How you travel decides what a long stay looks like here. Three styles work, and each handles distance differently. Style 1: lodge-hopping with transfers This style trades time on the road for time in camp. Fly into Victoria Falls, spend a couple of nights there, then transfer to a Hwange camp. Imvelo Safari Lodges link Dete Siding to Ngamo Siding by the Elephant Express, a 22-seat open railcar, over about 70 km and 2 hours.

This is a checklist for parents. Work through it before booking, and again on arrival. Before you book Talk to a doctor about malaria prevention for each child. The risk covers the Zambezi Valley, Victoria Falls, Hwange and Binga, all year. Check age limits. Rafting starts at 15. Devil’s Pool, which is in Zambia, takes children aged 10 and up, but swimming is for 12 and over. Ask operators about child rules for bungee, swings and helicopter flights, because they differ.

Romance here comes from space, light and quiet. These notes cover the main lodges, with a question to ask each before you commit. Rates are in US dollars. Victoria Falls River Lodge The lodge’s Island Treehouse Suites stand on Kandahar Island and are boat-only, each with a private plunge pool. Ask how many suites there are (three to five are quoted) and what the minimum age is (12 or 16), because both vary.

Think of Victoria Falls as the middle of a compass. Each direction has a different trip, a different travel time and different paperwork. North and nearby: Zambezi National Park A game drive starts about 5 km from the town centre, so a morning departure still leaves the afternoon free. The park fee is about US$17 for international visitors. Add whatever your operator charges on top. South-east: Hwange National Park Leave at dawn if you want to see Hwange in a day.

Use this page as a set of decisions, taken in order. Each choice narrows the next one, and none needs more than a few minutes of research. Choice 1: your base Victoria Falls town suits first-timers, since the falls, the river, Zambezi National Park and most operators are within minutes. Hwange suits people who want wildlife first and are happy with a drive of about 2.5 hours from the falls. Binga on Lake Kariba suits people who want a quiet cultural stop and have a night to spare.

Each stop below has a short note on who it suits. Pick two or three rather than all of them, because the distances between Victoria Falls and Dete are long. Painted Dog Conservation Go if you want a free, educational stop on the way to Hwange. The centre is at Dete, opposite Hwange National Park Airport, reached from the A8 at Cross Mabale. Because it sits outside the park, you pay no park fee.

Here are the province’s best sights in the order most visitors rank them. Entry fees are in US dollars. 1. The Victoria Falls rainforest The UNESCO-listed falls (inscribed 1989) are the reason most people come. The trail charges about US$58 for international adults, US$35 for SADC residents and US$7 for Zimbabwe residents, with VAT included. Entry is single. Children under 12 pay half price, and under 6s are free. During the flood season you will be drenched.