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Exciting 5 Day Travel Itinerary To The Victoria Falls
Do you ever want to go on a vacation, but don’t have many leave days? That is always the issue isn’t it? Yes, we totally understand… Why not consider travelling to a neighbouring African country? The Victoria Falls is one destination to consider when deciding where to travel.
You might be thinking, but why?
Why travel to the Victoria Falls?
Southern African countries have so much to offer and are all very unique in their own way. Being in the travel industry, I have been exposed to travel itineraries, including countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Namibia, Kenya and Uganda. The list could go on, but these are the Southern African countries that stood out the most to me, and I hope to tick them all off as we wander around on our travel adventure.
Read more about our travel adventure in our blog Welcome to our travel blog.
Working in travel during peak season (summer holidays in South Africa which is December/ January) while everyone is living their best life on the beach, on vacation or just completely in relax mode is tough, real tough and demanding. Going right through Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve (you get the drift) in full speed mode, just to ensure your clients are happy, while you miss out on the summer fun.
During the beginning of peak season in December 2018, I felt like I needed some motivation and inspiration to get me through the fast approaching peak season.. I couldn’t take much time off from work, due to the working environment already starting to get busy. In my off time, I thought of places somewhere closer than a 10 hour + flight.
“Next time you’re thinking about your next vacation, why not consider the Victoria Falls or another Southern African country?”
With lots of research and discussions, we narrowed our final options down to Zanzibar vs Victoria Falls. We were sold with Victoria Falls/ Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, because we could include an African safari in our itinerary – for those of you who know us, we both love a safari trip! The thought of viewing the natural beauty of the falls from above in a microlight, also sold it for us! Not to say that we wouldn’t travel to Zanzibar, but we had to make a decision somehow. Obviously, we will have to add Zanzibar to our extensive travel wishlist in the near future.
How does the Victoria Falls look?
From above, it’s a whole new world! Birds eye view is best, forget about your fear of heights for 30 minutes and you will thank us afterwards. I would highly recommend splitting your accommodation up with a 3 night/ 2 night combo in both Zimbabwe and Zambia. The view from each country is so unique!
Where is it located?
The Victoria Falls is located in the north western part of Zimbabwe, bordering Zambia. When based in Victoria Falls Town, it is very easy to travel into Botswana and Zambia during your trip.
How to get there?
Direct flights for the win! Yes, it will cost you a little extra to fly a more direct flight to your destination, however, when you are limited for time, this is your best option. A couple of hours in transit vs having extra time to explore your destination, it’s a no brainer for us.
Kenya Airways offers direct flights from Cape Town International to Victoria Falls International, with a flying duration time of 2h 50 min. It always helps if you are flexible with your travel dates, as some days are cheaper to fly than other days.
Another airline option is Airlink, they also offer direct return flights to and from Cape Town. We usually fly with Airlink when traveling to the Kruger National Park, and have always been super impressed with them!
It makes life a lot easier to book everything with one company. We used Shearwater Adventures to book our airport – hotel transfers, as well as our activities.
“Make sure that the park fees, entrance fees and conservation fees are included..”
Our 5 Day Victoria Falls Itinerary
Day 1:
– Depart from Cape Town International to Victoria Falls International
– Transfer from the airport to your hotel
– Unpack and explore the hotel and surrounds
– Night 1 at your accommodation
Day 2:
– Half day morning Victoria Falls National Park tour – you can do a self tour as there is signage along the route
– Half day afternoon Microlight/ Helicopter tour- this is wind dependent, so make sure you are flexible to change your itinerary around if need be
– Night 2 at your accommodation
Day 3:
– Chobe National Park full day – you will be exhausted after this jam packed day
– Night 3 at your accommodation
Day 4:
– Half day morning spa
– Half day Zambezi sunset cruise – there are a couple of options to choose from, always make sure you read the description before booking
– Night 4 at your accommodation
Day 5:
– Half day morning souvenir shopping
– Transfer from your hotel to the airport
– Depart from Victoria Falls International to Cape Town International – try get the latest flight as possible to get to any last minute things that you wanted to still do
6 tips when travelling:
- When booking your activities, make sure that the park fees, entrance fees and conservation fees are all included, so that you don’t have to lay out extra money when you are there
- The full day activities can be busy. Try to split your itinerary into one full day activity, one half day activity, so that you can also breathe and take it all in
- Take lightweight clothing, as it can get really hot and humid
- Sunblock, sunhat and sunglasses! African sun is hot hot!
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Camera – if possible a waterproof camera, especially for your tour to the Victoria Falls National Park
Next time you’re thinking about your next vacation, why not consider the Victoria Falls or another Southern African country?
If you did have to consider one African country, where would you be adventuring to?
**Please note that our itinerary was planned in 2018, and due to covid some flights and activities may be on hold until further notice.
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Top 5 Places To Visit In New Zealand
New Zealand, the beauty and all. What a beautiful country to travel throughout. There are endless places to visit in both the north and south island. Your travel time frame will decipher whether you will be able to travel every part of New Zealand flat, or just specifically the touristy areas within the country.
Where to travel in New Zealand
We were lucky to have been able to travel to New Zealand for 2.5 months, where we were able to explore various parts of the country. The north and south islands being so very unique in their own ways, I can’t even tell which part of New Zealand was my favourite, because I loved so much of both islands.
It is sometimes daunting to plan an itinerary from scratch, when you don’t even know where to start. Especially when you have never travelled internationally before. So, we have decided to blog about various aspects of our 2.5 month road trip around New Zealand. Read our blog Welcome to our travel blog if you are new here, and want to find out more about us.
“Being South African, I tell people that it reminds me of Stellenbosch on Robben Island, just to give them an idea.”
How to travel throughout New Zealand
If you have read other travel blogs, I’m pretty sure that they all suggest travelling through New Zealand with a motorhome. Well they are 100% correct!
Motorhomes are the most common method of transport for those exploring New Zealand and there are so many reasons why travellers decide to do this.
Transport and accommodation in one, what more could you ask for? It might be a bit scary driving this bigger vehicle, but with practice, you will get used to it. Let me tell you that driving the south island, even in a standard car, is not for the faint hearted… some of the roads are windey, narrow and there are crazy cliffs below!
If you have accommodation secured with family or friends, having your own standard vehicle to get around, is also pretty cool. There is so much more you can see when you have your own transport.
Public transport is really good, especially in the bigger cities. There are public busses that run between cities for reasonable prices. We used InterCity when travelling from Bulls to Wellington – so convenient and really comfy!
We would recommend hiring a motorhome for part of your trip, as it can work out pricey if you hire one for the full duration – obviously budget depending.
“The north and south islands being so very unique in their own ways“
Our Top 5 places to visit in New Zealand
In this travel blog we will be writing about the Top 5 places to visit in New Zealand. There are obviously many more top places to visit through New Zealand, however, we feel that these are the destinations that stuck out the most to us.
1.) Waiheke Island
One place that I tell everyone to add to their New Zealand itinerary. Being South African, I tell people that it reminds me of Stellenbosch on Robben Island, just to give them an idea.
Waiheke Island was previously a rat infested island that nobody wanted to know of. Today, Waiheke is a beautiful tourist hotspot, with stunning beaches, breathtaking views and wine farms.
Where is Waiheke Island?
- a small island off Auckland
How to get there?
- Waiheke Island is a small island north east of Auckland. Ferry transfer is the transport method, so take some sea sickness tablets just in case. It is +- 40 min via ferry. The ferry travels frequently to and from Auckland and you can find Fullers360 timetable on their website.
3 wine farm suggestions in Waiheke Island
- Stoneyridge Vineyard
- Batch Winery
- Mudbrick Vineyard
Our favourite activity on Waiheke Island
- If you are going to be based near Auckland, travel by ferry over to Waiheke Island for the day and do the Hop on Hop off wine tasting bus. Even if you are not one to drink, the views from the bus and venues are breathtaking. There is a guide that speaks throughout the bus trip and gives you a detailed history lesson about the area.
- If you can stay the night or two on Waiheke Island, we would highly recommend that.
- Need a map of Waiheke Island? We got you covered. See the Hop on Hop off detailed map of vineyards, roads, beaches, bus stops and more.
2.) Rotorua
This region is known for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. It is such an amazing cultural experience to be able to learn more about the Maori culture and lifestyle.
Where is Rotorua?
- Rotorua is on the north island of New Zealand, between Tauranga and Taupo.
How to get there?
- Auckland to Rotorua: +-3 hour via the State Hwy 1
- Wellington to Rotorua: +- 6 hour via the State Hwy 1
- We suggest that you always give more time to travel, because the roads are foregin to you. Your trip will take a little longer, because you are going to want to stop and see all the views along the way! Plenty little coffee shops to stop at too 🙂
Our favourite takeaway about Rotorua
- Seeing the haka on television is a hair thrilling experience, but experiencing it right in front of you, is so so special. A suggestion from us is to explore Auckland, hire a car/ motorhome and drive south from Auckland to Wellington stopping in Rotorua and Taupo along the way.
3.) Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman is the country’s smallest national park and has many golden sandy beaches. The area is also known for its granite cliffs and world famous coast track. Kayak, swimming, snorkeling, boating and walks are some of the few activities you can get up to here.
Where is Abel Tasman National Park?
- North of the South Island
How to get there?
- If you are travelling from Wellington, you would have to take the ferry across from the north island to the south island.
- There are two ferry companies that travel between the north and south island
Our best highlight of Abel Tasman National Park
- The amazing beaches along the way. Even before Abel Tasman National Park, there is a beach called Kaiteriteri Beach and it was the perfect spot to tan, relax and swim all day.
4.) Milford Sound
Renowned for its high cliffs, waterfalls, marine wildlife and magical mountain views. Take a rain jacket for the boat cruise, as the captain/skipper loves to get as close as possible to the falls.
Where is Milford Sound?
- Fiordland National Park along the west coast of the south island.
How to get there?
- Travelling the south island is not an easy task. Always estimate a few more hours on your travel time. We took the ferry from Wellington and made our way down south , travelling the west coast of the south island, with a hired vehicle.
- Car hire – Nelson, Reefton, Fox Glacier, Wanaka, Queenstown-, bus to Invercargil
- See our travel route that we took (look at our notes)
- There are companies that pick up in Te Anau, where you will travel via bus to the boat terminals. See the company that we went with below.
Must do in Milford Sound
- The best way to admire the views is by boat or helicopter if you’re feeling extra. There are many companies to choose from. Southern Discoveries is a recommendation to book with.
5.) Fox Glacier/ Franz Glacier
Most definitely a must when travelling New Zealand. Frans Glacier and Fox Glacier are known for being amongst the most accessible glaciers around the world and only +-25 minutes driving distance between the two.
Where is the Fox Glacier/ Franz Glacier?
- In the Westland Tai Poutini National Park.
- This area is located on the west coast of the south island. The two glaciers are not far between each other. If you have the time to visit both, that is great, however, if you are limited with time, visiting one of the glaciers will give you an idea of what the area is about.
How to get there?
- Via State Hwy 6.
- 5 hour drive from Queenstown and Christchurch.
Which glacier to visit between Fox Glacier and Franz Glacier?
- Depending on your fitness levels – Fox Glacier has a gradient incline, whereas Frans Glacier is steeper.
- You are able to do a 30 – 45 minute self walk to the glaciers, of course with a barrier at the furthest point you can get to.
- Both are beautiful in their own unique ways! Perhaps book accomodation in the area for a couple of nights to be able to see both the Fox Glacier and Franz Glacier. We stayed one night at the Franz Alpine Retreat. They have a variety of room categories and a short distance from the glaciers.
- What we would recommend, is that you take the famous helicopter trip to have a complete glacier experience with views from above. Unfortunately our budget did not allow for this, however, next time we have both said it is a priority on our to do list!
Of course there are so many more spectacular places to visit throughout New Zealand. There are the top 5 that stood out to us the most while we were travelling both north and South Island. When you are travelling with a limited time frame, it is tricky to decide what to do and what to leave our for next time. We know there will be a next time travelling to New Zealand! For now, we going to spend time focusing on domestic travel throughout South Africa and travel blogging all about it. Wildlife, nature and travel are our three main pillars that we want to showcase while travelling locally and internationally.Have you travelled to any of our top 5 places to visit in New Zealand? If so, comment your favourite below.
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6 Simple Steps In What You Need To Know To Safely Change A Car Tyre
For those following our journey on Instagram, you would have seen that we were recently on a road trip from Windhoek to Cape Town. One main takeaway is that as a driver, you should know how to safely change a car tyre. Otherwise you might sit with a few problems. In this blog we mention our 6 simple steps to safely change a car tyre.
The crazy thing is that we have both been driving for over 10 years (giving our age away here), and have never had to change a tyre before. Has it been pure luck? Who knows, but I think it’s time that changed.
Also, why hasn’t no one created a course for females on how to change a car tyre? So that we are not left freaking out if it does happen.
Let’s hit the road
Having never road tripped in other African countries before, it was an exciting but nerve wrecking adventure. One road trip that was rather fun, was our road trip around both north and south islands in New Zealand Another factor that was constantly in the back of our heads, was the virus. This road trip was our first travels outside of South Africa in nearly two years. Naturally there were all kinds of emotions flowing. Our last travel experience was Julia heading back home from Sweden to South Africa during a world pandemic.
One aspect that didn’t cross our minds on this trip was changing a tyre. A topic that if you don’t know much about, you are pretty much screwed. We know these things happen, but I guess you hope for the best and just wing it?
Changing a car tyre shouldn’t be that complicated, but if you have never done it before, it is complicated. But we are going to break it down for you in 6 simple steps on how to safely change a car tyre.
6 Simple Steps to Safely Change Your Car Tyre
For those who have never changed a tyre before, here are our 6 simple steps to safely change a car tyre for you to follow, so that next time you are well prepared.
1.) Pull over
Slow down and pull over as soon as you can. Try heading into an area that is slightly off the highway. Cars speed past and that’s how accidents happen.
Let someone know
Call a friend or family member to let them know your location, just in case you don’t come right and need further assistance. If you are like us, the first reaction is to freak out a little and call someone who you know will be able to guide you through the process.
Triangle reflector
One of the equipment pieces that you will need – we mention all the equipment needed further in the blog post. Pretty sure you have seen this red triangle reflector on the roads before. If you haven’t, do you even drive? So important when you have a flat tyre. Just gives other drivers on the road a heads up that you are stuck.
2.) Park on a flat
Park your car on a flat, so that your car doesn’t roll. If it’s not you under the car changing the tyre, it will be someone else. The last thing you need is the car rolling into the highway, grass patch or ditch and then you sit with more problems.
Handbreak
Remember to lift your hand break up to avoid rolling. Best bet to leave the car in first gear. When you start the car again, remember that your car is in first gear to avoid that sudden jerk 😉
3.) Flag down
Try flag a car down so that they can assist you in changing the car tyre or just make sure that the environment is safe around you.
Valuable items
Worrying about changing a tyre, one can tend to be completely unaware of who is around you. Just make sure your items in the car are locked up or that someone is able to monitor your valuables for you.
Who to flag down
That is tricky. Because in the moment you are so desperate for anyone’s roadside assistance. I guess as females, we have a natural instinct of being on high alert to watch our surroundings.
We waved down a bakkie and they thought we were waving and carried on driving. Minutes later, we saw the same bakkie coming back in our direction to ask if we were okay! Could have shed a tear in that moment!
While our bakkie driver was under the car, a truck driver saw us holding the spare car tyre. We asked him afterwards what made him stop.
He said: “I saw three females holding a tyre up, and knew something was wrong.”
Luckily we could laugh about this afterwards when our spare tyre was changed and we were ready to hit the road again.
4.) Must have equipment
Totally heading to the shops to make sure we have these items in the boot of our car for incase. Get all your tools out and prepare to get a little dirty.
Tip: travel rookie error, don’t travel in your best clothing!
Bolts and spanners/ Lug wrench
Purchase a tool set that has all the necessary equipment that allows you to remove the bolts from the wheel and safely secure the new tyre.
Use the lug wrench to loosen the nuts in a counter clockwise direction.
Jack
This is the most important, especially when you are travelling in a 4×4 vehicle. A jack is the device used to lift the car off the ground so that you can remove the damaged tyre. Bigger cars require a stronger jack to hold up the vehicle while changing the tyre. You could use a standard car jack, however, it will just take a little longer and more muscle usage.
Replace the jack under the frame, closest to the tyre that you are changing. You will notice the tyre lifting off the ground, which will allow for you to completely remove the tyre.
PS: Keep nuts and bolts close by! Whatever you took off, must go back on….
Spare tyre
Make sure your spare is A for away so that you are not changing your tyre to put another damaged tyre on. After your trip, always replace your damaged tyre right away so that you don’t forget.
Replace the damaged tyre with the new tyre and use the lug wrench to tighten the nuts to secure the new tyre.
Once the new tyre has been replaced, lower the car by using the jack and check that the tyre is on correctly.
Keys for spare tyre
Knowing where the keys are for the spare tyre would help! Keep them separate from the main keys and somewhere you will remember. I tied a little piece of string around the correct key. There is nothing worse than trying every single key 3 times and apparently being incorrect.
Triangle reflector
Place the triangle reflector behind your vehicle so that oncoming traffic are aware that you are there. Also, this could encourage people to stop and assist you.
5.) Listen to your car
It is all fun and games playing the good tunes until your car is trying to let you know someone isn’t right. Turn down the music from time to time during your trip to make sure there are no strange sounds and that the travel is a smooth one.
Especially after changing a tyre, you want to perhaps listen carefully to the car for some time just to make sure you are good!
6.) Watch and learn
If someone has stopped on the highway and assisted you in changing your tyre, deem yourself as lucky. It doesn’t happen all the time. There might be a next time when you are forced to do it alone, so make sure that you have watched someone do it. You can teach the next person your ways on how to change a car tyre.
Our suggestion, take notes on our 6 steps to safely change a car tyre and save this article for incase.
Besides traveling to Namibia, another African country that we traveled to was Zimbabwe to visit the Victoria Falls. Read more about our Exciting 5 day travel itinerary to the Victoria Falls to find out what we enjoyed the most.
Have you had a crazy experience when changing your car tyre? Let us know your experiences – good or bad!
Vocabulary:
Bakkie: A small van/ truck
