FRONTLINE
ANDREA SMITH Holiday Village agent based in the Peak District
Some places should be viewed in awed
silence, as I recently discovered at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. I’d wanted to see the falls for so long that I was worried it might be an anti-climax, but I found there’s a reason why it’s one of the seven wonders of the natural world. I’ve just returned from a
family holiday to Botswana and Zimbabwe with Exodus, which I chose because it ended in the town of Victoria Falls. That it also visited two wildlife-rich countries was a bonus. I extended the stay to indulge a long-held romantic notion of afternoon tea on the terrace of the iconic Victoria Falls Hotel and also to experience Bushtracks Steam Train over the Batoka Gorge for sunset. The trip was full of Instagram moments if you have clients who like that kind of thing. I’ll never forget the sense of peace as we travelled on a mokoro boat through water channels made by hippos in the Okavango Delta, or sitting round a campfire under a star-filled sky on our two nights of wild camping.
LOCAL INSIGHTS As you’d expect from Exodus, it was well organised and our tour guide was an experienced native of Zimbabwe, aided by several local guides along the way. My husband is not the most sociable of men, so I had some reservations about
28 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 AGENT
My family holiday in Victoria Falls was a reminder of the
power of our planet’s natural wonders
how he would manage in a group of strangers for a fortnight, but our guide helped quickly establish a camaraderie among the group, and we very much enjoyed the trip. Zimbabwe is well worth considering as a destination for clients. At no point did we feel unsafe, and when you consider that a safari in Hwange National Park is only a couple of hours’ drive from Victoria Falls, it makes for a great twin-centre. The town is small but has a very cosmopolitan feel with lovely shops, an artisan market, restaurants and art galleries. You can walk around
and back to your hotel during the day but they advise against doing so at night because there are elephants and hippos grazing at the side of the road! You can see 75% of the falls from the Zimbabwe side, with the remaining 25% being viewed from Zambia. If your clients are crazy enough to want to swim in the Devil’s Pool, they need to cross the border on a day trip.
DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL Time of year can drastically affect a client’s falls experience. During high flow, Devil’s Pool can be closed and I’m told there is so much spray you can hardly see the waterfall. During low water, the view is not quite as grand. Between June and August seems to be a good time, so it’s a great long-haul option for the summer holidays. Early morning was quieter at the falls, but the best chance of seeing rainbows is late afternoon. A level pathway features 16 viewing points, most of which are wheelchair accessible. You could also suggest the Dusty Roads Restaurant Township Experience, a restaurant serving delicious local cuisine run by residents. I had been looking forward to our Exodus trip for a very long time, and it certainly delivered.
CONSERVATION AT ITS BEST
Two memorable wildlife moments on the trip were found just two hours’ drive
from Victoria Falls. Hwange Safari Lodge has an amazing waterhole at the back of the
property, separated from visitors by only a trench and a low electric fence. Standing in the hotel grounds just yards away from wild elephant families is a moving and memorable experience. The second was the Painted Dog Conservation in Hwange, which protects the area’s endangered wild dogs. This was one of the finest examples of ‘getting conservation right’ I’ve ever experienced. It’s a moving story dealing with human/wildlife conflict that you can recommend to your clients with confidence.
Victoria Falls
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diary diary
en Clare
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PICTURE: Mike Smith
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