Victoria Falls guide
This item appears on page 33 of the June 2017 issue.
My wife, Marcia, and I finally made it to Victoria Falls in March 2017, and we weren’t disappointed. In fact, our visit there was downright spectacular. A major contributor to our enjoyment was the Zimbabwean guide Moses Ndhlovu (phone +263 777 835 960 or email mosndhlovu@yahoo.com).
Our hotel, the Bayete Guest Lodge (Stand 584, Manyika Rd., Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe), put us in touch with Moses, and he came by the day before our tour to finalize arrangements. The next morning, he showed up right on time driving a spotless van, and off we went.
For our private, 3½-hour tour, we paid him $60, which included pickup and dropoff at our hotel, a guided visit to the falls and assistance with Customs.
This price did not include the park entrance fees ($30 per person for Zimbabwe and $20 per person for Zambia).
It also did not include the cost of a taxi from the Zimbabwe Customs office across the border bridge to the Zambia Customs office and back again. (This was a negotiated price; we paid $3 each way.)
Incidentally, we secured a KAZA univisa upon our arrival at Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe. This visa, which costs $50 per person (the same price as a Zimbabwe-only visa), permits multiple crossings between Zimbabwe and Zambia and also covers people on day trips into Botswana. It made passing through Customs a breeze!
Moses had an impressive knowledge of anything you’d ever want to know about Victoria Falls and the surrounding area, and his English was excellent. We first walked the Zimbabwe side, then made a seamless transfer to the Zambia side. (You really should see the falls from both sides to gain the best overall perspective.)
We just can’t say enough about how Moses’ personality and knowledge added to our experience. He took very good care of us and was a fun person to be around.
As we chatted with him after our tour, we learned that he also does 7-day private tours through Botswana and Zambia and can arrange to meet travelers in Namibia for up to a 2-week tour there.
WILLIAM TERRY SMITH
Scottsdale, AZ