Victoria Falls — what an epic adventure for a 9-year-old! From the moment we arrived, Jano was absolutely buzzing with excitement. The sheer power and beauty of the Falls, with its thunderous roar and clouds of mist soaring into the sky, became one of his favourite moments of the whole trip. He bounced from viewpoint to viewpoint —skipping with joy — completely swept up in the magic of it all.
YES – we got drenched. Raincoats or not, the spray soaked us through in no time and Jano loved every second of it! While I tried (unsuccessfully) to stay dry, Jano was all in — arms wide open, laughing, chasing the mist like it was the best thing on earth. Watching him soak up the experience, quite literally, made it all so worthwhile.
We were on the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls and that evening we had a lovely dinner at the Dusty Road restaurant, a traditional Zimbabwean establishment situated in the bustling heart of Chinotimba, the largest and oldest township in Victoria Falls. And what did Jano enjoy most? The famous local delicacy — dried mopane worms! As I hesitantly crunched into one, I turned to Jano and said, “It’s a bit strange eating a worm, isn’t it?” He looked at me, completely unfazed, and replied: “Why?” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing — and before I knew it, he was happily munching on another one! I just love kids!
The next morning, we ended our stay with a quick heli-flip over Victoria Falls — and, wow, seeing this natural wonder from the sky was truly breathtaking – the perfect way to wrap up our Victoria Falls adventure.
After breakfast, we took a charter flight to Hwange National Park and before we knew it, we were touching down at our first camp. What a welcome! Right in front of the lodge was a waterhole that teemed with wildlife every afternoon. It is a photographer’s dream and the perfect place to soak in the beauty of the bush without even leaving your seat.
We spent two unforgettable nights here, exploring southern Hwange. The camp itself is perfect for an armchair safari: just step outside your suite and watch as elephants, buffalo, antelope, baboons and more wander down to drink at the waterhole. The smells, sights and sounds of the African bush – how special that mixture is!
And for Jano? The highlight (besides the beautiful wildlife) was a special treasure hunt arranged just for him by the camp. He was all smiles and fully immersed in the adventure — the perfect touch to make this part of the trip even more memorable.
From the dry savannah of Hwange to the beautiful wetlands of Matusadona National Park on Lake Kariba; our adventure kicked off with a scenic hour’s flight in a spacious 10-seater (great views!) and we stayed at two different camps: a rustic 3-star lodge and a luxurious 5-star oasis – a great way to experience the diversity of this incredible region.
Pairing Hwange with Lake Kariba turned out to be a good idea. We’d enjoyed game drives at Hwange while the variety of activities at Matusadona kept us busy and buzzing: as well as game drives we also went on boat cruises, catch-and-release fishing trips, scenic visits, and even had target practice with air rifles and bow and arrows! The camps were very family-friendly, the guides are amazing, and Jano simply had the time of his life, not least learning how to whip up his own omelette in the morning — they just know how to involve kids. His top picks? Fishing, and bow and arrow — no contest!
Our final stop was the legendary Mana Pools National Park, set on the Zambezi River — and what a grand finale it was! We spent four nights soaking up the Zimbabwean wilderness, splitting our time between two excellent camps: one in the heart of the park, and the other right on the banks of the Zambezi.
As we arrived at the first camp, a water-filled pan stretched out in front of us, alive with crocodiles, hippos and a kaleidoscope of birdlife. And it never stopped: believe it or not, from the comfort of our tent, we watched a huge male leopard come down to drink at the waterhole.
We decided on the second day to stay in camp to do some fishing from which arose a travel tale we’ll be telling for years: Jano caught 110 fish in one single day (they were small but “a fish is a fish”). And it’s not just fishing: our guides pointed out wildlife coming down to drink while keeping an experienced eye on the local hippos and crocs – fishing in the Zambezi is nothing short of exciting!
Our last camp was a semi-mobile camp, more rustic than the last and set dramatically a few metres away from the Zambezi River on a high embankment: what a sight … the river carving its way through the landscape, framed by a mountainous escarpment on Zambia’s side of the river, and ringing to the sounds of hippopotamus through the night.
It’s up close and personal in Zimbabwe: the way classic safaris used to be. The activities on offer here are expertly led by great guides. It’s safe, friendly and the Zimbabwean people amazed me with their love for kids – Jano just got so much attention and care! The only downside were the goodbyes. It was an educational and inspirational experience, and did what I hoped and prayed it would do – strengthen our father-son bond even more!
