Livingstone, Zambia- The Falls, the people and the bungee

DISCLAIMER- I didn't bungee.

Mosi-oa-Tunya- The Smoke That Thunders

My time in Livingstone was short, infact it was only two days which now I realize was far too short but I had other arrangements for the next day. As many of you will be aware, Livingstone is home to one of the seven natural wonders of the World, Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the World and let me tell you, it doesn't disappoint! I was there mid June, so it had just entered dry season thus the mist from the falls wasn't overpowering yet there was definitely no shortage of water...

I arrived in Zambia via the Kazungula Ferry from Botswana, crossing over where the Zambezi and Chobe rivers meet- this is literally a river crossroads separating Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was the most petrifying border crossing of my life! The ferry is abit...worse for wear...and to get on it as a foot passenger you just kind of have to, jump, onto the back ramp, I suppose it's always cool to say you've stepped into the Zambezi river and not being mauled and ripped to shreds by Crocs? The ferry which can carry about one lorry, a few cars and about 20 passengers then chugs along the river for about 20 minutes where just simply pray that you'll make it to the other side. The paperwork side of things in Zambia is relatively trouble free, simply you just give them your visa fee (I think it was $30), fill out a small form and get the stamp, see it's simple!

From the border crossing it's literally a half hour drive to Livingstone, and about 20 minutes in you can see the mist in the distance, it's incredible. Livingstone itself is a good, convenient town, primarily based on it's tourism trade for all classes of tourists. Although, it's declared an 'unsafe' town, myself and friends never came across a problem and the locals there couldn't be anymore welcoming or friendly. Yes, there was street sellers constantly trying to get us to buy things but you can't view them as a nuisance, they're simply trying to provide for their family...plus I got a million dollar Zimbabwean note! Didn't manage to get the hundred trillion note though, I guess this just gives me another reason to visit!

About five minutes drive out of Livingstone is the National Park. There are baboons and monkeys EVERYWHERE, making it all even more Africa-like! There's also the option to buy a poncho, if you're a boring soul, do it, and if you have a nice, expensive and fancy camera or your passport in your pocket, do it also but if you want to embrace the true Victoria Falls, risk it and have a ball! In the NP, there's loads of separate trails and hikes going to different view points of the falls, and i don't think there was one that didn't disappoint, on one of the trails we also came across some male hippo dung sprayed over some trees! 

The best and most wet bridge you will ever cross in your life

Up close to the Vic Falls really is something else, the deafening sound of the water and the sheer volume of water is something that you just can't get your head around. There is also a bridge on one of the trails, DO IT, but not in ungripping flip flops and put all electrical in your driest place, you will get drenched and i don't mean walking through a rainstorm, i mean SOAKED, i had a hoody on and even that I have never seen drenched through- even coming out of the washing machine! (So yes, I also recommend you bringing a towel too) but on the other side of the bridge are even more amazing viewpoints, one shows you the Falls with two rainbows in the bottom under the Victoria Falls bridge, now that view just takes your breath away! A trail goes back across the bridge and goes uphill (although it's not too strenuous), it literally takes you to the very top of the falls where you are about 10m from the edge! No fence stopping you, nothing! It is phenomenal. I nearly lost a flip flop over the falls, how cool is that to say?!

The EDGE of Victoria Falls

One of six breathtaking gorges at the Falls

After about two hours at the falls, myself and some friends booked on to do a helicopter over the falls. I originally booked to do a microlight over the falls having already been and done a few helicopter rides but due to a booking mix up, I had to go in the helicopter (not that I'm complaining, I love helicopters, I just would have liked to try something new). I sat in the back, and luckily had a window seat (some others weren't so lucky, which is a shame seeing as all seats were the same price). The ride itself is a figure of 8, 8 times- I think- going over the NP and the six gorges following the falls. It was a great ride, great views, we saw an elephant up on the top by Livingstone Island and we had a very informative pilot. After the helicopter, we jumped back in our taxi and went to the Victoria Falls bridge.

View from the Helicopter

 The bridge is the border crossing between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and in the centre of the bridge is the World renowned bungee jump, which is where we were heading. Since we were only going halfway, we just had to pick up a form from the border post and walk on ahead, carefully dodging the lorries pelting it across the bridge. The bungee is 111m high, that's ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN METRES HIGH!! Now before in May time, I was all game for the bungee, it was part of my new embrace-all-opportunities ethos...that was all until I watched the video of the bungee snapping here so I decided someone had to hold all the bags and do all the photo taking, and that person had to be me! Sorry guys! Amazingly, none of my friends seemed phased by the fact they were jumping off a bridge into crocodile infested waters with just some string attached to them so I had to watch FIVE bungee jumps happen, and pray each time that I'd see them all bop back up! It was petrifying to watch! Now having watched them jump, I do sort of regret not jumping, so maybe I'll just have to return another day....

Tell me, would you jump off a platform into this?

I left Livingstone to head back to Johannesburg early the next day, I got a taxi driven by Chris, a man with one eye and constantly on the phone. Livingstone airport, it's so up and coming, it is just amazing! FREE WIFI, it's all brand new, it looks like an annex of Heathrow not somewhere in the middle of Africa, and it's duty free prices were even better! I flew to JHB with South African Airways, the flight was relatively cheap considering it's Africa and they're still developing, and with the price (I think about £150 around) it included 20kg of luggage and an inflight meal. The flight path is also incredible, it goes over the Falls (I admit, I wasn't that happy about that having just paid to go in a helicopter over it!), the Gorges and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. There's also flights to JHB about 10 times a day, I can't speak highly enough of Livingstone Airport!

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana

All in all, my two days in Zambia were incredible and unforgettable, I can't reco
mmend the town enough, however, if I happen to return again, it will be definitely be for longer. Definitely.

Here's some more photos of the magnificent Victoria Falls:

This picture doesn't give justice to the sheer size of the Falls

On top of the Falls, and absolutely soaking!

How close (off the path) we got to the edge of the Falls

Livingstone Island

Victoria Falls from the helicopter

Designated bungee jumping photographer