Victoria Falls was a memorable one and thank you

by Praveen
(India)

Hi Jane ,

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you . I got caught up in a few things upon my return from the trip .
Well , our trip to Victoria Falls was a memorable one and thank you for all the assistance .

Here are my two bits on the various aspects :
Gorges Lodge : Great place to stay .... gorgeous views from the rooms ..... serenity blissful .... courteous staff and good food .
On most days the vehicle stayed with us at VF Town until our return to the lodge in the night. That was very convenient.
The 20 minutes drive from the main highway to Gorges is treacherous !!

Buffalo Bar : Class act ! Superb place for sun-downers . A majestic tusked adult came in to drink at the waterhole and stayed still just after sunset .

BOMA : Touristy but enjoyable ! Yes , the drinks are expensive , but what the hic ( ! ) . Overindulged with the great spread ! Warthog Steak was super .
The drummers & dancers were entertaining . A good , noisy evening ! Nutty son still gleeful at the certificate vouching for him having eaten a Mopani Worm !

Elephant Walk : Nice place . Bought plenty of curios for family & friends back home . Indians are great bargainers too . Parting whisper by leader of selling gang , " Please don't tell anybody of the prices you were given ". Low tone reply by leader of buying gang , " Please don't tell anybody that five Indians allowed you a week's profit today ! " Great fun . Loved the musicians at the entrance . They played nonstop for the 2 hours we were there . Such naturals !

Helicopter Flight : Spectacular , for sure ! All five got window views ! It's a whole different perspective from the air . Plenty of wild life upstream . So glad to have chosen this high priced activity ! Well worth it.

Sunset Cruise & Dinner :Very relaxing . We had the boat to ourselves ! Great sighting of elephants crossing over from one island to another . Spectacular sunset ! Countless G&Ts and nice dinner !

Bridge Cafe : Overrated shack ! Food not bad , though . Watched some very brave western women bungee jumping ! View of Falls on the way back was amazing !

Night Drive & Bush Dinner : Nice private reserve . Very scenic .Our driver cum tracker was was very knowledgeable . Saw plenty of elephants , buffalo , zebra , a pair of rhino with their calf near the anti-poaching camp and , of course , countless antelope . The big cats evaded us but we caught up with their country-cousins in Sabi - Sands ! The Bush-Dinner was more than OK .... steaks were good .

Tour of Victoria Falls : Wow ! Wow ! Quite clear why it one of the "Wonders" ! Thank god the plumber in Texas who could fix such leaks is long dead !

Rainforest Cafe : Very enjoyable . Excellent grub . Ideal place to spend time after the Tour .

Victoria Falls Hotel : Thank you for suggesting the high tea here . Very elegant & grand hotel . We have some of these colonial beauties back here too ! Great view of the Bridge and Spray .

People of Victoria Falls : It was clearly evident to me that the common people , including the rural folks I interacted with at Gorges , have a very high awareness about and concern for ecology & the environment . So good to see .

Again , we had a wonderful time at Victoria Falls and thanks for everything .
I'll get back later in the day with the bank details concerning the refund 2 pax who could not make the trip .

Warm regards ,

Praveen