Joined my friends Trudy and Alan – to celebrate her big birthday year – for a trip around Southern Africa which started in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe where we stayed at the splendidly colonial Victoria Falls Hotel.
Exterior views of the Victoria Falls Hotel shared with some local warthogs
Interiors of the Victoria Falls Hotel where they make a darn good gin and tonic.
On day one we walked one kilometre to the entrance of the Falls. Visit at this time of year means the falls are at their lowest levels so some falls are not yet visible but equally it means you can see the falls that are visible without a massive spray getting in the way.
En route from the hotel to the Falls
The wet part of the Falls
The dry part of the Falls – all this will be under heavy water in four or five months
The Vic Falls Park borders onto Zambia and this is where we met a young baboon who clearly wanted to show us all his/her best sides for instagram worthy shots – so here they are before this one becomes famous!
This youngster loved posing for the camera
In the evening we booked a sunset Zambezi river cruise – cocktails and dinner were very enjoyable indeed.
On our second day we had an early start for a day in Chobe National Park in Botswana and after innumerable border patrols were were in another country.
We started with another cruise which at this time of year is a great time to see animals as they are in plentiful supply near the waters before the rains come and they can go further inland for their food.
We saw African buffalo, elephants, hippos, impala and crocs.
African buffalo – not sure who’s watching whom?
African crocs – not too scary compared to those big buggers in Aus
I never appreciated that when hippos are in the water they are generally walking rather than swimming – they are bad swimmers! But they are less log-like when you see them on land – and they like to spend the day on land at this time of year.
And then so many elephants ….
Highlight was stumbling across a group of elephants having a wild mid bath – so lucky to see this
In the afternoon we went off for a game drive – saw lions in the distance but no leopards:(. However lots of impala – so pretty. Sadly we also saw three elephant carcasses – many are dying of starvation due to lack of water which means lack of food.
Impala in the beautiful Savannah’s of Chobe
And finally we endeavoured to enjoy enjoying ourselves in various parts of Zimbabwe!
Me, Trudy and Alan
7 day train journey next…….
whatsusiebdidnext 