How many days should I spend at Victoria Falls?

My trip to Victoria Falls was quick. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon and left on a Monday afternoon. Here’s my Vic Falls Itinerary:

Saturday Afternoon: Arrive into LVI on British Airways at 1:00 P.M.

• 1:30 Arrive at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone, Relax
• 3:30 Depart for my Helicopter Tour of Victoria Falls
• 5:30 Dinner at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone

Sunday: All Day at Victoria Falls

• 9:30 Arrive at Victoria Falls Zambian side, explore the walking trails
• 12:30 Walk across the Victoria Falls Gorge Bridge and cross the border into Zimbabwe
• 1:00 Lunch at the Victoria Falls Hotel
• 2:00 Explore Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean Side
• 4:00 Bungee Jump
• 6:00 Dinner at Chanters Lodge

Monday Afternoon: Depart LVI on British Airways at 1:30 P.M.

• 9:00 Spend 90-minutes at the Livingstone Museum
• 11:00 Depart for the airport

As you can see, it’s easy to dedicate a whole day to exploring the falls. I was pleased with the length of my stay, but if I had to do it all over again, I’d spend one more day in Livingstone and do a river cruise at Sunrise and Sunset. I’d also spend a few days on a safari in Botswana. Livingstone’s proximity to Chobe National Park makes it an ideal base camp for a few days in the bush. But if all you can afford is a 2 nights in Livingstone, you can still have a jam-packed itinerary that is magical.

Those are the major sights, what’s your favorite Victoria Falls Attraction and why? Share by commenting. Don’t forget to visit my Facebook Fan Page for photos and videos from the attractions I experienced while in Livingstone.

How much does Victoria Falls Cost?

I’ve written a full post on money matters for Livingstone, Zambia. Hotels and Attractions are expensive compared to South Africa. You can save money on food, but that’s about it. But don’t worry about cash. Victoria Falls offers some of the most exciting adventures you can have on the planet.

I’ll see you out there…! And if I’m lucky, it’ll be at Victoria Falls again!

This adventure to Victoria Falls was sponsored by Chanters Lodge, Livingstone. Click the photo to book your Victoria Falls accommodation.

There is an expression in Africa, TIA; This Is Africa. Simply put, it’s a catch-all phrase for explaining the unexplainable. When things just don’t make sense, the response is often “This is Africa”. Used by foreigners and locals alike, last week was a TIA Week.

I’m in South Africa on business. My travels have recently brought me to a few townships in Mpumalanga Province: Secunda and Sibuyswa.

What is a Township?

A township is the term used to describe the tin shack cities. They are sometimes also referred to as Informal Settlements. Both are used in place of  Squatter’s Camps, which has a negative connotation. Townships are a frequent sight in South Africa. They are eye opening for the first-time visitor.

A Typical Living Arrangement

Homes have one or two rooms. They usually don’t have proper toilet facilities. Outhouses in the backyard are the only option. Water out of the tap is also uncommon. Community Taps, outdoor faucets in the center of the townships, are where residents get their drinking, bathing and cooking water.

If you’re one of the fortunate few to live in a government house, you might have one or both of the above. Conditions are poor compared to US standards.

Work brought me to one of these townships. Our venue was a proper building made of bricks, but there was no running water in the restrooms. No soap or toilet paper either.

Common Sights

On the way to the venue we drove past cows, goats and donkeys in the middle of the road. Yes, some parts of animals random animals wandering around – but it’s not the norm.

I was propositioned to donate money to a youth center, visit a farm where plants are grown to cure HIV (cultivated by traditional healers and probably not the least effective), and give a ride to 6 people who didn’t want to walk the long road home. All of which I declined for various reasons. It can quickly become overwhelming and sad.

A trip to a township is a necessary stop when you go to South Africa. You’ll instantly reflect on what’s important, appreciate what you have and question how world leaders can let their people live under these conditions. You’ll want to help. But where do you start? I’m still pondering that.

Only visit townships under the guidance of an expert. These are some of the most poverty-stricken locations in all of the country. And while poverty doesn’t mean crime, townships are often places where frequent criminal activity can occur. Certain townships provide tours for tourists that are generally safer than others. Do your research before visiting a township, but do visit one when you are in South Africa.

Hope

Humankind are resilient people. You’ll marvel at how alike we all are. Whether you live in a mansion or a tin shack, parents want the best for their kids, kids use their imaginations to play and neighbors work together to strengthen their community bonds.

When you think of Africa, the images I described above are probably what come to mind. There’s no doubt about it, This Is Africa, but it’s not the only thing. Much of South Africa has first-world infrastructure and technology. Most of where I’ve been, and where most tourists would go would resemble their own cities and towns in their own countries.

But today I wanted to share with you a part of the country that makes Africa Africa.

There’s so much hope for South Africa, but it will take time…and money.

This Is Africa

I’ll see you out there…!

Have you ever been to a Township? What was your experience like? Share by commenting below.

For more travel updates visit my Facebook Fan Page here.

WARNING: Don’t try this at home!

(not that you’d have lions in your home anyway. And if you did, you should put them back where you found them)

Isn’t that lion cub cute? Don’t you want to pick him up and cuddle with him? It’s tough to believe that soft, smiling ball of fur will grow up to be the King of the Jungle and one of the most ferocious animals on land.

Where can you Walk with Lions?

When I was in South Africa last October, I spent a few nights at the Protea Hotel The Ranch in Polokwane. For the brave adventurer, they offer a Lion Walk on their reserve.

Like every other animal encounter in Africa, we woke up early and arrived at the facility. The owners are training the lions to be in films and television. But make no mistake, these lions are not domesticated. They’ll attack if their instinct tells them to.

I was hoping their instinct decided to sleep in that morning.

There were about 9 lions that went for a walk that morning. The oldest was several years old and starting to grow it’s mane. Most were little. When I knelt down to take their photo I was quickly reprimanded by our guides. Getting down low put me in a vulnerable position. The lions would see me as prey and attack. Even the cubs can inflict mortal damage.

After those words of warning, I spent the rest of the walk standing tall! Take a look in this YouTube video:

What if they Attack?

My walk was incredibly scary at first. I didn’t know what to expect. We had no protection other than a stick. If the lions were to start attacking me, I was instructed to hold the stick out. The lions would then stop attacking me and try to attack the end of the stick – in theory. They’ve become accustomed to eating meat off the ends of sticks. Which is all well and good if the end of your stick has meat on it.

Mine did not.

Once they discovered this trickery of mine, I just hope that they would have forgotten what they were doing before they started attacking the invisible meat on a stick. Because by this point, they’d be pretty ticked off.

Seriously folks, this is an “Only in Africa” kind of experience. There’s no team of lawyers that could sort this Release of Liability waiver out.

The list of adjectives to describe this experience could go on forever.

Celebrate Nature

When I reflect back on my time walking with lions in South Africa I can’t help but think about how special our planet truly is. Moments like these remind us that we’re not the only ones calling Earth our home.

We share our world with creatures great and small. We all need to do our part to preserve wildlife and wild places for future generations so that they can admire the intelligence, strength and beauty of lions, elephants, buffalo, sharks, jellyfish, rhinos, squirrels, leopards, kangaroos, tigers, bears, eagles and all the other members of the Animal Kingdom. Getting up close to Mother Nature strikes a chord within you. It’s indescribable.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

Since it’s Earth Day, what’s one small thing you’re going to do (or already did) to help our planet? Will you pick your favorite conservation organization and donate? Eliminate wasting electricity or water? Educate a friend about the importance of protecting our environment? Share by commenting below.

FUN LION FACT

Did you know…? The backs of a lion’s ears are black. When lions are on the prowl, they can follow each other’s movements by following the black tips on the ears. This makes tracking each other easier in the thick bush.

CONNECT ONLINE

adventureswithben.com has a Facebook Page. Connect online for more adventures. You can also view more photos of my lion walk too!

I’ll see you out there…!