On a trip to Victoria Falls in October 2024, we were incredibly fortunate to partner with one of the most sought after tour operators in the area, Shearwater. With this group, we were able to truly see Victoria Falls and fully appreciate it from all angles with the various activities available. This helped us get a full picture of the town and really get to appreciate everything it had to offer. Because of this, we were able to experience Victoria Falls in a holistic and all encompassing way.
What I loved is that transfers to and from activities was included so there was no worry about getting anywhere – it was all taken care of. Drop offs are also quite flexible in that you can be dropped off at your lodge or anywhere in town. My little one absolutely loved the taxi rides.
We took part in a number of fantastic activities which I will outline and share on below:
1. A Morning Helicopter Ride of the Victoria Falls
A heli ride on it’s own any day of the week is something fun to do. Now imagine you are taking a heli ride over the Victoria Falls. It was really a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to see this almighty natural wonder from a birds eye view. We got to fully comprehend the vast Zambezi with the Falls and endless gorges while witnessing the surrounding park area – where I also spotted elephants from – was truly spectacular. Known as “the flight of angels” a 13 min helicopter ride over Victoria Falls is an absolute must. We did this as our first activity and I have to say, I am happy it was. It gave me the needed perspective to comprehend the area and helped me appreciate the other activities more as I understood where it was placed in the big picture. I am still not over the fact that we got to experience something so magnificent.
Scroll the gallery below for some snaps of the helicopter experience.
2. An Afternoon River Cruise Over the Zambezi
A truly relaxing activity but equally exciting, a river cruise on the much esteemed Zambezi River was again an iconic experience. The river cruise is about 3 hours long. We were collected from our lodge and taken to the Sheawater jetty where we signed in and got onboard the boat. We were spoiled with bottomless complimentary drinks as well as some snacks for the duration of the cruise. There was a “guide” who told us all about the area, animals and some local fables which was really amusing and gave us some first hand experience into local life.
We were extremely lucky to get some wonderful animal sightings on our river cruise. We saw a baby crocodile, hippos in the water – which was incredible – we saw various beautiful bird species and a troop of baboons, buffalos and much more. The absolute showstopper was where two elephants were splashing around and playing on the river bank giving us an absolute show. That was the definition of being in the right place at the right time. We had the most special afternoon onboard this river boat. We also caught a crocodile basking on the sandbank which was a big guy. We ended off with a magnificent African sunset which was beyond beautiful.
3. An Afternoon Game Drive at Chamabondo Game Reserve
Another 3 hour activity, the game drive in Victoria Falls in Chamabondo was a very special afternoon indeed. We had an expert guide who was incredibly knowledgeable on the area and animals and who shared his facts about the animals as if it were a precious story. I particularly enjoyed what he taught us about the animals. I walked away with a new appreciation for nature and how perfect it is.
On our game drive we saw loads of animals and practiced our new skill: “bush eyes” where we had loads of fun trying to spot animals. We came across giraffes, elephants, hyena, various bird life, warthog, more elephants and more giraffe. We were very lucky as we saw a herd of female elephants and part of the crew was a baby which was the most adorable thing in the world to see. After a while of being on the drive, we were able to stretch our legs at the designated view point and lookout area where our guide offered us refreshments.
Scroll the gallery below for some of our experiential photos on this game drive.
4. An Evening show: Simenyu The Spirit of Africa at the Victoria Falls Theatre
A special theatre production which is a cultural delight and something totally different. It is always nice to see a show and support the performing arts. The stage was beautifully created and the props and costume designs were of extremely good quality. The open air theatre and seating area was very comfortable with seating well positioned from all angles. Staff were very welcoming and helped us along the entryway, through to photo opportunities and into our seats. There is a synopsis of the show available on the Sheawater website.
We loved all the activities we took part in and felt this gave us a true experience of Victoria Falls. Thank you so much for having us and taking us on a special adventure that we will cherish forever.
If you are looking for somewhere to stay on your trip to Victoria Falls, we recommend Nkosi Lodge. You can read a bit about our experience here.
