Chobe National Park, Botswana

We might have saved the best for last on our trip to Africa. Chobe National Park is an amazing place - a huge space filled with wildlife. For example, if you don't see an elephant while you there, you just aren't trying. The same could be said for impalas; they fill up the field in this photo. At times it seems like a new sighting lurks around every corner. 

The idea to make the land in this part of the world a national park was raised in 1931. They made it a non-hunting area in 1932, and expanded the territory a couple of years later. Chobe Game Reserve was created in 1960, and it graduated to national park status in 1968. It took a little time to get human activity, such as the timber industry, out of the area, but the job was finalized in 1975.  

The only warning about such a trip involves the roads. Those who travel the grounds in a 4X4 should know that the roads aren't exactly smooth. OK, they are very, very bumpy. There is some serious bouncing around, particularly if the driver is in a hurry to get somewhere (walkie-talkies are used to spread information about an animal that appears near a road.) So put on a seat belt, and hold on. 

Kasane, Botswana: Chobe River Cruise

River cruises can be a good, easy and intimate way of exploring natural surroundings. It's particularly true for the Chobe River, located in Botswana. It explores the edge of Chobe National Park, and the river attracts all sorts of creatures to its shores. 

Most of the cruises start in Kasane, located near the border with Zimbabwe. After boarding, the boat heads up river and eventually checks in at the boundary of Chobe National Park. That's essentially where the best parts begin. You'll be able to see wildlife while sipping on a beverage, which is a good way to practice tourism - especially if you aren't driving. 

When we were there in August, there were some islands in the middle of the river. As you can see in the photo, a large colony of elephants hangs out there. I'm not sure if they spent most of their time there or were just visiting for a while. Still, it's quite a sight. Hippos and crocodiles hang out close to the shore, and impalas run around the area as well. 

By the way, this region is known for malaria. It's less of a problem in the winter, but checking out the medical options before visiting is a good idea.  

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: International Bridge

Victoria Falls represents a huge obstacle when it comes to moving people and products from one side of the river to the other. To compensate, a bridge was built a bit down river from the falls to connect what later turned out to be the cities of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and Livingstone, Zambia. It's even an attractive bridge that fits in with the surroundings smartly. 

The bridge was constructed in England in the early 1900s, and designed to be part of a railroad that ran from Cairo to Cape Town.  From there, everything was shipped to the site, and put together in a mere 14 months. It opened for business in 1905. The bridge received a grand opening ceremony featuring Sir George Darwin, the son of Charles. 

This bridge represents the only rail connection between the two countries, and is one of only three roads tying Zimbabwe and Zambia together. Tours are available. For those who have an interest in such things, you can walk across the bridge. But there is a charge for a visa, and there's other paperwork involved. Keep that in mind before you decide to add to your list of countries visited. 

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

How do you like your waterfalls? The obvious starting point to a discussion about Victoria Falls is to compare the site with a distant relative: Niagara Falls, which is well known to North American audiences. 

Victoria Falls is twice as tall as its counterpart in the West, and it is twice as wide. The African water seems to be spilling over a wide delta of sorts. It takes quite a while to see it all. Niagara Falls is more concentrated and powerful, so seeing the rush of water over the rocks is quite intense. They are both exciting to see in different ways. 

One other difference - there is virtually no economic development around Victoria Falls. It's a rain forest with trails for visitors. That is not the way Niagara Falls does it, to put it mildly. To each its own.  

Victoria Falls is considered to be the waterfall that produces the largest sheet of water in the world. It's worth noting that the water levels change during the course of the year. We saw it in early August, and there was enough water falling to create a mist that obscured the bottom of the falls. A few months ago, that wasn't the case. It's partly on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, although we stayed on the Zimbabwe side.  

By the way, you can see the mist from Victoria Falls over long distances when cruising on the Zambezi River.  

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: Livingstone Statue

There's a bit of a walk from the main gate to Victoria Falls, and it goes through a dense rain forest. Before seeing the actual water passing over the rocks, though, most tourists notice a statue close to the edge. It is indeed David Livingstone, missionary and explorer. The statue comes with a short explanation of his exploits in the region. 

Livingstone turned up here in 1855, and wrote down his thoughts upon seeing the waterfall for the first time. He even named the falls after Queen Victoria, the boss back home. He wasn't the first person to see the falls, of course. Nowadays, we'd say it takes a little nerve to claim the naming rights like that - for reference, see Mount McKinley in Alaska. But the name has lasted.  

There are those in Zimbabwe who aren't thrilled about such a large reminder of the colonial days involving Great Britain. Zambia was willing to take the statue off Zimbabwe's hands. But inertia is a powerful force of nature, and the object remains in place a handful of feet from the water. 

 

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: Zambezi River

A trip on the Zambezi River is a good way to be introduced to this part of south-central Africa. After all, it's the river that goes over Victoria Falls in a violent way. 

This is the fourth-longest river in Africa, checking in at about 1,600 miles. The Zambezi is the longest river on the continent that runs to the East, as it empties into the Indian Ocean in Madagascar. It starts in Zambia; the area around it is a national park. From there it winds through a series of countries as it flows downhill. There are a couple of other waterfalls along the way, and there are two dams as well that provide power for the region. 

Any discussion of the Zambesi should include hippos. There are a lot of them, and seeing them is a highlight of the cruise. Just don't expect too much energy; this guy seems a bit tired.