Victoria Falls is known in the local language as Mosi-oa-Tunya ‘the smoke that thunders’ (and it does!) with 1,780 cubic metres of water cascading over the falls every second (this was the stat during my visit in June)!!

When David Livingstone arrived here in 1855 he named the waterfall after the British Monarch at the time..but having experienced the falls in its powerful glory, Mosi-oa-Tunya is how I will remember it.

Nature has such and incredible ability to create a multi sensory presence: the roar of water in your ears, the spray that wets your skin, hair, socks even through your raincoat, the visual rising of spray way above the falls which can be seen from miles away (even from the plane flight into town), the changing light and rainbows that dazzle your eyes, the taste of the aerated, ionised water on your tongue…Just writing these words transports me back.

Mosi-oa-Tunya (Zimbabwe side)

Day 2 (Monday) we headed to the nearby boarder to cross into Zimbabwe for the larger, longer stretch of the falls with 16 different viewing spots, people bungee jumping and abseiling (nuts!). It was just breathtaking… the power and volume of water flowing was unfathomable and mesmerising.

In several locations I found myself transfixed on watching the the water moving over the lip of the falls and just below, morphing into new patterns and changing form every millisecond as it mixed with the air and separated from the river sediment it had previously been bound with in molecular form. The potential energy of the river at the top transforming into kinetic energy as it accelerated and became aerated during its descent.. moment on moment… totally mesmerising!

And if we thought we had been soaked yesterday… today we were thoroughly saturated! Brilliant!!

The best part of the day was a last minute, but auspiciously timed conservation park tour where we walked with Rhino’s (under 24 hr armed guard to protect them from poachers so they were used to humans).

We were prevented from getting too close as two Elephants flanked the Rhino’s and the guard was concerned they might have an altercation… but the Elephants seemed more uncomfortable with our presence than the Rhino’s who nonchalantly grazed, unperturbed by the baboons playing around their feet!

Once we moved on, we came across a journey of Giraffes – so graceful and curious! I learned that a group of Giraffes on the move is called a journey, but when they are stationary, they are called a tower! Interesting!

I was just amazed how quickly we managed to see so many animals and continued to do so for the rest of the afternoon which finished with a sunset drink at the Zambezi River!

On day 3 we returned to the airport for a small plane flight back to Lusaka and again onto the Royal Airstrip in the Lower Zambezi National Park and the destination of our first Safari Camp on the Zambezi River… downstream from the falls.

The flight in the small plane gave us a spectacular view of the land and I was surprise to see large hills (or small mountains) that form one side of the National Park – the opposite side is boarded by the Zambezi River so these natural landmarks create a giant rectangular park of 4,092 square kms. As the plane banked over the river, circling towards the runway we spotted Hippos and Elephants moving in and along the riverbank.

Fantastic to have this aerial view and unique perspective.

All day and night we heard and saw Hippos grunting and swimming, and Elephants making their way across the river to Zimbabwe on the other side. Blue balled Vervet monkeys visited us on our veranda that over looked the river – amazing!

This particular park is home to elephants, buffalo, lion, leopard, antelopes like water buck, impala, bushbuck and kudu (with their perfect love-heart noses!) and the beautiful African wild dog – known locally as the Painted Dog (see photo below). As well as hippos and an astonishing array of colourful birds, baboons and monkey.

My two favourite moments in this park involved the elephants and the painted dogs interacting with each other in special circumstances (watching at a close but a safe distance) – such a special moment and a privilege I will remember for a long time…interactions that are so relatable it’s hard not to anthropomorphise these creatures and add a human voiceover to their antics in my head.

The herd (also called a memory) of elephants were bathing in a waterhole with several infants…rolling around in mud, splashing the water with their trunks, flicking sand to cover their bodies… it was like watching young children playing in the pool (and dirt!). The mothers and aunties standing around watching and occasionally taking a drink or nudging a sister.

The pack of painted dogs had been split into 2 groups following a chase and kill and the group we were following were calling out to the other, seeking to reunite. They were heading in one direction until a reply call came and immediately they crossed in front of us. The second group came out from behind a bush and it was celebrations and greetings of love with face licking, butt sniffing, pawing and playing… just as I’ve seen my own dogs, Tilly and Lego greeting each other after time apart.

You could almost feel their relief at being together again and they all just sat down right beside us – cleaned themselves and each other and then one by one, fell asleep!

Our arrival at Flatdogs coincided with my birthday and I was treated to a second celebration and birthday cake and flooded with well wishes and

At both safari camps a guard had to escort us to our accomodation between the hours of 6pm and 6am in case a hippo comes ashore to eat (as they do each night), or another animal comes wandering through as there are no gates or fences (nor should there be!).

Is our deepest desire to connect?

It seems essential to our wellbeing to create a level of connection with others as it signals safety to our nervous system.

From the Uber drive to the Airport… right up to my Uber drive home, my Africa trip was an experience of connection – of friendly curiosity and a willingness to be helpful.

When travelling, at times solo, a natural, heartfelt connection that forms with a fellow traveller or a random stranger can trigger a sense of kinship and trust…The whole time I was away, I experienced these beautiful interactions with others.

Whilst it can be confronting or scary, it can also be a beautiful thing – to be open and available to receive another’s desire/willingness to connect…as there are certainly times when containing your own energy/holding firm boundaries is essential for your wellbeing.

I was really aware, that when I allowed myself to receive what was being offered by others (without judgement or preconception), giving my full attention and genuine curiosity became effortless and a natural heart-felt connection occurred, without any personal energy drain.