Tag: Zimbabwe

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From Zimbabwe to South Africa via Zambia

David, Olivia, and John decided to leave the packing until later and left at 6:15 a.m. to see the Zimbabwean sunrise one last time. Few things compare to seeing that big African orange sun come over a hill ridge bringing a clean slate and a promise of a great day. Truly worth the ride in the nippy morning air.

Breakfast and packing was done by 9:00 and we departed Matetsi River Lodge for the last time. There were many people to hug and whom to say “See you next time”. The staff really was wonderful, and it was a privilege to stay at the Lodge and be so well taken care of. Maybe the staff felt the same way – some ran alongside our bus as we left, and every time we thought we’d left the staff behind, they’d pop up from somewhere else bringing a smile to our lips.

The transfer from Matetsi was fairly smooth all things considered, but we did have to unload all our luggage and change bus on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border. The only reason we had to cross the border into Zambia, was to catch a commercial flight to Kruger National Park. The Zambia border control still insisted on selling us visas despite the fact that we would be gone less than a couple of hours later. Cost: $750. Cash only… Nick wondered if we could pay with one of the 50 Billion Dollar(!) bills that street sellers were trying to sell to us and if the immigration office would have change for 50 Billion dollars…

We arrived well in time for our South African Airways flight from Livingstone International Airport. The kids devoured what could be ordered from the concession stand – the chicken sandwich was declared the winner of all things ordered. John and Olivia tried to find a lounge where complimentary drink could be had. This turned out to be a bit of a challenge, but eventually it was found, very well-hidden behind four completely empty and rather large lounge rooms. They stocked up on refreshments and for the second time the Priority Pass membership equaled free soft drinks and Wi-Fi.

It was critical that we left Livingstone Airport on time so that we would arrive at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport no later than 3:45. The is a strict rule in Kruger National Park, that cars cannot be on the road after 6:00 p.m., so counting backwards we would have to leave Mpumalanga by 4:00 p.m. given that the last flight was one hour long followed by a drive of similar duration. It all worked out perfectly and the many combined hours spent worrying where we would sleep if we got stuck in Nelspruit, turned out to be wasted – luckily so.

The drive from Kruger Airport to the Singita Lodge revealed many different animal species and a beautiful sunset. But arriving at the Singita Lebombo Lodge was something that we will probably never forget. Walking into the reception area was amazing with its stunning architecture and views of the nearby mountains, river and rooms. The lit pool looked very tempting and in general these lodges take such a beautiful presence at night with the way they incorporate light into the overall presence- often using candles, lanterns and open fire. We were all taken back by the beauty of the place and stood for a moment just to enjoy and appreciate just how lucky we were to call this place home for the next three nights.

After seeing our beautiful rooms, it was time to sit down for dinner. The kids with their saved-up energy were served in the entertainment room, and the teens got their own table. As it always happens on safari trips we’ve been fed delicious food at the lodges, but once the taste buds sprang into action, many of us agreed that this was the very best meal we had had on our trip. The open kitchen was a nice addition, allowing us to watch the chefs prepare the meals. The wine selection did not disappoint and the bartender, John, whipped up tasty drinks for those in the mood for an aperitif. All-in-all this was an incredible start and we went to bed excited of what the areas would look like at sunrise.

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Breathtaking Victoria Falls

First day of July and a day that was mostly spent at the Victoria Falls. We did start out with a morning drive, but most had their thoughts on the adrenalin-rushing activities they had signed up for at the falls. 

Departure from camp was at 11:00 and it took almost and hour before we were at the entrance. The guides offered ponchos, umbrellas and waterproof phone pounces in participation of the rain and sprays of water that comes with a visit to the falls, and while it started pretty dry, some of us got completely drenched and gave up trying to stay a little bit dry. It was no big deal – the weather was warm, and it never became an issue. 

The Victoria Falls were breathtaking and the 16 viewpoints each offered different views that all brought “ooohs” and “aaahs”. We also got a close-up view of the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe from where Jilly would later let a bungee cord prevent her from falling head-first into the Zambezi river. 

Eleven family members signed up for either gorge swing, bungee jump, or zip-lining; which is how the time between 2 and 4 was passed. All of them seems to defy what any human should be doing, but all had fun and agreed that if you were ever going to do any of these things, then Victoria Falls was the place to do it. Out of respect for parents and grandparents, we will not post any pictures 😉

The afternoon brought a lovely reunion with many of the local family members. All-in-all we ended up being 34 for high tea at the famous Victoria Falls Hotel, from where the famous “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” saying originated. Whether is was the first time connections were made, or it was a welcome chance to catch us since the last visit, the afternoon was spent with much laughter and tales from African, Australia, and California. Good times!

The activities, walking, and playing with cousins took its toll on the group, and dinner at camp was with a little smaller group than usual. We agreed to skip the early morning drive and get a good night rest. (See July 2.)

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Game Drives in Zimbabwe

Hoping to see a bit more game in the morning, one vehicle set out for the southern part of the AndBeyond concession. No joy – the animals hid well and the favorite sighting ending up being that of a baby zebra and having morning coffee on a hill overlook the area that previously were the grounds of the AndBeyond lodge. 

After breakfast John, Olivia, Chris, Kara, Sandy, David, Sarah, Robert, Adriana and Penny went on the Zambezi river in what’s is known as Canadian canoes. Two-seaters with an extra seat for the guy paddling. Such a nice way to experience the natural border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. They spotted a few crocodiles and a water monitor lizard that decided to jump from its branch and back in the water only a few feet away from Sarah’s canoe. 

The afternoon was spent relaxing. We met at 3:30 to enjoy tea and left at 4:00 for the pontoon boats that would take us all up and down the river. We split into two groups – 10 on each boat – and started slowly drifting. Luckily away from the Victoria Falls. We were very lucky that a heard of elephants got thirsty and came down to the river bank to consume about a 100 liter of water each. A tiny baby elephant stole the highlight but any elephant is worth watching in its natural habitat. Even the skittish ones that sometimes made sure we knew who was the rightful habitant of the area. The river cruise ended with the sighting of one – maybe two – hippos, although they left most of their good looks under water.

Dinner was served in the wine cellar at the lodge. A perfect combination of wine, comfortable seating and even exhibits of old toys. The kids were entertained in the upstairs TV room and watched Disney Channel while consuming burgers.

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Johnnie Cake

For most of us coffee was served with a wake-up call at 6:00 a.m. The rooms had a built-in butler’s closet so the tray with coffee and crunchies was easy to reach after a quick shower. 

We all jumped in the vehicles and were excited because of the wealth of animals we had seen the night before. The sunrise by the river bank was beautiful, but it slowly dawned on us – no pun intended – that the Matetsi animals are late risers. We didn’t see a whole lot initially, but as it is often the case on these drives, all is forgotten when you hear a lion roar and see their footprints in the sand. 

We slowly honed in on two lions that Nick spotted after about 10 min. of searching. A young male and his sister decided to camp out in the shadows to take a rest, and they let us watch them for a while before we headed back to camp and the delicious breakfast table. The staff whipped up delicious eggs and for some, lunch quickly became something to skip.

The afternoon drive was better than the morning drive. The late sun and slightly cooler afternoon temperatures seemed to energize the game. Zebra, American wild cat, warthog and even a leopard was added to the list of game we were lucky to see. 

Dinner was wrapped up with a celebration of John’s birthday. Adriana and Chloe kicked is off with a wonderful song. The staff took over and gave quite the performance celebrating even the cake…. “Johnnie Cake”. And John of course.

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From Namibia to Zimbabwe

It was time to bid farewell to Namibia and the early morning was spent packing. We left the camp shortly after breakfast as our departure time had been moved up. Once at the airstrip we waited for the third plane – a smaller Cessna 210 – that had been delayed taking off from Windhoek. John and Nick sardined themselves into the Cessna. The rest of the group got split between a Kodiak and the trusted Cessna Caravan. 

It turned out to be quite a challenge to find the pilots of the plane taking us from Windhoek to Victoria Falls Airport, but a few (missed) phone calls later we all got united. Luggage was also a challenge as was finding the VAT Refund location but after about a hour we were all onboard the Jetstream 41 and well underway. 

The crew were great and offered to circle the falls and those sitting on the right side got a premium view of the one of the world’s natural wonders. 

We zipped through the airport as much as that was possible when visas were purchased on the spot. The AndBeyond crew were waiting outside with two minibuses and a truck for our 23 suitcases. We were all excited to have most of the travel behind us and any remaining thoughts of waiting in line were forgotten when we had to stop for a large heard of elephant and later a beautiful male lion soaking up the sun. Both were roaming outside any kind of park – welcome to Zimbabwe!

The Matetsi River Camp turned out to be even more beautiful in real life. The staff gave us a very warm (dancing) welcome. After initial hellos a group of 11 set out for an impromptu game drive although it had already started getting dark. Journeys of giraffes, heards of elephants, impala and even an hyena were among the things we spotted. So good to be back on game drives!

We went back to our room after a quick dinner and spent a bit of time negotiating with decent-seized spiders. Most met our demands of either leaving the cabins or staying hidden.