Family Victoria Falls and Safari Adventure

Flight of the Angels helicopter flight over the Falls

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

When David Livingstone first saw Victoria Falls, he called it ‘a sight so wonderful that angels must have gazed down on it in flight’. Nowadays, mere mortals can also enjoy a privileged aerial view of one of the world’s greatest natural wonders on a breathtaking helicopter ride, during which you’ll be able to appreciate not just the magnificent waterfall but the sheer scale of the Upper Zambezi and the landscape through which it flows.

When David Livingstone first saw Victoria Falls, he called it ‘a sight so wonderful that angels must have gazed down on it in flight’. Nowadays, mere mortals can also enjoy a privileged aerial view of one of the world’s greatest natural wonders on a breathtaking helicopter ride, during which you’ll be able to appreciate not just the magnificent waterfall but the sheer scale of the Upper Zambezi and the landscape through which it flows.

For the 12-minute trip, inevitably known as the Flight of Angels, you’ll be collected from your hotel for the five-minute drive to the helipad site, with the plumes of spray from the Falls providing an impressive backdrop. After a short safety briefing, you’ll climb aboard a four-seater or six-seater Bell helicopter and, with a whirr of the rotor blades, lift off into the sky for your first bird’s-eye glimpse of ‘the Smoke that Thunders’.  

The pilot will fly left-hand and right-hand circuits over the waterfall in both directions, giving passengers the best viewing, filming and photographing opportunities, before turning to head upstream over the vast Upper Zambezi for about 4km. From here, you’ll return to the helipad over the Zambezi National Park, keeping a lookout for wildlife below you. For even more of an indulgence, there’s also a 25-minute Zambezi Spectacular option, which includes a loop over the dramatic Batoka Gorge below the Falls.

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Hwange Private Concession Safari

Hwange National Park

Hwange National Park offers a glimpse into the Africa of old. Its 5,657 square miles still feels wonderfully preserved with that feeling of empty space, few people and animals as far as the eye can see. This sense of exclusivity is powerfully enhanced in the private concession encompassing Bomani Tented Lodge located in the remote south-east part of Hwange.

On safari you’ll find extravagant natural beauty; watery pans alive with diverse wildlife from baboons to big cats, plains frequented with predators such as lion and packs of African painted dog. Then there’s the record amount of elephant – in the late, dry season nearly 50,000 – so easy to see in the flat open grassland. For close encounters, you can often spy these fascinating creatures from behind the two water-level photography hides by the very active Stophie’s Pan.

Off-roading in the national park is forbidden, but in the private concession, Bomani guests can veer off track and follow game on foot. The guides here are some of the best in the continent due to the many years it takes them to simply acquire a walking safari license. Those who have ever experienced animal-spotting on foot will know that these types of safaris can be the most thrilling. You can tread silently up to a Cape buffalo, so closely you’ll be in awe of the sheer size of its torso, and observe a waterhole during the dry season when animals appear from all directions to lap the dwindling water. The smaller wildlife is equally inspiring like the cute looking dwarf mongoose that in their packs can even take down a cobra. Night time brings a whole new dimension. Using the gentle beam of red torchlight you might spot the shy-natured aardvark or the holy grail of safari animals that is the leopard stalking its prey at night. You’re a long way from civilization but that’s what makes it so exciting.

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White Rhinos of Hwange

Hwange National Park

After nearly 20 years, white rhinos have been reintroduced into Hwange National Park. As part of your stay at Bomani, you’ll can join the rhino experience, which starts at the sanctuary headquarters. Here, you’ll meet the special rhino guards, the Cobras, who’ve been recruited from local villages and trained to protect the animals 24/7 and alleviate human-wildlife conflicts. They’ll give you a short talk about the project before seeing the rhinos. Each Cobra has a story to tell; some were even former poachers who’ve now dedicated their lives to saving rhinos.

Back in the 80s, rhinos were part of the scenery but all were sadly lost to poachers. Thanks to the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative (CRCI) two male rhinos, Thuza and Kusasa are in the park and visitors may be able to spot the Big Five in Hwange.

Next, you’ll take a short walk to find Thuza and Kusasa, who live on former cattle grazing land that belongs to villages in the Tsholotsho area. CRCI works with the community to create sustainable conservation; funds raised by the visits go directly towards projects such as school improvements, boreholes and healthcare, meaning that villagers have an incentive to cherish wildlife.

Approaching rhinos in their natural environment is an absolute privilege. You’ll come away humbled and inspired by this remarkable conservation story with the aim to safely reintroduce white rhinos into the wider national park.

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Ra-Ikane River Cruise

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Step back in time to a more gracious era with an indulgent late-afternoon Zambezi cruise on an elegant vintage-style boat. The three vessels in the Ra-Ikane fleet were inspired by the design of David Livingstone’s expedition craft, the Ma-Robert, and feature plenty of gleaming teak and brass. Carrying just 12 to 16 passengers, along with a captain-guide and a waiter, they’re a wonderfully stylish and intimate venue from which to drink in the beauty of the pristine wilderness.

You’ll depart from the jetty 3.5km above the Falls and glide quietly up the Zambezi and then down in a circular route, admiring the scenery while the crew keep you supplied with canapės and your choice of drinks. This stretch of the river is broad and shallow, and the captain will skillfully steer you through narrow channels between islands teeming with game, sharing his knowledge of local history and wildlife. The Ra-Ikanes’ small size allows them to go where the larger boats can’t, so you’re all but certain to have close encounters with hippos, crocodiles and elephants, along with a host of other animals and birds, along the way.

The grand finale to the 2-hour trip is a dazzling African sunset, with the changing colours of the vast sky reflected in the lake-still water for as far as the eye can see – a truly breathtaking sight. As darkness begins to fall, you’ll return to the jetty for your return transfer to your local hotel.

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