Boulder Beach. Our original plan was to climb Table Mountain (around 3 hours), see the sunset then take the cable car back down but the wind was too strong and the cable cars were closed, so we relaxed at the house instead. If you can, I would fit Table Mountain in the mix as long as the weather conditions are good!
Bootlegger Green Point
Grab a quick, easy, and delicious from the local coffee and restaurant chain: Bootlegger. There are a few spread out through Cape Town, but they all offer excellent quality foods and dessert. We ordered the beef minced omelet and the smoked salmon trout Benedict. The beef minced omelet was a bit heavy in the morning and had a little bit of a sweet taste to it. Instead, we enjoyed the smoked salmon trout benedict. The poached eggs were done perfectly. The banana bread and cappuccinos were great too! Also, on the backside of Bootlegger’s building, there are colorful houses to take photos with!
Avis Rent a Car
We rented a small car from the downtown Avis for only $50 (including fuel charge and GPS).
Penguins at Boulder Beach
Drive about 1-hour through beautiful scenery and into Simon’s Town. From there you’ll see signs directing you to the parking lot for the penguins. There is a small National Park entrance station that cost a very minimal fee to enter, which will allow you to see the penguins from various raised and separated walkways on the beach. You can always walk through platforms that run parallel to the water and look at the penguins even more up close for free. If you continue you along this platform, there is another National Park entrance,(you can enter with your ticket from the other entrance) that will take you to a small beach where you can go in the water…and if you’re lucky enough you might even get to swim with a penguin or two!
Berthas Restaurant
Feast on a delicious seafood platter at Bertha’s while enjoying views of the Marina. It’s quite affordable for the good quality seafood that you receive. We were nervous this would be a bit of a tourist trap, but it actually turned out to be wonderful.
Return to Cape Town
Drive back to Cape Town but be on the lookout for a few of the viewpoints towards the top of the mountains, they offer some beautiful views.
One&Only Resort
We grabbed craft cocktails at the luxurious One & Only Resort while we waited for Nobu to open. From the taste to presentation, the drinks were complete works of art. Even people walking by wanted to take photos of our drinks! They offer a variety of complimentary bar snacks while you enjoy your cocktail. The menu even explains when the best time to enjoy a drink is.
Nobu
We decided to visit Nobu as a recommendation from a friend considering this is probably one of the more affordable Nobu experiences in the world. It was still expensive, but for the beautiful fine-dining experience, it was worth it. The total bill for two people with a variety of dishes, drinks, and dessert was $180. Nobu is located in the One & Only Resort, and the decor matches the hotel but then brings in Asian themes creating a proper distinction and ambiance. The food was delicious. The menu can be a bit overwhelming as it’s very extensive. They recommend three different ways to tackle the menu:
1. Omakase Sets, a variety multi-course meal.
2. Having the waiter guide you through various dishes based off of your tastes and likings.
3. Just try your best when ordering.
We elected for the third option, and it turned out quite well! Some of the highlights were the tuna/salmon spicy miso tacos, “Nobu Style” sushi, Rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy and buttery ponzu, then for dessert was the chocolate bento box and the Japanese whiskey cappuccino. The service started out perfect, but as more people arrived, even though it wasn’t anywhere near full, the service quality declined. I would still recommend visiting Nobu if you have time.
Day 4:
Our fourth day was a day trip out to Gansbaai for Great White Shark Cage Diving. We originally planned to do this on our first day in Cape Town as we knew that it’s very dependent on good weather and water conditions, so we wanted to have a buffer to move the experience around if things weren’t looking in our favor. Good thing we did as there were stormy conditions the first few days, so the company we booked with moved our reservation to Tuesday.
Great White Shark Cage Diving
Great White Shark cage diving was one of the coolest and unique experiences I’ve ever had. Our driver picked us up from our AirBnB in Cape Town at 6:00 am then drove us all the way to Gansbaai, where we paid, filled out paperwork, and were given a quick orientation and safety demonstration while eating a light breakfast. We then headed out on the boat towards the sharks. Since it was winter time, it can be cold on the boat so bring warmer clothes. Also, the ocean waves are rough so I would recommend bringing sea sickness prevention medicine and taking it beforehand (usually 30-minutes before). There were about 3 people who got sick on our boat on the way back in.
Once you’re out at sea, they’ll have you put your wetsuits on while they chum the water and prepare the cages. The best part about this experience is that the humans are in the cage and the sharks are wild. They lure the sharks towards the cage in this natural area using fish that is in their diet. Once you get your wetsuit on and sharks start coming around, they’ll gather approximately 8 people and fit you with a mask and a weight to have you sink in the cage. They’ll get you in the cage and usually rotate every 10-15 minutes in the beginning until everyone has had a chance to see the sharks. We were very fortunate and were able to see four different great whites. The great white sharks were massive and so fascinating to see. The water had low visibility so we could only see them when they were about a foot from our face…yes they get that close which is fantastic! There are wonderful views from the boat too. We were out on the water for over an hour, and they could tell when everyone was ready to come in. They then pulled up the cage, prepared the boat, and we returned to shore. Since the water was cold, my lips turned blue but the staff checked on me (they were fantastic) and there are showers at their station that felt amazing. Then to warm the insides they had a big bowl of soup waiting for us. This was delicious and enjoyed while watching a highlight reel that they put together.
Mzansi Restaurant
Mzansi Restaurant is one of those unique dining experiences that will stay with you the rest of your lives. We were a bit surprised when our Uber driver repeatedly asked if we were sure that we had the right address as the restaurant is located outside the major areas of the city and in a local township. Townships have bad reputations for crime and danger, especially towards outsiders, but Mzansi welcomes you into a township to show you a different aspect of South African culture. On arrival the host will meet you at your car and walk you into the house (which is the restaurant). There is also security for you and your vehicle if you choose to drive. As soon as you walk in, you are welcomed to the sounds of drums and other instruments from local musicians. There is a wonderful vibe filled with warm and welcoming energy. Mama will come out, the owner and founder of the Mzansi Restaurant and give you a hug while explaining her home cooked dishes. There is a small buffet, where every dish will have you asking for more. They sell beer, wine, and other drinks for an additional cost. After dinner is finished, they will come around with dessert, and mama will sit down at the head of the table and tell you her story of incredible hardship, strength, and perseverance. You will almost be in tears by the end of the experience. The night will be finished with drum playing where the local musicians will teach you to play their instruments. I really cannot recommend this experience enough; there is a reason it is the Number 1 restaurant on Trip Advisor in Cape Town, beating out some of the finest and most expensive restaurants. A few things to note: Reservations are mandatory and Mama will only cook enough food to account for the reservations made. Arrive around 6 p.m. There was another couple who came a bit later and they were already out of a lot of dishes. There is a beautiful art shop as well. They were able to call us a taxi using Taxify, then we paid in cash to get home. Also, if I remember correctly their credit card machine couldn’t process chip + sign only chip + pin, so if your card is chip + sign, bring cash.
Day 5:
We took Ubers out to the wineries, which only cost around $40 one-way and all the wineries we visited had wifi in-order to order the Ubers (we did have to ask for a password though).
Bacon On Bree
Start your day with a terrific meal at Bacon on Bree. This was one of our favorite breakfasts and I actually wish we could have gone back for lunch as well. Even culinary tours visit this establishment because it’s so good! Try the Breakfast Club!
Rust en Vrede Wine Estate
We visited Rust en Vrede Wine Estate, as I was traveling with someone who worked in the wine industry and had connections there. Even without knowing anyone at the winery, it is a fantastic vineyard and winery. With beautiful grounds right under the mountains, lush and deep red wines, and a kind staff this winery is a must-do! They also have a kitchen that serves lunch, but we just wine tasted in their beautiful tasting room. I believe almost all of their wines are reds because of the richness of the soil.
Glenelly Estates
For lunch, our friends from Rust en Vrede recommended grabbing lunch at Glenelly Estate’s restaurant that features spectacular views and even better culinary works of art. The staff was really warm and welcoming here, giving us a first class experience at a fair price point. The decor and ambiance of the restaurant are fantastic as well and compliments the food perfectly.
Anthonij Rupert Wine Farm
We concluded our wine journey at the Anthonij Rupert Winery, which is hands down the most beautiful and exquisite winery I have ever been to! (Even better than Napa, Italy, or France and my pictures don’t do it justice!) We were fortunate to have someone with us in the wine industry, so we were able to experience an exclusive tour of the grounds, wine cellars, and a fantastic tasting. I still highly recommend visiting their website and making a reservation online, as it’s required. There is also a motor museum on the grounds, which you can select as a combo package. The staff here is very kind, friendly, and sociable.
The Raptor Room
Return to Cape Town to enjoy a “traditional” Cape Town favorite: The Gatsby! A full history of the Gatsby and analysis can be found here: https://www.capetownmagazine.com/gatsby-sandwich but essentially a Gatsby is a delectable sandwich stuffed with meat, french fries, various sauces, and lettuce. We visited the Raptor Room which is where “traditional meets quirky”. We enjoyed the yummy three cheese samosas, and two Gatsby sandwiches (one with Jurassic Pork and the other with fried chicken). Everything was great and I have to say a Gatsby would make a great drunk food if given the chance. The staff was nice at Raptor Room and they have a very embracing and inclusive vibe.
Day 6:
This day was a half travel day from Cape Town to Klaserie Sands River Camp in the Greater Kruger Area.
Travel from Cape Town to Klaserie Sands River Camp
We originally booked a flight on a small airline called CEM Air. That is one of the few, maybe only, airlines that have direct flights from Cape Town to Hoedspruit airport. I would highly recommend against using CEM Air, not only is this flight extremely overpriced we had some of the worst customer service and support experiences. After arriving in Hoedspruit, we then rented a car via Avis at the airport to drive to Klaserie Sands River Camp. They do have airport transfers, but we needed a car to drive from Klaserie Sands River Camp to Kruger National Park a few days later. The rental cars are affordable. We also got a wifi device to help with google maps, but the service was spotty, but still came in handy occasionally.
Klaserie Sands River Camp
Klaserie Sands River Camp is the gold standard for hospitality and animal conservation. With every second of your experience being well thought out and considered, from the warm pouches that keep your hands cozy during the cold morning drives to the traditional African stories printed with stunning pictures on your pillow for bedtime reading, I can’t recommend this beautiful lodge enough! I won’t give away too much about the experience, as it’s the little surprises and delicate touches that make Klaserie Sands River Camp stand apart, but I’ll share a brief overview and hopefully answer some of your questions as I found it a little hard to find information about the lodge. Make your reservations online directly through their website as early as you can. I recommend planning your trip to Africa around the availability of the lodge, if at all possible. It’s all-inclusive for three meals, game drives, snacks, and alcohol (they do offer higher-end alcohol at an additional cost). From what I saw, the lodging isn’t individual bungalows, most are attached to each other but provide tremendous privacy and are very comfortable and inviting. There is a small fitness room with some cardio and stretching equipment, as well as a small gift shop. (Protip: the gift shop area and the gym have the strongest wifi, not the lodge!) There is a set schedule of activities that is well-thought out and planned to ensure you maximize your time and can see the most animals. You’ll receive a knock at your door before the sunrise. After getting dressed in lots of layers as it’s cold until the sun begins to rise, you’ll make your way to the lodge where you’ll be greeted with hot coffee, tea, and breakfast cookies. After you’ve had your caffeine, you’ll get onboard the open safari trucks. They’ll have thick blankets and heated pouches to help keep you comfortable. Our game drives were fantastic. We had a driver, spotter/tracker, and an additional trainee that led the way. They would work together on the radio with other lodges as well to make sure we all could find, share and enjoy the animals together. The safari guides were so kind, knowledgeable and wanted to ensure you had the best experience. Halfway through the drive, the guides will stop for a sunrise coffee and tea break. Also, since this is private land and not the national park, the guides are allowed to offroad and explore deeper in the bush to see the animals. After around two and a half hours we returned to the lodge for a delicious breakfast, prepared by the Klaserie Sands River Camp’s chef. Just to note, every meal you will have here is a work of art and the chef will put the biggest smile on your face when he greets you and describes the dishes. After breakfast, take a nap, relax by the pool or on your private patio as you’ll see wild animals drinking from the watering hole behind the lodge. Then towards the afternoon, you’ll have lunch on the deck under the shade of the trees. There will be a bit of time to digest then it’s time for the evening drive. The evening drives are excellent as the animals are very active. Towards the end of the drive, the guides will stop the vehicle, and you’ll get to enjoy a sundowner (a cocktail, wine, juice, beer, whatever you want) as you watch the legendary African sunsets. Once the sun drops, you’ll have the opportunity to see a new assortment of animals before returning to the lodge for cocktail hour. You’ll get to conclude your night with another mouth-watering meal and dessert. Then lay your head down on their comfortable beds with a printed African traditional story to help you doze off. Then wake and repeat life in paradise.
Day 7:
Enjoy another beautiful day at Klaserie Sands River Camp.
Klaserie Sands River Camp
Enjoy another perfect day at Klaserie Sands River Camp starting out with coffee, then a morning game drive, breakfast, lounging by the pool, lunch, then an evening game drive, and finish off with dinner.
Day 8:
Continue enjoying paradise at the Klaserie Sands River Camp.
Klaserie Sands River Camp
Enjoy the expert guides taking you on breath-taking safaris, delicious meals, and relaxing by the pool.
Day 9:
Enjoy Klaserie Sands River Camp in the morning then take an epic drive down to Kruger National Park.
Klaserie Sands River Camp
Finish off your stay at Klasarie Sands with a morning game drive and one last yummy breakfast on the patio.
Drive through Kruger National Park
Drive south from Klasarie River Sands Camp down to Kruger National Park. Our guides recommended that we take the scenic route which had its plus and minuses. The plus side is we saw some of the most spectacular animals and interactions like one watering hole had so many animals it looked like it was straight out of The Lion King. We saw elephants up close and even the elusive and rare wild dogs. The downside is that Kruger National Park has stringent rules about not being allowed to drive at night without an escort, which can make for a logistical nightmare. If you do not make it to Pretoriuskop (which is where we stayed) before a certain time you have to exit the park and reenter at the closest gate, which at first might sound really easy but the speed limit in the park and in Klasarie River Sands is very slow with steep fines so it might take longer than expected. I would recommend leaving Klasarie as early as possible after breakfast. We entered through the Orpen Gate because of the night restrictions, then had to exit the Paul Kruger Gate and re-enter with a paid escort service through the National Park at the Numbi Gate. Driving outside the park at night was a bit of a sketchy experience and I would not recommend having to do it. So enjoy the drive through Orpen Gate and make sure you allocate enough time to get to Pretoriuskop. Also, make sure you have enough cash available to pay if you need an escort. (I think it was around $40.) Most of the ATMs in Kruger do not work with foreign debit cards, the only one we could find was in Skukuza.
Pretoriuskop Tented Adventures
We then arrived at Pretoriuskop, a gated campsite within the Kruger National Park. They close the gates at sundown and open them a little before sunrise. There is a gas station, a gift shop, market, restaurant and various campgrounds and bungalows. Tented Adventures offers a beautiful glamping experience in the grounds. We stayed in a large tent that featured a queen size bed, bedside tables, lamps, power outlets and some cool decorations. The bathrooms are shared with the rest of the campsite; they’re well maintained except they did run out of warm water in the busier hours. My favorite part of the experience was sitting around the campfire meeting other guests from around the world. Then we shared a delicious dinner and a bottle of wine together while getting to hear about their experiences in Africa and about their hometowns. It’s truly a beautiful moment that warms your heart. The meals were great as well. Dinner featured a soup, a main course with sides, and dessert. They also had a full warm breakfast in the mornings too. There was a dedicated parking spot for our car which was nice. We elected to do our own game drives during the day, but if you don’t feel comfortable driving you can pay an additional fee to have someone from the campsite drive.
If I could plan the trip over again, I think I would do this experience first and then visit Klaserie Sands. I think it’s a bit more enjoyable to work up to the luxury of Klaserie Sands.
Day 10:
We did a self-drive through Kruger National Park.
Self Drive Through Kruger National Park
After eating breakfast at the campsite, we did a self-drive using a map we bought at the gift shop, heading towards the south-east areas of the park. We saw a lot of animals right outside the gate, including a leopard. There were a few stretches where we didn’t see anything because they had done controlled fires in the area recently. If you can ask around to find out where these controlled fire areas are, it might be helpful to avoid them.
Cattle Baron Grill & Bistro
We enjoyed lunch at the Cattle Baron Grill & Bistro located in the Skukuza Campsite. They have a great patio built looking out at the river, that is perfect on a nice day. We had a bacon cheeseburger that was more of a BBQ burger but was still really good. I’d recommend this place as a great option within Kruger. We stopped in the gift shop, as it is one of the larger ones in the park. After finishing up at Skukuza, we drove back to our camp.
Day 11:
We traveled through Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Travel to Zimbabwe
This was a bit of a chaotic experience, as we didn’t know that the gates at the campsite wouldn’t open until 6:30 am, and we had a flight at 8:25 am from the Nelspruit airport onboard South African Airways to Johannesburg then to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. As soon as the gates opened we drove out of the park (noting that you have to go really slow because of their speed limits) then bolted around twisty roads, getting stuck behind buses, having near-death experiences trying to pass the buses…anyway like I mentioned before, I probably would have started my time in Kruger with the Tented Adventures and then ended at Klaserie, which would have prevented this problem. We made it on time, and of course, our flight was delayed anyway, which then meant we had to run across Johannesburg’s airport escorted by a kind South African Airways employee to make our next flight. One of the things to note is Nelspruit Airport is one of the most beautiful airports in all of Africa, so if you fly in or out, budget some time to walk around and take it all in. We then landed in Victoria Falls around 12:30 pm. It took around 45-minutes to get our visa, we elected to get the KAZA visa, that is a more expensive visa but it allows for easy travel between Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana.
Flatdog Lodge
We were then picked up by our prearranged driver and taken to our hostel: Flatdog Lodge. Due to the economic crisis in Zimbabwe and that they do use dollars, it’s quite expensive. Because of how expensive it is, we chose to stay in a hostel, but we had our own room and bathroom. Flatdog Lodge worked out perfectly though. Very nice staff, continental breakfast included, and it was walking distance to the main areas of town and even to the Victoria Falls Bridge.
The River Brewing Company
The River Brewing Company is heaven on earth. With great food, beer tasting flights, and the life-changing gin and tonic tasting flight this place is a must when you visit Victoria Falls. I’m a big fan of gin and tonics naturally, but their gin and tonic flight took my love for this cocktail to another level. I loved the food too. We had a chicken sandwich and a sausage in a bun.
The Three Monkeys
To finish off the night we grabbed a frozen yogurt and soft serve ice cream at The Three Monkeys. There is a really good photo op here with the “I Love Vic Falls” sign!
Day 12:
We arranged with the Flatdog Lodge to visit a local village and school then went for a dinner train ride in Zambia.
Dean's Victoria Falls
We started our day off right with a yummy breakfast from Dean’s. It’s located just a few minutes from the brewery in a shopping plaza dedicated to art and great souvenirs. Eating in the courtyard, surrounded by all the beautiful art made for a terrific atmosphere. We ordered the Breakfast Patty, and Croque-Madame, which were both served beautifully and of course tasted great too!
Village Tour
Our lodge then arranged a cultural village tour, and we were able to visit a primary school as well. This was a very humbling experience seeing a new way of life. Every single person we met was so kind and welcoming. They wanted to share information about their home and how they live. Our driver lived in one of the villages and his children attended the school where we visited. The school children were so excited to see us and wanted to give high fives and play. We even brought toys for them and stickers for the toddlers in the village. I’d recommend bringing a little extra cash as a denotation to the school to help support them. A significant portion of the school’s students are orphans and the school tries to provide meals and more support for them, making the denotations very helpful.
The Three Monkeys
We grabbed a late lite lunch at The Three Monkeys. Splitting a peri-peri chicken pizza that had a bit of a kick to it, but we were able to wash the spice down with a glass of wine and a gin & tonic.
Dinner Train in Zambia
Dinner aboard the Royal Livingstone Express was one of the coolest experiences I had in Africa. We booked through Bushtracks Africa, which has an office very close to The Three Monkeys. It was rather expensive but worth every dollar. Depending on the day of the week you can either do the experience on the Zimbabwe side or Zambia side. We elected to visit the Zambia side. You start your journey by being picked up from your hotel and driven to the Zimbabwe-Zambia border. The staff helps you get the right stamps or visas (if needed) then someone will pick you up on the Zambia border, and run your passport through the necessary processes. From there, you’ll drive around 15-minutes to the Royal Livingstone Express. The moment you step out of the van your feet land on a red carpet, where you’ll be handed a welcome drink. From there, you’ll board the train and relax in a lounge cart with appetizers, more drinks, and a historian will come onboard to share the history of Zambia. (If you’d rather skip this, he does give you an out to go to the bar, but I found it very fascinating.) The train then drives slowly toward the Victoria Falls Bridge where it makes a brief 20-minute stop allowing the passengers to get off, take photos, and even toot the horn of the train! Back onboard, you’ll get the chance to enjoy cocktails and drinks in the bar cart. After the train starts making its way back into Zambia, you’ll make your way to the dining cart to be served a delicious 5-course meal. The train stops during dinner so you can enjoy it without feeling nauseous. It’s such a romantic and magical experience onboard the train. The night will be concluded a few hours later, where they’ll take you across the border and back to your hotel.
Day 13:
We took a full day trip to Chobe, Botswana.
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Our lodge arranged a full day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana which is well known throughout the world for their massive elephant population and river cruises that allow you to see water buffalos, hippos, and crocodiles up close. You start the trip by going through the not so fun border crossing, which is very similar to the process crossing into Zambia involving multiple drivers and exit and entry permissions. From there, it’s a 30-minute drive to the luxurious Chobe Marina Lodge where you’ll board a 2-hour river boat giving you an excellent opportunity to see the natural wildlife along and in the river. Some of the amazing animals included elephants (the baby ones were so cute drinking from the water), water buffalo, lots of hippos, crocodiles, impala and countless varieties of birds. Make sure to bring a jacket as it can be a little windy and cold on the boat. After the river cruise, we returned to the Chobe Marina Lodge for an extremely delicious and luxurious buffet lunch that offered a wide variety of dishes. We concluded the day’s activities with a professional game drive through Chobe National Park. This allowed us to get very close to the elephants, one even walked up and rubbed their trunk against our vehicle (which did make me a bit nervous). We were able to see lots of giraffes, impala, and even lions taking a nap in the sun. After the game drive, we returned to Zimbabwe, where unfortunately the border crossing was a bit of a mess and took around an hour to get through.
Zambezi House
We finished off our night with one of our travel traditions, trying the local pizza and Zambezi House did not disappoint. With a cool atmosphere and decor along the Zambezi River, accompanied by a delicious meal, Zambezi House is an easy recommendation. We ordered two pizzas each with half and half toppings so we were able to try the: Mr. Ngwenya (Crocodile tail, onion, tomatoes and fresh coriander), The Kazungula – (Spicy chicken, peppers, caramelized onion ( *avocado- seasonal)), Calzone (Spicy beef mince, green peppers), and a house special.
Day 14:
Today is a day of thrills with the thrilling Victoria Falls bridge bungee jump!
Shearwater Cafe
We started our morning off with breakfast at the Shearwater Cafe. I was going to bungee jump so I didn’t order anything too crazy, but the meals came out delicious with one of the best eggs benedict I’ve ever had. The decor is really stylish in the restaurant as well.
Bungee Jump Victoria Falls
Now the grand finale for Victoria Falls, the Victoria Falls Bungee Jump! We booked our bungee jump at the travel agency attached to the Shearwater Cafe, but we realized later that there is a larger booking agency which is convenient if the small travel agency is busy. The cost was $160 a person. We were told that this would be a one-hour experience including travel to the bridge, but it took around 4-hours. A bus was supposed to pick us up within 15-minutes to take us to the bridge but didn’t show up for 45-minutes so we decided to walk to the bungee jump which was a nice 30-minute walk. Make sure to bring your passport as the bridge is on the other side of the Zimbabwe exit border. You can get a special exit/re-entry paper without having to have your passport stamped. Once you get on the bridge, you’ll need to visit the Sheerwater restaurant and bar where you’ll complete your registration. We then had to wait around 45-minutes to jump, but it was good to have time to get my courage up (or in worse case scenario chicken out). The bridge jump was such a great and exciting experience, even for a person who has a terrible fear of heights. The worst part was more of after the jump when you have to walk across a lower portion of the bridge and climb a small ladder. You’re strapped into the bridge, but it’s still a bit scary. I didn’t intend on buying their recorded footage (which comes out to around $60) but it was too good to pass up!
The Lookout Cafe
Friends recommended the Lookout Cafe as it has great views downstream the falls, but we had a really bad customer service issue and thought the food was overpriced for what was offered. There can be a bit of a wait too. It might be a nice place to grab a drink though. There are a few other options in the area I would try instead.
Victoria Falls
There is a really great park on the Zimbabwe side with a variety of lookout points to see Victoria Falls. The entrance fee is a little steep, around $30 a person, but it was still worth it. We visited in July which is when the falls are at their peak. The lookout points are numbered and the higher the number the wetter the viewpoints are…to the point by number 8 or 9 you get soaked (luckily you can rent a poncho outside the park for $3).
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
We grabbed drinks at the beautiful Victoria Falls Safari Lodge overlooking the bush while watching the sunset. There is a watering hole that you can see where we saw dozens of elephants drinking water. It is a magical view. They even came around and offered free hot snacks to try.
The Boma Dinner & Drum Show
A total tourist trap, but still insanely fun, the Boma is a drum show with an all-you-can-eat dinner featuring a variety of African and international foods. The food was really good and we stuffed ourselves. You’ll get to wear a traditional African robe. The drum shows and dancing was fun to watch and at the end of the night, you’ll even get your own drum to play along with.
Day 15:
The hardest day was returning back home.
Return Home
We then returned home with a long journey from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg then to London and finally to San Francisco. We at least got to travel on the Airbus A380 (if you can get an aisle seat on the second floor as there are only two seats instead of three, they even have a small cubby to store your personal items.)
Tips and Tricks:
A few random tips and tricks:
-In Cape Town, you can drink the tap water. They said you could in Victoria Falls as well, but we saw mixed information so we tried to avoid it when possible.
-I might have changed the order of the itinerary which might have prevented a few extra trips. Starting with Zimbabwe then flying to Cape Town, next doing the Tented Adventures, and finishing the journey at Klasare Sands.
-If I had extra time, I would have taken the Blue Train from Cape Town towards the Kruger area.
-Zimbabwe has a cash shortage, aka almost 0 cash so bring lots of US Dollars which is their primary currency. (This also means Zimbabwe is quite expensive).
-Make sure you visit your doctor well in advance of the trip to get the necessary medications. We had to get typhoid and malaria prevention medication. (Yellow fever was not required for the places we visited, but if you’re visiting northern parts of Zambia it might be worth getting, but right now there is a shortage in the US so plan.)
-Uber is cheap and easy to use in Cape Town.
-We felt safe almost everywhere we went, but use caution as it’s a new environment.
-Get the KAZA visa when landing in Zimbabwe for easy access into Zambia and Botswana.