Zambia: Game Drives, River Cruises and Floating on the Edge of Victoria Falls

December 16 – December 19
Tongabezi Lodge
Zambezi River
Devil’s Pool
Livingstone, Zambia

My two private game drives are with Chris and I get to sit up high, perched above the cab of the Tongabezi truck. I can slide back and forth on the bench to get good views from both sides of the truck. Occasionally the road is rough and occasionally I’m dodging oncoming branches but it is glorious fun. Despite my unhappy tummy, I’m smiling from ear to ear. I see all sorts of firsts: Giraffe, Zebra, countless birds, Impala, Baboon, Velvet monkey, Sausage tree, Storks, Baobab Tree, Impala, a few other types of antelope, far-away elephants on the Zimbabwe side, waterbuck.

Saddle Billed Stork

Impala having a graceful wee

Impala looking towards a lone Tsessebe Antelope

Mother warthog and babies

Baboon

More images of Tongabezi

I did one river cruise in the late afternoon followed by sundowners. And one river cruise at 5:30 in the morning. Per usual, the Hippos put on a good show but we were careful not to linger or get too close. They are extremely territorial!

And I spent 2 nights in River Cottage #4

Devil’s Pool is a naturally formed pool literally on the edge of Victoria Falls. It can only be accessed during the river’s low season. After taking a short boat ride, we wade into the Zambezi River. Although it does not appear so, the current is quite strong. Several of the other ladies in the group are quite concerned about crocodiles and I’m thinking to myself that the crocodiles are smarter than us and would not venture so close to the edge of the falls. There are fish that nip at our feet in the pool, sometimes quite forcefully if I don’t keep my feet in motion. But I need my feet on the rocks so that I don’t float towards the edge. And then it’s my turn. Me and the guide are sitting next to the edge and then I’m throwing my arms out over the edge and looking to the bottom as the guide hangs onto my ankle. I can occasionally see the frothing water at the bottom as the constant rainbow hovers in the air. The tourists on the Zimbabwe side of the falls are looking over at us and now we are the tourist attraction. After everyone gets their picture, we swim back to the shore and have breakfast. There’s no time to linger over breakfast as we are soon boated back to our starting location.