Exploring Victoria Falls: The Zambian Side is Worth It!
In April 2024, we're 7 months into our journey backpacking Africa from Cairo to Cape Town, and we've finally reached one of the most famous sights in Africa: Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya in Lozi. As we plan our visit, we notice many recommendations to see the falls from Zimbabwe. Here's our advice!
Is the Zambian side worth it ?
Absolutely! Seeing Victoria Falls from the Zambian side was one of the highlights of our entire trip. With multiple viewpoints—up close to the falls, from the bridge, or at the base—you get diverse perspectives of this natural wonder. We were lucky to catch rainbows, which made crossing the main bridge an unforgettable experience.
Not only is the Zambian side cheaper ($20 vs. $50 in Zimbabwe), but we also enjoyed spending the entire afternoon in the national park. From 2:30 pm to closing at 6 pm, we explored the trails and even caught a stunning sunset with the falls all to ourselves.
While we didn’t visit the Zimbabwe side, we felt our experience couldn’t have been better. Given the additional costs for visas and entry fees, sticking to the side you're already on makes sense. The Zambian side of Victoria Falls offers a magnificent and unique experience that you’ll be more than satisfied with.
We visited in mid-April on a sunny day, and visibility was great, with just enough mist to keep things cool. The rainbows and the sunset were the perfect end to a perfect day. The Zimbabwe side might be great, but our experience on the Zambian side was so fulfilling that we didn’t feel the need to see more.
Some tips when visiting the Zambian side
We stayed in Livingstone at the mythical Jollyboys Backpackers, for 19$ each per night in a dorm. The hostel is super lively with many activities organized and a great location. We don't recommend the Free Walking Tour they host though.
To get to Victoria Falls from the hostel, we took the public minibus from the bus station, paying 1$ each for the ride to Avani, a 5* hotel just next to the falls, more on that just below.
Here are the minibuses in Livingstone (-17.848368,25.858129)
There are two very fancy hotels bordering the falls, Avani and The Royal Livingstone. What we did is we entered the first one for a coffee, and crossed from their garden directly to the entrance of the National Park. On their property, zebras graze on the grass, just outside the rooms; it was a great thing to see, and the opportunity for nice pictures.
Last thing, it's ok to bring food and drinks inside the park as long as they are hidden in your backpack. There are a few tables where you have have your snacks. However, do not under any circumstance walk with your juice or muffin, baboons will hunt you. Pol was followed and almost attacked for having a mango juice bottle in his hands, we all got pretty scared.
