Lady’s Victoria Falls Zimbabwe Safari Guide

Today I want to share my guide to a Victoria Falls Zimbabwe safari in Africa. This place is ideal for seeing the famous waterfalls and the Big Five in one trip.

Victoria Falls Zimbabwe Safari

I’m scared I won’t make it to Zimbabwe. The friend I’m traveling with has offered to drive us to Victoria Falls from Lusaka, and—thinking an African road trip will be a fun adventure—I agree to it.

But I have forgotten one small thing: driving in Africa is a bit more of an adventure than I remember.

First there’s the matter of car paperwork. To drive between countries in southern Africa, a lot of documentation is necessary. My friend’s has been done incorrectly, and he’s been waiting on the amended papers for over a month.

They don’t arrive by the time we need them, and three hours at DHL and Interpol result in only half the paperwork getting done. We can’t lose more time, so we hit the road, hoping for leniency at the border with Zimbabwe.

Then come the road works. Just outside Lusaka, a new road is being built. We take detours and drive off-road, finally making it through.

But the route has taken its toll on our tires, and soon we find ourselves on the side of the road with a flat. Two more hours later, we’re back on the highway with a new spare, racing south to make the border crossing before it closes.

Then my friend starts to worry that we’ll run out of fuel. He slows down, hoping the filling stations will be open in the evening, and we lose time as we go. Thankfully, we find one that is open and speed up again.

We periodically check the time, both of us wondering whether we’ll actually make it across the border to Victoria Falls that night.

We arrive with 45 minutes to spare and race through passport control on the Zambian side. The official lets us off easy with the missing car paperwork, giving us a form to hand to his Zimbabwean counterpart.

We drive across the bridge separating the two countries, hoping to have the same luck on the other side.

Passport control is slower here, with the purchase and issuance of visas being required. We hold our breaths about the car, but the official here seems to care as little as the one in Zambia did.

Stanley and Livingstone at Victoria Falls

With 15 minutes to spare, we cross the border into Zimbabwe and breathe giant sighs of relief. It’s been an exceedingly long day, and we’re excited to pull into our hotel, The Stanley and Livingstone Boutique Hotel at Victoria Falls.

The luxury colonial-style lodge has offered us a complimentary two-night stay in one of its bungalows, and we’re grateful to the staff for volunteering to stay to prepare a late dinner for us. The food is excellent, and exactly what we need after a long drive.

The next morning we wake up to bright sunshine outside our spacious suite. The lawns are dotted with ponds and pathways, and below them sits a private game reserve for Victoria Falls Zimbabwe safaris.

Two zebras drink from a watering hole as I eat breakfast on the terrace, and as I watch them, I can’t help but be thankful that I made it across the border in time to wake up to this view.

I spend the morning exploring the grounds of The Stanley and Livingstone Boutique Hotel, from the swimming pool and gardens to the main lodge with its bright conservatory, cozy colonial lounge, and well-stocked wine cellar (complete with a great selection of South African wines).

Back in my room, I sit on the comfy sofas in the living area, then walk through the bedroom to the large bathroom, where a beautiful stand-alone tub tempts me to take a bath (although the 2-in-1 shampoo and shower gel doesn’t).

But I have to get ready for my day, which is a big one (hint: it includes a Victoria Falls Zimbabwe safari).

Local School in Victoria Falls

First up is a visit to a local school. The Stanley and Livingstone Boutique Hotel has a non-profit called Nakavango on site that offers all kinds of educational programs to people from all over the world.

Everything from wildlife photography to nature guide training is offered, and people of all ages come to stay on the property and take courses.

As part of its work, Nakavango partners with a local school in Victoria Falls, where I go to meet the children. An afternoon of playing and dancing ensues, leaving us all happy and exhausted.

Ursula’s Homestead at Victoria Falls

That evening my friend and I move over to the Stanley and Livingstone’s sister property, Ursula’s Homestead.

Just down the way, it is much smaller than its big sibling, but has equally good views of the private game reserve from the peak-roofed bungalows and pretty poolside garden.

Victoria Falls Zimbabwe Safari

But views aren’t all we’re after. We’re going on a Victoria Falls Zimbabwe safari.

We hop into the truck that evening for a game drive through the only private reserve in the area with all of the Big Five—lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, and elephant.

Luckily, it doesn’t take long to spot the rarest of these, the critically-endangered black rhino. We watch it make its way through the bush and marvel at its existence.

At the end of the game drive on our Victoria Falls Zimbabwe safari, we watch the sunset over a watering hole, then head to an outdoor area for a bush dinner.

A big buffet awaits, and we dine by a roaring campfire (or “bush TV”, as my friend calls it) as a herd of buffalo grazes in the distance.

The following morning we’re up and out, eager to drive into Victoria Falls town and see the famous waterfalls themselves. They’re the main event, after all, and no trip to Zimbabwe would be complete without seeing them.

Victoria Falls Safari in Zimbabwe: The Verdict

But we’re still sad to say good-bye to The Stanley and Livingstone Boutique Hotel, Ursula’s Homestead, and the Nakavango Conservation Centre.

We’ve not only had a great stay and an unforgettable Victoria Falls Zimbabwe safari, but are also happy to have made it here in the first place.

Want to see more? Watch my Africa travel video and discover all the places I went on my trip to Southern Africa.

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