1. Adventure Sports
Victoria Falls is an adrenaline junkies dream with white water rafting, abseiling, bungi jumping, river boarding and kayaking. The best time for rafting is between August and December. At 111m, the bungi jump at Victoria Falls is one of the highest in the world.
2. Victoria falls
Also known as “Mosi au Tunya”, the smoke that thunders, the Victoria Falls is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and a world heritage site.
In February/March , the Zambezi floods creating the largest curtain of falling water in the world with over 500 million litres of water per minute falling into the gorge below. At this time of year the spray is too much to get a view of the falls from the ground and the best way to see the falls is from the air. Fixed wing planes and helicopters are easy to organise to take people for an aerial view of the falls. November/December are low water months where the water flow reduces to about 10 million litres per minute into the gorge. Reduced spray means you can view the falls from the gorge.
CAPITAL: Harare
CLIMATE:
Summer runs from October to April and is hot and humid with temperatures reaching 30 C during the day. Nights are mild to cool with temperatures reaching 14 C
Winter season runs between May and September and is dry and sunny with temperatures averaging 20 C. Nights can be cold with temperatures dropping to 5 C.
The rainy season is November to March. In the Victoria Falls region rainfall averages only about 600 – 700mm per annum.
COMMUNICATIONS:
The international country code is + 263
Cell phone reception is limited to around major cities
Internet cafes can be found in Victoria Falls.
ELECTRICITY:
220/240 Volts. Plug types are the round 3 pin types as in South Africa.
LANGUAGE:
English is the official language and is widely spoken in Victoria Falls
TIME: GMT + 2 hours
ENTERING THE COUNTRY
AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX:
USD20 to be paid on all flights. This must be paid in USD or Pounds Sterling.
ARRIVAL BY AIR:
Victoria Falls airport is just outside Victoria Falls or you can fly into Livingstone Airport in Zambia and transfer across the border.
CUSTOMS:
Duty free allowance of 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco, 2 litres of wine and 1 litre of spirits, 50 ml of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette. Currency must be declared on arrival. Cameras must be declared on arrival.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
A valid passport is required to enter Zimbabwe and the validity date needs to be atleast 6 months after the visitor intends to leave the country. Visitors may also be asked to produce outgoing travel documents and proof of sufficient funds to finance their stay. Please check for visa requirements before leaving for Zimbabwe. Nationals from a number of countries can obtain visas at port of entry.
HEALTH
Please check with your local doctor on which immunizations are deemed necessary and if malaria prophylactics should be taken. According to the World Health Organisation malaria exists in certain parts of the country. It is strongly recommended that you ensure that you have adequate medical insurance when visiting Zimbabwe as hospitals are reluctant to treat people who cannot demonstrate an ability to pay. Travellers on medication should ensure that they have sufficient supplies with them to cover their whole stay.
MONEY
ATM’s: These are available in Victoria Falls and throughout Zimbabwe. However it is not recommended that you use them as money is dispensed in local currency and at the official exchange rate.
BANKS: There are several banks in Victoria Falls. Major names include Barclays Bank and Standard Chartered Bank. Operating hours are 08h00 to 15h00 Mondays, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays; 08h00 to 13h00 on Thursdays and 08h00 to 11h30 on Saturdays.
CREDIT CARDS:
Major credit cards are accepted at most larger hotels, restaurants and retailers however it is not suggested that you use them. Credit cards are billed using the official exchange rate which is often lower than the rate being used by the vendor. This means that the cost of a purchase could be substantially higher.
CURRENCY:
The official currency is the Zimbabwe Dollar (ZWD) which is divided into 100 cents.
The monetary situation in Zimbabwe is very unstable and inflation causes prices to fluctuate significantly. Foreign currency is widely accepted and it is recommended to travel with small denominations of foreign currency notes and use cash where possible.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE:
Cash and travellers cheques can be cashed at banks and Bureaux de Change.
There are many unauthorised vendors on the streets, but it is illegal to use these and people caught dealing with street vendors will be arrested.
TRAVELLERS CHEQUES:
Although travellers cheques are usually accepted by hotels and retailers, it is not recommended. Visitors are advised to use cash wherever possible.
It is recommended to try to work out as closely as possible the amount of cash you will need so as to leave the country with as little left over cash as possible.
