Livingstone (Vic Falls), Zambia

We woke early and had a hasty breakfast before Patrick drove us to the aiport for our flight to Livingstone. In the end we decided to head up early and spend six days around Victoria Falls before joining our Intrepid trip group on the 19th rather than waste too much time, money and energy trying to get to and from Kruger or anywhere else...besides there should be ample game spotting opportunies on our upcoming trip anyway.

In Livingstone we were collected from the airport and checked in at Jollyboys backpackers. Unfortunately they messed us around by trying to force us to relocate elsewhere despite the fact we had a confirmed booking and had already paid a deposit! In the end we did get the room we booked but the shirty little Kiwi that runs the place really got us offside from the get go.

We didn't do too much else today apart from settle in and take a quick walk around town.

Today we got to see Victoria Falls! We took the free shuttle from the hostel at 10am and made our way into the park. Wow it did not disappoint! At this time of year the water is very high volume and the clouds of spray are trully awesome. We only perused the falls from the Zambian side including Knife Point Bridge, upstream and also downstream at the Boiling Pot which is a big churning pool at the base of the falls. From the Boiling Pot we also had a great view of the Victoria Falls Bridge, a great steel suspension bridge which people bungee jump from. After we left the national park we also passed the border post and ventured onto the bridge for another great view back to the eastern cataract.

In the afternoon back in Livingstone we chilled out by the pool and ate at the hostel for dinner before retiring to our tiny little, dusty, and claustraphonbic A-frame hut and hoped to sleep better than last night.

During the day we took it easy, but in the afternoon we decided to get on board the sunset booze cruise. Not too boozy and very cruisy it was a lot of fun. We also spotted our first hippos which was an unexpected bonus. Afterwards we had drinks and got to know a South African couple, Jonathan and Francis, who were former tour guides and they invited us to go see them in Natal if we have time after we get to Cape Town.

Slow day today. Relaxed by the pool. Did some washing. Did some shopping.

Today we thankfully are leaving Jollyboys! I can't quite figure out why I dislike this place so much but I have a feeling it is because we felt screwed over from the moment we arrived and they tried to shaft us despite our booking. Everything after that felt like we were lining the pockets of the very people we least wanted to do any favours for. More objectively, however, I can concede that as backpackers go it is a pretty decent setup.

At about 12pm we loaded up our packs and walked the short distance to our new digs: Fawlty Towers Guest House. This place is beautiful, quiet and much much nicer than Jollyboys and also has free wi-fi and cheaper (but better) rooms! Could not be happier to be spending our last two nights her before we join our Intrepid Group on Tuesday.

In the afternon we got chatting to a Aussie/English couple who now live in London who had been on the road for nearly 9 months already. They seemed like good value so we agreed to catch up with them tomorrow evening to got back to the Victoria Falls to check out the full moon phenomonon know as the lunar rainbow.

Today we didn't achieve much apart from heading across the road to the internet cafe and finally figuring out our onward flights to South America. We found a great deal on Malaysian Airlines flying direct from Cape Town to Buenos Airies on 18 May which will give us about a week to explore Cape Town after our 21 day Intrepid Overland Trip finishes.

In the evening we met up with Sean and Jenny (the couple we'd met yesterday) and took a taxi out the falls to take in the lunar rainbow. The falls were quite different at night time and rainbox was kind of cool though perhaps doesn't quite live up the hype (of which there is a lot!).