News And Events
Downloadable E-guide:-
We
are very excited to announce the
launch of our very own
Victoria
Falls Destination E-guide. Every
day we gets asked dozens of
questions about every aspect of
travel to the Falls, so we
decided to gather all the
questions together, answer them
and produce a downloadable guide
for people to access the
information easily. We have
included our Tips in just about
every section to help save
time, money and frustration
when visiting Victoria Falls.
Apart from all the information
we have included maps,
photographs, slideshows,
checklists, a local language
guide, an activity fact file, a
tour of the falls, a calendar,
discount vouchers and much more.
We
have been working on this for
several months now and have
finally launched it. We believe
that it is a complete resource
for anyone travelling to the
Falls. To find out more about
it...Click
here
Jet Boat -
Regal
Tours and Safaris recently
launched a new jet boat
operation. This activity
involves a high powered jet boat
racing up and down the Zambezi
at speeds of up to 100kms per
hour in rapids 1 and 2 just
below Victoria Falls. This
Adrenaline packed activity sadly
did not operate for long as the
specially designed boat imported
from New Zealand didn't
negotiate one of the waves to
well and nose dived into the
water sinking the entire boat.
Fortunately no one was hurt and
everyone made it to the banks
safely. Nyami Nyami the Zambezi
River god is the only one who
knows where the the boat is.
Victoria Falls Rainforest
Restaurant -
Huge controversy raged over the
opening of a newly constructed
restaurant and shop at the
entrance to the Victoria Falls
Rainforest Park by tour
operators Shearwater Adventures.
Environmentalists, curio traders
and other tour operators
objected citing that the
UNESCO's World Heritage status
of Victoria Falls was
threatened.
The main objections appeared to
be:-
1)
Shearwater clandestinely
partnered with Zimbabwe National
Parks to be awarded this
licence.
2)
The new construction was not
within UNESCO's guidelines of
building restrictions of this
World Heritage site
3)
The National Museums and
Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) and
Zimbabwe National Parks (ZNP)
have been in conflict with each
other as to who has jurisdiction
of the Rainforest National Park.
4)
The livelihood of 100's of curio
vendors outside the Rainforest
Park would be threatened.
In
Response:-
Shearwater Adventures have
categorically maintained throughout the
controversy that they have done
nothing underhand and that the
award of their licence was
completely above board. The only
dispute being between NNMZ and
ZNP.
Shearwater have also maintained
that the construction is
completely within the UNESCO's
guidelines for this world heritage
site. Paul Connolly Shearwater's
lawyers states:-
There are UNESCO regulations
pertaining to the site. The
UNESCO regulations say, among
other things, that there should
be no developments in an area
which is not already designated
a facilities area.
Shearwater has simply improved
and developed infrastructure
within the physical parameters
of the buildings that have been
in existence for a long time.
This is already a developed area
and Shearwater did not go an
inch outside that designated
area.
At
the height of the conflict NMMZ
took control of the Rainforest
Park and ousted Zimbabwe
National Parks officials. This
action was blown out of
proportion by the press who
stated that an armed struggled
had ensued, when in fact this
was not the case. NMMZ did take
control of the Rainforest Park
entrance for a short period of
time with ZNP relinquishing
control in a peaceful manner.
After discussion behind closed
doors it was resolved that these
were both State run authorities
but that ZNP had jurisdiction.
The shop that Shearwater have
set up is an upmarket shop. It
is not a curio store, in fact
they do not sell curios similar
to any curio traders outside the
Park therefore the likelihood
that it will affect the
livelihoods of 100's of curio
traders is minimal.
The
whole entrance to Victoria Falls
Rainforest park was in desperate
need of revamping and updating.
The information centre was dull
and outdated and the toilets
facilities were not up to
standard. Shearwater have
improved the whole facility
dramatically and brought it up
to international standards. The
information boards now on
display are a vast improvement
on what was there previously.
The restaurant block has been
tastefully designed and built
and blends in well with the
surrounding environment, it is
the bare minimum that an
international traveller might
expect. Tourists are now able to
enter the Rainforest Park
(having paid an entrance fee of
US$30) wander around the Falls
enjoying this marvellous
spectacle and then rest and
enjoy a bite to eat before going
back to their hotels or indeed
wandering around the Falls
again.
Presently the dust has settled
and operations are back to
normal.
Victoria Falls Art Gallery -
A rather disturbing case has
come to light through the FAQ's
section of our website. Several
people have made contact with us
regarding curios that they have
purchased at the Victoria
Falls Art Gallery. They have
either paid deposits or paid in
full for curios and shipping
with the promise that these
items will be shipped back to
their respective countries,
unfortunately for these people
the items never arrive. Details
of correspondence can be seen at
this post on our site
https://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/southern-africa-gallery.html
We
are currently investigating this
whole affair and have been to
see the owner of the gallery,
who has a string of excuses as
to why the goods have not yet
been shipped, we hope to get to
the bottom of this and at least
get the money returned to these
unfortunate customers.
Please be aware of this
problem and warn others but
also understand that this is not
a true reflection on all traders
at Victoria Falls. You must just
be very careful when buying
something and then asking for it
to be shipped home. Make sure
the individual or company has
been recommended to you or that
they can show you details of
previous shipments and also who
their shipping agents are. If in
doubt rather organise your own
shipping through the Fedex
agency in the Falls.
This sort of thing casts a very
unfavourable light on Victoria
Falls and along with other
residents in the Falls we will
do everything in our power to
put an end to this dishonest
behaviour. If indeed this turns
out to be a fraud case we hope
that these perpetrators will be
brought to book and stopped from
trading any more.
New Years Eve Party -
This years "New Years Eve Party"
is set to supersede all parties
of the past. It's likely to be
one huge rock festival with some
of the best artists from
Zimbabwe and South Africa
performing.
It
will create a new hype about
Victoria Falls. Most
accommodation establishments are
100% fully booked (camping still
available) and the activity tour
operators are extremely excited
about the influx of people which
promises to ignite Victoria
Falls as a premiere tourist
destination once again.
This years line up includes The
Parlotones, Mann Friday, Ghapi,
Evicted, Kate Douie and many
others. The festival is spread
over two nights with the
Parlotones playing on the 30th
and Ghapi, the drummer and
singer with wild hair, bringing
in 2011 with a bang.
Tickets numbers are supposedly
being restricted to 3000 with
standard tickets costing US$40
per night.
The Zambezi Traveller
-
The
Zambezi Traveller is a new
quarterly publication, it's
first issue was launched in June
of 2010. Their third issue has
just gone to the printing press
and will be out next week.
Currently 25 000 copies are
printed per issue for Free
distribution.
This tabloid sized publication
is jammed packed with
interesting articles, stories,
news, adverts and information on
this whole area, with individual
sections on Livingstone, Kariba
and Lower Zambezi, Chobe,
Mozambique, Victoria Falls,
Okavongo and Hwange. If
you have any interest in these
areas, we would highly recommend
getting a copy, there is nothing
else quite like it out there.
If
you would like to subscribe for
FREE please email
teddy@yoafrica.com They will
send a copy to you anywhere in
the world and won't even charge
you for postage.
Explorers Bar -
During the 90's Explorers Bar in
Sopers arcade was the place to
go for a lively bit of
nightlife. In recent years
it's popularity waned slightly
but it has just reopened under
the new ownership of Tim Element
and Deidre Adams and is set to
start humming again. Mike
Saunders the young new manager
has brought in Live
entertainment and theme evenings
which are set to draw the crowds
in.