Enjoying the flow of water

Summary

The web content describes a personal account of experiencing the natural beauty and adventure of the Zambezi River, with a focus on the Victoria Falls and activities such as white-water rafting and sunset cruises.

Abstract

The author shares a captivating journey to the Zambezi River, highlighting the majestic Victoria Falls, which is a must-visit destination for its breathtaking watery spectacle. The narrative includes a thrilling white-water rafting adventure with Bundu Adventures and a serene stay at Woods Camp, where the sounds of nature replace the noise of city life. The experience is enriched by the wildlife, including hippos and birds, and the magical colors of the sunrise and sunset reflected in the river. The author emphasizes the unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the African wilderness and suggests that missing out on a sunset cruise in such a location would be akin to a crime.

Opinions

The Victoria Falls is described as a geological masterpiece and a must-see attraction.
The author, a geologist, finds the rockface exposed during the dry season to be particularly impressive.
The Zambezi valley in early June is recommended as a warmer alternative to the cooler Lusaka, offering a perfect weekend getaway.
The author expresses that the sounds of hippos and birds, especially the African Fish Eagle, contribute to an authentic African wilderness experience.
The sunset cruise is portrayed as an essential activity to fully appreciate the beauty and wildlife of the Zambezi River.
The author plans to write a more philosophical piece about life on the Zambezi River, indicating a deep connection and fascination with the area.

Sampling the Zambezi magic…

Author and wife posing in front of the Victoria Falls, in the Zambezi River. View from the Zambian side, Zimbabwe is behind the rainbow. © Ron Smit, June 2019

The monthly challenge calls for submissions on a “splashy summer adventure”. Let me share some of these, noting that some African winters can be more summery than actual summer in the northern hemisphere.

My header photograph shows the Victoria Falls, a truly magnificent watery spectacle and really a must to visit, at least once during your lifetime. Geological events and the flow of one of Africa’s great rivers have conspired to create this masterpiece. Even viewing the waterfall can be a pretty adventurous affair — after the rainy season in this part of Africa, the flow is so heavy that visitors are completely drenched by the spray.

I’ve seen the Falls in times of high flow and also at the end of the dry season, when the rockface is impressive (at least for a geologist like me) but when the waterfall is reduced to a series of separate falls. Nevertheless, together, that quantity of water is still sufficient to provide the perfect setting for some more adventure: white-water rafting! Which we did a few years ago, with Bundu Adventures, based in Livingstone.

Rafting the Zambezi River below the Victoria Falls, May 2018. Yours truly in the blue helmet. Credit: Bundu Adventures (with permission)

Right now, here in Zambia, it’s early June, which means winter for us. In Lusaka, this means an extra blanket on the bed, an excellent opportunity to spend a weekend in the warmer Zambezi valley, with friends. So we headed off to Woods Camp, while our friends stayed in the adjoining Muchichili Safari House.

Absolutely fantastic to be out of town, traffic noises replaced by the snorting of hippos and the various sounds of the birds, including that truly “African Wilderness sound”, the cry of the African Fish Eagle.

Our accommodation at Woods Camp, on the banks of the Lower Zambezi. Can you almost hear the hippos snorting in the background? © Ron Smit, June 2022

When you’re in a location like that, it’s almost a crime not to take a sunset cruise, spot the various species of wildlife, have a sundowner on an island, and just enjoy nature.

This hippo bull was building up an amazing speed, running along the riverbed, against the current, while keeping a beady eye on us in the boat. © Ron Smit, June 2022

I hope you enjoyed this little sample of the Zambezi. Later, I’ll write a more philosophical piece about life on this river, perhaps in another publication.