South African Airways

The Falls are, of course the biggest attraction, and the biggest in the world, spanning 1km across and standing more than 100m tall. The noise can be heard from 40km away and the spray and mist from the tumbling water rises more than 400m. It’s a stunning sight and quite remarkable – you can get absolutely drenched just by standing there. Take a plastic bag to keep your camera in. There are well-laid paths along both sides of the falls and plenty of viewing points There’s a small curio shop at the entrance gate and a statue of David Livingstone further in.

African sunsets are splendid and a memorable place to view one is from a boat on the Zambezi River. Most cruises include a commentary – or at least occasional comments from the captain, as he points out hippos and crocodiles. On the bigger boats you pay to be on a specific deck, with a rising quality of snacks and declining number of fellow passengers the higher up you go. It’s a great way to relax and soak up the beautiful surroundings.

Whether you want to go white water rafting, canoeing or tiger fishing, the tour operators in town and in the hotels can organise it for you. Don’t worry, they won’t let you paddle too close to those deceptively calm little currents that suddenly head straight for the unavoidable waterfalls!

A helicopter flight over the falls may be one of the few things that really is a trip of a lifetime. The flight lasts for about 13 minutes, although there’s a 25-minute option which flies over the falls then turns downstream over Batoka Gorge to follow the mighty river. Next, you’ll fly over a game park where you might spot elephants, hippo, crocodile, buffalo and giraffes.

The Royal Livingstone Express runs trips to the Victoria Falls Bridge on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Guests are collected from their hotel and taken to Bushtracks Station where the steam train is puffing impatiently. Drinks and snacks are served in the Lounge Car as you shunt along the romantic sounding Cape-to-Cairo mainline. An onboard guide chats about the train and the bridge – and you might spot some elephant en route. The train stays on the bridge for 20-30 minutes so you can alight and explore. On the return journey, the genteel tinkle of a dinner bell calls you to the dinning carriages for a five-course meal.

This is a big hotel, but the staff is friendly and attentive and the amenities are great, with two small swimming pools and two restaurants – one spilling out onto a terrace. It runs a free shuttle to the falls and other points around town. The daily vulture lunch is fun, when bags of scraps are emptied into a feeding area and perhaps 100 of the big, boisterous birds descend. It’s quite a sight, especially when the replete birds open their vast wings to cool off after the feeding frenzy.

In the same grounds as the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is The Boma, a tribal themed dining experience. It’s much better than it sounds, with dancers and drummers providing lively entertainment under a large thatched hut. It’s a buffet affair, with a vast choice of exotic meats like crocodile, impala and spit-roast warthog. You can also have your fortune read for $1, but you can predict that it won’t be very accurate.

Actually this isn’t a must-try, unless you’re mad. Devil’s Pool is perched right on the edge of the falls and you can reach it by walking across the rocks. You can swim right up to some boulders that will – in theory – prevent you from being swept over. The guides holding your feet are a useful back-up. Don’t try it until you’re fit and brave. It’s only do-able in the dry season, when there’s less chance of dying.

The quaint old bridge spanning high across the Zambezi is pretty to look at, but if you prefer bigger thrills, try the 111m bungee jump right above the river.