Last time I came to this area two years ago it was visiting a friend and mainly stayed at Stormsriver. I new that area and now wanted to see something different, so following a recommendation of a friend from the Musafir I drove to Nature’s Valley just behind Plattenberg Bay. The Wild Spirit Backpackers was in the middle of a forest, cozy and very welcoming. The minute I arrived, they offered me dinner and got to talk with some Germans. After I moved in my 7 bed dorm, the same they were staying in, we sat by the fireplace and had some wine. One of the Backpacker staff played some drums and somehow I stayed longer than I thought I would since I hadn’t slept much the previous night.
Good night sleep and rested we had breakfast together next morning.
The weather wasn’t supposed to be good, cloudy and a bit rainy, but anyway made our way together to the Nature’s Valley beach. On the short hike to view points and the salt river we luckily stayed dry. Still it was the perfect weather for such hikes...warm enough and cloudy, so not hot, and almost no people which made it much more peaceful.
Not much else to do, we did some shopping at the supermarket for to cook in the evening - healthy bowl with couscous, salad and fruits. By that time it had started to rain a lot and got really chilled. We sat inside, chatted and went to bed quite early.
What a beautiful morning seeing sunrise at the horizon lightening the day. The German girl Julia and I took the short path just below the Backpackers, that should take us to a waterfall in 30 minutes. Perfect for a morning hike we thought and made our way through the forest, spider webs crossing our ways and slippery stones to step on. After a while this path transferred into rocklands, which more and more just didn’t look like the right path anymore. We tried for a little hoping to hit the right way again, but since everything looked the same and finding back seemed more difficult than getting to the fall, we turned back. On the way up we saw this sign that cleary showed a different direction and an arrow that said „wrong way“ towards where we had went on the rocks. So here was the right way, a lot more smooth and easy to reach the fall with no water. Still it was nice and to have the morning light, air and movement to start the day.
We had breakfast together and left in different directions. Just got to know eachother and used to, we had to already say goodbye. This won’t change along my travels: you feel lonely, left alone when you leave a familiar place with people that have become your friends and head to the unknown. This then turns out to be another welcoming place with again nice people, that you can connect with, each time in a different way. Some of them you leave with a wish for safe travels and others might cross your path again. The couple was heading towards Addo Elephant Park while Julia stayed in Stormsriver at the Tube’n Axe Backpackers, which I had recommended to her. We were about to meet there in the afternoon after their bungee jump and my visits to sanctuaries and Robberg Nature Reserve.
As I got to Stormsriver in the afternoon, I felt kind of home again, familiar faces and places.
Visiting the Robberg Nature Reserve as one of the most beautiful places along the garden route, I should have been happy but I wasn’t. I felt lonely...not because I was there by myself, but because it reminded me of what was missing in my heart. Couldn’t really enjoy it that much, but anyway walked along with one goal in my mind, that I had set myself this year: to reach freedom in my mind.
Although my friend Wahl wasn’t around at the Backpackers, the owner Marius welcomed me with „oh this face looks familiar“ :)! We talked a bit and relaxing at the pool soon not only Julia showed up, but also the couple. They had come back from the tubing tour together. The couple hadn’t booked a room in Port Elizabeth yet, so I offered them to stay with me at the guest house, that had three beds in my room.
So we had some dinner at the Backpackers, drove two hours to PE and fell to bed quickly. I had to be at the airport for my flight to Livingstone/Sambia at 5am...
I dropped my rental car at the airport, left the keys in the mailbox and checked in quickly. After a stopover in Joburg I arrived in Livingstone/Zambia early afternoon. The Backpackers offered a free pickup service and already waited for me. The 4 bed dorm room was comfortable, 13€ per night and only another girl with me. A nice place with pool, kitchen and plenty of space to hang out. I was so tired from the travels that I just wanted to relax for the rest of the day.
The Backpackers offered many trips, but everything really expensive. The lady at the reception offered me to go on the sunset cruise the same day, 2 hours including lunch and drinks for 65 dollars. That sounded like a good start even though I was tired, but a relaxing cruise was just what I could do today instead of just laying around.
The supermarket was just around the corner, where I could get some drinks and oats, eggs, fruits for breakfast.
I was picked up at 4pm and immediately met two girls from Germany, I hung out with on the trip. We took off and cruised along the Zambezi river just above the Victoria Falls being served some longdrinks and snacks. On the river bank layed many hippos that came out of the water every now and then. Those were the only animals we saw, but didn’t bother when the sun slowly set with beautiful views down the river.
One of the guys sitting on the lower deck I recognized from the Backpackers, he was also from Germany and came along with some local guys. We gathered and chatted with more drinks. They wanted me to stay and hang out, but I was too tired, so we agreed to have dinner together tomorrow and I drove back to my place with the girls. They were departing next morning, so had to say bye already.
Again the Backpackers offered a free shuttle, at 10.30am to the falls. So with some sports to start the day after a long sleep I could have breakfast in piece and hung out with the German guy.
The shuttle then dropped me off at the border to Zimbabwe because I decided to see the other side first and then go to the Zambian side. I cleared immigration, which was quite fast because of my Kaza Visa I had got upon arrival, that allows to cross borders between Zambia and Zimbabwe easily, and walked towards Zimbabwe. Crossing the border bridge already opened up the view and powerful sound to the falls. Entrance fee was 30 dollars. Already at the payment office there was a Swiss guy, I noticed because everyone was asked for their origin country. We of course took the same track stopping at different view points. He was also traveling alone and you then can identify the willingness to take eachothers pictures. Before saying „oh you again“ at every spot, we took the path together and took breath taking pictures of eachother.
2 hours passed easily, but still enough time to go to Zambian side of the falls, which he had seen already in the morning. We were supposed to meet later since I asked him to join us for dinner.
Personally the Zambian side was more beautiful standing directly in front of the falls, crossing a really wet bridge with multiple rainbow views and the peaceful place behind the falls. Having spent 50 dollars for entrance fees, I still thought it was worth it.
Compared to the Iguazu Falls in Brazil/Argentina it was more a touch of nature with less people and thus more conscious moments to enjoy the views. Anyway be aware of the locals that want to accompany you in the park, making you believe they could show you more and then ask for money....don’t do it!
Besides the calm paths with different angles to the falls, there was the hiking trail to the Boiling Pot, where you could see many currents and whirlpools just below the splashing water.
Around 5 I got back to the Backpackers and could relax a bit before we headed to dinner.
I wasn’t sure, which activity to do next day since it was the last, I wanted to leave Livingstone on Friday. There was this White Water Rafting on the lower Zambezi River, but again expensive 160 dollars. Other alternative would have been the bungee swing, a local guy had offered me, but still was too scared to do this.
The Swiss guy said he was interested in the rafting tour after his early morning microlights flight...sounded like a plan, so wanted to book it next morning.
Around 7pm we made our way to the restaurant Zest down the main road, that belonged to an Australian girl, we had met on the sunset cruise. The local and Swiss guy met us there. Time for some traditionally prepared crocodile meat. Not my favorite, but good.
The bar Limpo‘s opposite showed soccer games and had good music for some drinks to finish off another day of memorable experiences!
I haven’t done this before, at least it wasn’t called rapids. The name „White Water Rafting“ comes from the bubbles that the rapids create, so I prepared myself for an adventure. We picked up another 3 people from a hotel, older couple and the cousin, all from the US. They were already fun on the way to rapid no. 14, where we started. We laughed a lot and so the group transformed into a team. At the point of hiking down to the river we were advised in safety and possible scenarios that could happen. I just thought, please don’t let it happen to me. Oh well, I am known for the „other“ and not random experiences.
Helmet, life jacket on, paddle in one hand and down it went about twenty minutes quite steep balancing over rocks.
At the water you could already see the currents and little rapids. We practiced a bit the commandos as a team and off we went. After the first little rapids 14 to 16 getting used to the feeling of balancing on the boat and keeping your position, there was the „washing machine“ with „terminator 1+2“ at the end of these 3 rapids, looking really scary from far. Please dear boat, don’t flip over. The terminators held what their names promised...concentrated on the paddling I didn’t see the height of the wave until we confronted it and first splashed over the boat, then forced the boat to an almost vertical position. I tried to hold myself with the paddle to the rope on the boat, but within seconds the boat flipped to the left and covered me under it, in the middle of the terminator 2 rapid. First panic with the boat on my head, but short relief to have the air space directly under the boat instead of the outer tube. I found myself surrounded by orange boat walls and waves splashing in constantly so that I must have swallowed a bit of water. Then I saw the US couple in the boat bubble as well. We took a breath and dived under the boat to the outer side. Holding on the the rope of the boat again until we were safe and could breathe normally again. We could float in the calm water until the guides flipped back to boat to the right position. Back on we were happy everyone was ok and in the end this experience was also kind of fun.
The last few rapids were little crazy, but nothing compared to the washing machine.
On the last rapid we could jump in the water again to float in the waves. Lucky me got a splash, swallowed water and was pulled under water by a so called whirlpool, that swirls around you and sucks you down. Pete, one of the US guys next to me saw that right away and pulled me back up. One more whirlpool forced me under water and I was done for today. I held on to the safety kajak, that quickly came close to me, and took me towards the boat. Twice being so helpless against the power of these unpredictable waters was on the one hand worth the experience, but only because nothing serious happened. Finally reached rapid 25 we got on land, hiked up another 20 minutes because the in 2005 built cable car was under construction for 4 years, not working since then.
On the last rapid we could jump in the water again to float in the waves. Lucky me got a splash, swallowed water and was pulled under water by a so called whirlpool, that swirls around you and sucks you down. Pete, one of the US guys next to me saw that right away and pulled me back up. One more whirlpool forced me under water and I was done for today. I held on to the safety kajak, that quickly came close to me, and took me towards the boat. Twice being so helpless against the power of these unpredictable waters was on the one hand worth the experience, but only because nothing serious happened. Finally reached rapid 25 we got on land, hiked up another 20 minutes because the in 2005 built cable car was under construction for 4 years, not working since then.
Back in town we had our lunch, had a look at our amazing pictures and finished by 4pm.
In the evening we all gathered again, the Swiss and the US guys and then the guides joined for dinner with live music. Finally at Limpo‘s bar the German guy from my Backpackers came as well. We had some drinks and danced until late after midnight. Great final in Livingstone!