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Two Nights in Victoria Falls
By Elzanne McCulloch
There is a particular thrill in boarding a FlyNamibia flight at Hosea Kutako International Airport with Victoria Falls as your destination. It is that lovely combination of familiarity and anticipation – your own skies beneath you, and one of Africa’s great wonders waiting ahead. By the time you settle into your seat, the excitement has already begun. Soon we were descending into Victoria Falls International Airport, where the warmth of Zimbabwe greeted us immediately. It is hard to describe, but anyone who has been to Zimbabwe knows: the people are the experience. As we would say repeatedly throughout our stay, “Zimbabweans are the vibe.”
HOME BASE: THE VICTORIAN MANOR
We were transferred to The Victorian Manor, part of The Bayete Collection, which would be our home for the next two nights. Quiet, gracious and shaded by generous gardens, the Manor feels like a soft landing – a cocoon between adventures. Even at check-in, you can sense the rhythm of Vic Falls beginning to wrap around you: slow, welcoming, unhurried.
We quickly dropped our bags because our first adventure was calling – from high above the Zambezi.
TAKING FLIGHT: THE ANGELS’ VIEW
Our afternoon was dedicated to the famed Flight of Angels with The Zambezi Helicopter Company – a 15-minute figure-of-eight flight over the world’s most storied waterfall. It’s difficult to put into words what it feels like to see the falls from the air. The Zambezi appears almost calm at first, flowing with ancient confidence, and then suddenly the earth simply falls away.
Even in low-water season, the magnitude is arresting. Great sections of basalt gorge stretch below you, scarred and sculpted by millennia of water, wind and time. The spray rises like breath. The helicopter banks. You loop again. And for a moment, you understand why they call it the Flight of Angels – because nothing else feels quite as otherworldly.
We touched down buzzing – from the views, from the rush, from the joy of being in a place that invites you to feel fully alive.
GRAND OLD STORIES AND TOWNSHIP SOUL
Before dinner, we made a stop at The Victoria Falls Hotel, a living relic of colonial-era architecture and old-world hospitality. We had planned to enjoy their classic high tea on the terrace with its iconic view of the bridge… but Africa’s mischief arrived in the form of a sudden downpour.
Instead of tea on the lawn, we found ourselves in the hotel bar, sipping G&Ts and admiring sepia-toned photographs of early explorers. Rain on the windows, polished wood, the faint murmur of guests drifting in from the corridors – there is something timeless about the hotel, even when your plans wash away.
Dinner that night took us into the heart of a very different experience: Dusty Road, a colourful, spirited township restaurant where Zimbabwean culture is not performed, but lived.
The evening begins with a little walk-through – ingredients, beer, heritage, and household items explained with humour and pride. Then guests gather around a buffet of bold, eclectic, deeply soulful Zimbabwean dishes. Dusty Road is loud, joyful, and utterly unpretentious. It is the kind of place where you learn as much about a country from its pots and pans as from its people.
And Zimbabwe’s people, as we were quickly learning, were the golden thread of every experience.
SIMUNYE: A STORY THAT SINGS
After dinner, Shearwater transferred us to Simunye, an openair musical show protected by a tented canopy. Rain pattered above us as the performers took the stage, their voices rising like a call to the ancestors.
Simunye tells the story of Mother Africa, two lovers from rival clans, a vengeful brother, and the hope that comes from unity. Part Romeo and Juliet, part ancestral hymn, part joyous dance – it is a show that moves through you rather than around you.
By the end, the audience was elated. The energy felt electric. Someone behind us whispered, “Wow.” It felt fitting. Vic Falls has a way of stitching itself under your skin.
DAWN AT THE FALLS WITH A MASTER STORYTELLER
Our next morning began before the sun. At 05:30 we met Bheks, our guide from Africa Travel Tours – a man with the kind of passion that transforms a walk into an unfolding story.
Africa Travel Tours was founded by Lovemore Machipisa in 2006 with a single car. Today he owns a fleet of 21 vehicles, from sedans to 50-seater buses. And you can feel the pride in every one of his guides – especially in Bheks, who led us through the rainforest paths with gentle authority.
He explained the geology of the falls, the behaviour of the Zambezi in different seasons, the deep gorges carved by ancient river shifts, and the history that shaped the town. Even in low-flow season, the falls were breathtaking – veils of water cascading into the gorge, mist rising like spirits waking from sleep. With a view over the Victoria Falls Bridge, Bheks shared our favourite local tale:
The story of the French engineer who designed the bridge so precisely that construction from both sides of the gorge should have met perfectly in the middle.
Except – they didn’t. A gap appeared. Panic ensued.
Workers retreated to what is now the Victoria Falls Hotel to rest in the midday heat. When they returned, the gap had vanished. The steel beams, imported from cool English temperatures, had expanded under the African sun. Thermal expansion, not flawed mathematics, had caused the scare.
It’s a story told with smiles and pride – a reminder that even feats of engineering carry a touch of African magic.
All’s well that ends well though. Or, as Bheks would say, “Happy you, happy me, happy days.”
A DAY OF TASTING, EXPLORING AND MEETING CHARACTERS
After our morning at the falls, we returned to The Victorian Manor for brunch before heading back into town for a day rich in flavour and character.
Our first stop was Victoria Falls Distilling Co., where owner Lionel hosted us for a lively gin tasting.
Six unique gins, each crafted with botanicals sourced by The African Plant Hunter, created an experience both unexpected and undeniably local. Lionel’s energy, humour, and generosity set the tone – it was less a tasting and more a conversation with a friend who truly loves his craft.
Lunch at The Three Monkeys followed – a buzzing favourite in Vic Falls. We met their general manager, Tao, who told us about her approach to hospitality: “I knew how I wanted customers to feel.” This sentiment rang true of our entire experience in Zimbabwe thus far and I wondered to myself if this was a brief she had given to the entire Vic Falls hospitality industry.
And you do feel it – warm, welcome, part of the family. It’s no wonder Three Monkeys has become a staple for travellers and locals alike.
After lunch, we visited The River Brewing Co., where we sampled craft beers at the massive bar and then headed to the back to see how the magic happens. Our favourites quickly emerged: the Baobab Lager and Resurrection Ale – which Nerine declared “tastes like Vic Falls.”
And somehow, she was right. It tasted wild, fresh, slightly untamed – exactly like the place itself.
SUNSET WITH PURE AFRICA
Late afternoon brought us to the banks of the Zambezi where Pure Africa, led by the wonderfully gracious Liz, welcomed us aboard the Signature Deck of their largest riverboat.
The boat is elegance on water – tasteful décor, spacious seating, attentive service. As we drifted downstream, the river revealed itself in layers: crocodiles with prehistoric stillness, hippos lifting their heads above the current, birds tracing arcs in the golden light.
Then, the moment that set the entire deck abuzz: a herd of elephants venturing deep into the river, contemplating a crossing. They eventually turned back, spooked by the gathering boats, but watching them wade – trunks raised, water swirling around them – felt like a privilege.
The cruise ended with a beautiful dinner ashore, fine dining and the kind of sunset that feels painted rather than real.
A SLOW, SWEET GOODBYE
On our final morning, we walked through town, browsing craft stalls and gathering gifts. There is something special about the hustle of Vic Falls – not overwhelming, but vibrant; not hurried, but full of life. Every smiling interaction reminded us once more: the people of Zimbabwe are an attraction all on their own.
Two nights somehow felt like a whole journey’s worth of memory
A DESTINATION MADE EFFORTLESS
What makes this escape even more accessible is FlyNamibia’s direct connection – turning a dream weekend into a simple boarding pass. Victoria Falls is close enough for a spontaneous getaway, yet rich enough to feel like another world entirely.
It is a place of movement, music, water, story, and soul. A place where elephants wade through rivers, where theatre spills into the night, where gins are infused with wild botanicals, and where every guide, manager, host, and waiter adds something to your story.
Victoria Falls is spectacular – but its magic lives equally in its people.
And after two nights, we left with full hearts, tired feet, and one unanimous truth: Zimbabweans are the vibe.
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