By: Joleen Riley-Hawkins
My adventure with Africa’s Eden began with two nights at Shearwater Explorers Village. The lodge is conveniently situated near the craft market and several local restaurants, and within walking distance of Victoria Falls. On arrival, I was warmly welcomed with a refreshing drink as the staff took me through the check-in process. The rooms are comfortable, equipped with air conditioning and tea/coffee facilities. The onsite restaurant offers a variety of delicious, wholesome meals to suit different tastes.
During my stay at Explorers Village, I had the opportunity to experience the Historic Bridge Tour, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The guide took us back in time as he passionately narrated the rich history of the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge, a massive steel structure that serves as a gateway between two remarkable countries, Zambia and Zimbabwe. After the Bridge Tour, I went on to an adrenaline-pumping activity, the Bridge Slide. I was a little nervous at first, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience – gently gliding across the gorge, appreciating the breathtaking views of the Victoria Falls Bridge and the gorge, while comfortably strapped into a secure harness.
Later in the afternoon, I enjoyed a relaxing Sundowner cruise on the Riversong, then wrapped up the day with Simunye at the Victoria Falls Theatre. The theatre performance is a must-see, bringing cultural heritage, unity and nature to life through flawless dance choreography, sound effects, and vibrant colours, creating emotional highs and lows from start to finish.
My next destination was Bomani Tented Lodge in Hwange National Park, which started off with a transfer to Victoria Falls Airport, followed by a Mack Air flight to the park. Whilst at Victoria Falls Airport, I enjoyed the use of the Mack Air lounge, which has professional and friendly staff, tea/coffee making facilities and WiFi. We landed at Sipepa Airstrip, which is farther from the lodge, as Bomani Airstrip was inaccessible due to recent rains. After a scenic two-hour drive, the lodge came into view, and just ahead, by the waterhole in front of camp, a herd of elephants was splashing in the water. For two nights, I stayed in a comfortable and spacious safari tent, set on a raised platform with a verandah – a lovely spot to relax during siesta. The lodge also offers ground-level tents, making it perfect for different travellers' preferences.
The next morning, after breakfast, we set off on a game drive with senior guide Pete, a knowledgeable and engaging guide, to see what the day had in store. We were pleasantly surprised to encounter the Ngamo Pride—lionesses and their little ones—just five minutes from the lodge. We enjoyed watching the lions as they strolled across the plains in search of a shady spot to rest, while some of the naughty cubs lagged behind to entertain themselves. The little ones were playing with dry elephant dung, and investigating a leopard tortoise – who thankfully stayed safely tucked away in his shell and lived to see another day. Green Season is truly an amazing time – the bush is lush and vibrant. The wildlife activity is particularly special, with various species and their young on full display. As we continued our drive, we spotted numerous birds, large herds of zebra and giraffe and – an exciting first for me, a sizeable herd of wildebeest. Just before our tea and coffee stop, we were briefly caught in a traffic jam, waiting as a large herd of impala showed off their skill, gracefully leaping across the road in front of us. The morning drive ended with a surprise bush brunch in front of Stoffie’s Pan. One of the highlights of my stay at Bomani was visiting the Ngamo Wildlife Sanctuary, where Hannah shared details of the conservation and community initiatives. She also talked to us about the incredible work being done by the Cobra Scouts to protect the rhinos. Best of all, I got to see the rhinos myself.
My next stop was Elephant Valley Lodge in Chobe, Botswana. I took a morning flight out of Hwange, and upon arriving at Victoria Falls Airport, a friendly driver from Wild Horizons was waiting to transfer us to the Kazungula Border. After completing immigration formalities at both the Zimbabwe and Botswana borders, we continued on to Elephant Valley Lodge, which is about a 15-minute drive away. After a long morning of travel, the reception, check-in procedures, and welcome drink from the lovely and chirpy hostess, Florence, were quite refreshing. The lodge’s swimming pool, the main area where breakfast and lunch are served, and the boma used for dinner all overlook a busy waterhole located in a valley. The lodge is the ideal place to unwind and enjoy an armchair safari.
I was lucky to be allocated a room overlooking the valley, with a clear view of the waterhole. The rooms are well-equipped, with a writing desk, a fridge that can be restocked at the bar, an air conditioner and fan, as well as tea and coffee making facilities. On our first afternoon, we went on a game drive in Chobe National Park with our guide, Sox. For elephant lovers, this is truly the place to be – we encountered several breeding herds with their calves. For our sundowners, we stopped at a scenic vantage point and watched as the elephants came out of the water and slowly disappeared into the bushes.
On my last day at Elephant Valley Lodge, I chose to have a slow start and enjoy an armchair safari from the loungers by the pool area. I wasn’t disappointed – I watched warthogs and a tower of giraffes leisurely feeding and drinking at the waterhole. A sundowner cruise on the Chobe River was on the cards for the afternoon, and I was definitely looking forward to it – I never pass up a chance for a relaxing cruise. It turned out to be a productive outing for wildlife sightings, both great and small. We spotted pied kingfishers, African fish eagles, water monitor lizards, notably large crocodiles, various antelope species and a herd of buffalo on an island. A memorable sight of elephants with their young crossing in single file from the mainland to an island was a top highlight but nothing beats one of my all-time favourites—watching the sunset bounce off the water. Dinner in the boma, illuminated by lanterns on the tables, was fantastic. Strategically placed floodlights lit up the waterhole, where impala, giraffes and a herd of buffalo had gathered. That same evening, I could hear lions calling quite close to the lodge.
The next morning, as I packed in preparation to bid farewell to the wonderful team at the lodge, other guests set out in search of the lions that had captured everyone's attention the night before. I absolutely enjoyed the trip, thanks to the Africa's Eden team for arranging it. Next, it was on to more serious business at the Africa's Eden Travel Show in Livingstone.
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