Travel restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought Zimbabwe’s top tourist destination to a standstill – the craft markets are closed, as are the many souvenir shops and hotels and the larger species of wildlife – particularly elephants – have returned to its quiet centre.
Victoria Falls is putting on its most glorious display of raw breath-taking beauty and intensity of the year, but with the rainy season over, in coming months it will drop to a fraction of its current volume.
Wildlife conservation efforts are under threat as vital funding for the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) has been slashed as the economic impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic bites, prompting a heartfelt plea for support by head of operations Charles Brightman.
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge estate wildlife supervisor Moses Garira says the number visiting the Vulture Culture Experience daily had dwindled by more than half following a poisoning incident last June 130km away Botswana.
By Marianne Betts Flows at the Victoria Falls have been increasing steadily since mid-November, when the rains began, with 585 cubic metres per second now tumbling majestically into the Batoka Gorge to form the world’s largest waterfall. This is over three times more than its lowest annual water level which was recorded in early November,…
Photos: Sarah Kerr Words: Marianne Betts Victoria Falls has a hidden treasure, so hidden the wildlife doesn’t even really know it’s there – it is a unique hide on the edge of Victoria Falls Safari Lodge’s well-known waterhole. Siduli Hide was designed to look like a termite mound, concealing onlookers inside it, as they watch…
By Marianne Betts The water levels at the Victoria Falls fluctuate dramatically throughout the year, and like any of Mother Nature’s greatest works of art, it is ever changing, and, still splendid now, despite experiencing its lowest water levels in nearly 25 years. The world’s largest waterfall, which straddles Zimbabwe and Zambia, is formed…
An Old Rivalry Ignites As ‘Bucket List’ Victoria Falls Marathon Looms By Marianne Betts It’s almost that time of year again, the time when thousands of runners descend on Zimbabwe’s top tourist destination to participate in its largest sporting event – the Victoria Falls marathon. The Econet Victoria Falls Marathon should be on every bucket…
Victoria Falls Recycling Collects More Than 24 Tonnes of Waste in its First Year By Marianne Betts In the midst of Victoria Falls’ industrial area is an unremarkable site with a grey shed, rows of baled plastic water bottles and cardboard, and a large wire cage, seemingly full of rubbish. On the side of the…
New Restaurants to Try In Victoria Falls By Marianne Betts The culinary scene is abuzz in Victoria Falls with new chefs in town, new eateries opening and one hotel is welcoming the public to its restaurant for the first time. Here are some of the newcomers to town worth a try … Three Monkeys…