New Year, New Zimbabwe, Same River, and more...

Oh how the time flies...

Credit: Pindula.co.zw

Another year has come and gone and we have seen so much happening, not just in Victoria Falls, but in our country Zimbabwe as well.

Of particular importance was the surprise not-a-coup that took place in November of 2017. It had us all apprehensive since the Zimbabwe we have known so far has been characterised by (sometimes violent) intimidation.

7 Things you Need to Know Before Visiting Victoria Falls

Don't click that button!...Yet

In a nutshell, this list is an "Absolutely Need to Know" collection of what you should be aware of BEFORE you start making any of your bookings for your Victoria Falls holiday

The mighty Victoria Falls spans across the Zim-Zam border

New Developments with the KAZA UniVisa

It has been reported that the KAZA visa stickers will return to Zambia and Zimbabwe ports of entry where they have previously been issued - namely Victoria Falls border, Kazungula borders, and Lusaka, Livingstone, Harare and Victoria Falls airports.

According to the KAZA Liason officer for Zimbabwe, the stickers are being dispatched within the next few days, and issuance should resume next week.

New developments with the univisa is the printing of the stickers within both Zimbabwe and Zambia as opposed to having them printed outside of the countries, as well as the integration of the univisa into both countries' immigration systems, which is expected to be completed at the end of the year or in early 2018.

The return of the KAZA univisa stickers is is great news after the stickers ran out towards mid September this year, forcing tourist to rearrange itineraries and some even cancelling some activities in either Zimbabwe or Zambia. But the new developments by KAZA and the immigration departments should add some efficiency, and have the stickers available at all times.

Source: www.victoriafalls-guide.net

What to do in Victoria Falls

For more on these and other Victoria Falls Activities, have a look at THIS awesome page!

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Zimbabwean Comedian Attempts a World Record

Carl Joshua Ncube during a live comedy performance

Victoria Falls will have the honour of hosting Zimbabwean comedian Carl Joshua Ncube while he attempts to break the Guinness World Record for the most comedy performances in 7 days. Mr Ncube's #BreakTheWorldRecord tour is an endeavour to get Zimbabwe noticed on the international platform, and for more positive aspects of Zimbabwe.

The record for the most shows in 7 days is currently held by Australia's Mark Murphy, who did 30 shows in 2007.

The Aftermath of Cecil

Interview with lion researcher Brent Stapelkamp

The hunting of Cecil the lion on the eastern border of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe has triggered hysteria from the public, and it’s been difficult to sift fact from fiction.

While I was recently in the 14 650 square kilometre park, I interviewed lion researcher Brent Stapelkamp, who has worked for nine years on the Hwange Lion Research Project, which was started in 1996 by Dr. Andy Loveridge as part of an Oxford University study on the dynamics of hunting on lion populations. (Click here to download the research paper).

Brent lives on the border of Hwange, and is responsible for collaring, tracking and studying the lions that live in the east and south of Hwange, part of which formed Cecil’s territory.

Cecil was collared in 2008 with a GPS satellite collar, and at the time of his death, he was one of 30 collared lions in Hwange. The data of his movements was uploaded every two hours to a database. Together with hundreds of hours of direct observation of Cecil, the data gave Brent a better understanding of Cecil’s movements and behaviour than anyone else.

According to Brent’s data and information, Cecil was initially shot and wounded with a bow arrow at about 10pm on 1st July 2015, on a private farm in the Gwaai Intensive Conservation Area, about a kilometre east of the national park’s unfenced boundary. An elephant carcass was the bait. From subsequent data on Cecil’s collar, the research team could tell that Cecil had been killed by a second shot, about 11 hours after the initial arrow was shot into him. He died around 9am on 2nd July.

Why One Day is Not Enough in Victoria Falls

There have been a few instances where we have had clients who are on a tight schedule and decide to make a last minute dash to Victoria Falls for a single night. Granted, Victoria Falls is a small place (some have even described it as a village), but it's not the size of the boat that matters - so to speak. It is possible to enjoy Victoria Falls for a day, but more often than not, clients find themselves wishing they had made a bigger and better plan because there is so much on offer.

Cruise Boat or Jet Boat?

The first time that I heard the term "jet boat cruise", I immediately thought that it was probably a high speed boat jetting up the Zambezi River, splashing lots of water and making noise for the animals and people on the bigger more silent cruise boats along the way - and I’m sure I’m not the only one. The Jet boats that operate in Victoria Falls are certainly smaller than the big cruise boats, and use jet propellers, but they don’t make as much noise as I imagined. Much like the river cruise boats, jet boats move slowly on the river and the cruises are relaxed. So what is the difference?

The Darter Jet boat on the Zambezi River

The Bushtracks Express Launches in Victoria Falls

Taking off from the Victoria Falls Station in Zimbabwe, the Bushtracks Express has brought back the elegant and exciting trip to the Victoria Falls Bridge by Steam Train. The trips were launched on March 1st of this year and are run on a regular schedule every Tuesday and Friday.

The 512 Locomotive pulling 3 carriages

Zimbabwe Revises Visa Regime

The Department of Immigration issued a revised visa regime last week, changing visa requirements for citizens of more than 35 countries all over the world. A few changes in the three category lists were made to relax visa requirements.

Victoria Falls International Airport in Pictures

In 2015, upgrades on the Victoria Falls International Airport began. The project's aim was to build a new and larger terminal building than the existing one at the time, construct a new 4km long runway, revamp the domestic terminal, build a new control tower and fire station.

Packing for Your Zimbabwe Safari

Packing a mini skirt in June or July when you are travelling to Nyanga, will leave you wishing you had packed extra socks. A heavy jacket in October when you plan to travel to Victoria Falls, Mana Pools or Kariba will not make much sense either. So how do you decide? When packing for your safari trip to Zimbabwe, there are a few things to consider: where you are coming from, when and where you are going, what you will be doing, how you will get there, where you will stay, and health concerns, among other things.

Newsflash! KAZA UniVisa Not Available in Zambia

We have had conflicting information as to why and what is going to happen with the KAZA UniVisa, but the bottom line is that tourists will not be able to get a Univisa in Zambia at this time. It is still available in Zimbabwe, but seeing as how there is a limited supply, these will most likely run out in the near future.

An official at the Victoria Falls Border Post said that the four ports of entry in Zambia (Lusaka and Livingstone Airports, and the Livingstone and Kazungula Border posts) that were issuing the UniVisa, have stopped while the project goes under review. However, Zimbabwe is still issuing and using them at Victoria Falls Airport, Kazungula Border (with Botswana), Harare International Airport, and the Victoria Falls Bridge (Zimbabwe side).

The Many Ways to View a World Wonder

Did you know that there are quite a few activities which allow you to get the full experience of the Victoria Falls, all from different positions? You can enjoy views from the air and down below at the bottom of the gorges, as well as right on the edge at the Devil's Pool.

Places to Stay Closest to the Victoria Falls

Places to stay are abundant in Victoria Falls, ranging from 5 star hotels and lodges, guest houses, self catering lodges and camp sites. Where to stay depends greatly on a few factors including the number of travellers in a party and the ages, budget and how close they want to be to the centre of town.

For many, the proximity of the hotel to the Victoria Falls is what matters the most. So we have compiled a list of places to consider staying while in Vic Falls which are the closest to and within 5kms from the Wold Heritage Site. Proximity to the town and activities is an important consideration, although most activity operators will pick visitors up from most of the hotels and lodges in town.

7 Wonders of Victoria Falls

Known as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Victoria Falls has attracted travellers from all over the world for over a century.  But what, besides the Victoria Falls themselves, makes this place interesting?