Travel: A Wonder of the World in Zimbabwe
October 27, 2010
Written by Steve Bergsman
Sunday, 24 October 2010 10:08
Two years ago, when the writer Aimee Lee Ball volunteered to help a group of surgeons working for Operation of Hope in Harare, Zimbabwe, her friends implored her not to go because of the danger. Indeed, in December of that year, the U.S. government issued a Warden Message alerting American citizens about the increased social unrest in the country.
Against this background, however, Ball went off to do her charitable work. Once out of the hospital, her movements were restricted and sometimes she was amateurishly harassed, but she was so intrigued by the country that she returned two years later for a short trip through the western tip of the country and Victoria Falls. I caught up with her in Cape Town before our flight into Zimbabwe.
Several of my friends questioned my decision to go there, as Ball’s had.
“You’re going to Zimbabwe?” they’d ask. “Why on earth would you do that?”
A lot of other travelers to Africa ask this question, too. Should they visit Victoria Falls, one of the great wonders of the world, despite the despotic government, occasional outbreaks of violence, and erasure of law and order?
The answer is definitely yes. Not just to see the scenery but because those Zimbabweans scratching out a living in the tourist trade — or what’s left of it — need visitors to spend their dollars, euros, rands, yuans and yens.
The main reason visitors should come to this country is because of the natural beauty. The mighty Zambezi River flows over a chasm so large that it forms the largest waterfall on the globe. While it isn’t the highest or the widest, at 5,604 feet wide and 360 feet high, Victoria Falls is the greatest sheet of falling water anywhere.
Seeing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is worth a trip to this troubled country. Photo courtesy of Steve Bergsman.
Ball, a couple of other intrepid souls and I were met at the Victoria Falls airport by a man in his mid-30s. His name badge read Mtulisi, and he said he would be our guide in the Victoria Falls area. Mtulisi was well-educated and fit, but his mother and sister had died of AIDS. We never asked him about his politics, but he seemed happy. He was the father of three children, one of whom had just come into the world two weeks before we arrived.
Since we only had a couple of days to spend in Zimbabwe, we were on a tight schedule. Mtulisi drove us from the airport, where we had flown in from Johannesburg, South Africa, straight to the parking lot of Victoria Falls National Park. We were insecure about leaving our bags in the car and wondered if we should worry about our belongings.
No, Mtulisi assured us, “This is the safest place in Zimbabwe.”
We looked around with uncertainty at the people meandering between the parked cars. But Mtulisi was right. When we returned from our jaunt a few hours later, everything was just as we had left it.
Mtulisi was just what we wanted in a guide — knowledgeable about the falls, solicitous to our needs and experienced enough to bring along necessities such as waterproof ponchos since anyone who walks to the falls is sure to get wet. That day the water pounded like a thunderstorm and the wind occasionally whipped the drops across our faces and down the insides of our ponchos.
Victoria Falls is so large that we saw it in small sections as we walked around the higher elevations across from the falls itself. At a few points we could actually see its breadth, but those views were often obscured by a thick mist, the natural effect from so much water cascading over rock cliffs. Still, there was no disappointment here. Seeing Victoria Falls is akin to looking down into the Grand Canyon for the first time; it’s an unforgettable sight.
We’d heard stories that the grande dame of Zimbabwe tourism, the Victoria Falls Hotel, was near vacant and staff kept on just as a source of kindness and hope. When our visit to the falls ended, we asked Mtulisi if he could drive us to the hotel for high tea. He did, and we were glad for it. The property, with its colonial-era architecture, was well-maintained and while not exactly busy had enough visitors to require a staff.
The Victoria Falls Hotel, constructed in 1904, is a World Heritage Site. Photo courtesy of Steve Bergsman.
People come to the Victoria Falls Hotel for the exquisite view of the chasm, the Zimbabwe-Zambia bridge and the falls in the distance. While my companions first sought the view and then sat for a delightful high-tea break of rooibos tea, small sandwiches and sweet tidbits, I took the time to explore the interior of the property and was a little surprised at the wealth of decorations, antiques, hotel collectibles, photos of the colonial era and early 20th century posters.
Mtulisi’s last task of the day was to drive us to our accommodation, a safari lodge called Matetsi, which was about a 40-minute drive from the falls. The transfer might well have been a game drive. Among the animals we saw on the drive were baboons, jackals, warthogs, impalas, a giant eagle owl and even a rare sighting of the highly venomous snake, the black momba.
A troop of baboons blocks the road near the Matetsi Water Lodge in Zimbabwe. Photo courtesy of Steve Bergsman
Matetsi was run by &Beyond, a South African company that manages safari lodges throughout Africa and India. The lodges are all located in remote settings and are generally very small (rarely more than 10 guest cabins or tents) so as to have a minimal footprint. Nevertheless, they are luxurious. Ball, who knew the &Beyond properties, told me Matetsi was one of its best, but it could easily have been closed for lack of business.
Even beyond the surprising four-star accommodation or the fine cuisine was the setting on the shore of the Zambezi River. On short notice, the resort organized an early morning river excursion that resulted in the thrill of being on the mighty Zambezi and seeing a new day breaking over the lush, rolling hills of Africa.
Despite its problems, I would advise visitors to Africa to take a few extra days and visit this corner of a troubled country. It will fill their souls — and the pocketbooks of all who are trying to earn a modern living in a harsh world.
IF YOU GO
Getting there: We flew South African Airways from New York directly to Johannesburg and Cape Town, then Johannesburg to Victoria Falls: www.flysaa.com.
Where to stay: The Matetsi Water Lodge is a beautiful place in an extraordinary setting: www.andbeyondafrica.com.
What to see: Victoria Falls National Park, one of the natural wonders of the world: www.zimparks.com.
Posted in Victoria Falls Tourism, Zimbabwe
content rss