The sheer enormity and power of the Victoria Falls never fails to humble its visitors. Adventure junkies flock here for the thrills the mighty Zambezi River offers, while others are content simply to marvel at the unrivalled wonder of the place. Although this curtain of water is the major attraction of the area, there is much more to enjoy in the vicinity.
The sheer enormity and power of the Victoria Falls never fails to humble its visitors. Adventure junkies flock here for the thrills the mighty Zambezi River offers, while others are content to marvel at the unrivalled geographical wonder of the place.
Victoria Falls & Surrounds - The Insider's Guide presents appealing safari destinations in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana, within reach of Victoria Falls. It is loaded with local knowledge and practical tips for making the most of a holiday in this richly diverse tourist region: from spectacular game safaris to sophisticated beach lodges; from southern Africa's fascinating historical and cultural roots to Zimbabwe's modern day "adrenaline capital," Victoria Falls town, and its Zambian equivalent, Livingstone; from exploration and leisure sports on the breathtaking Zambezi River to a personal encounter with the spectacular Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders." In a lively and evocative style, the author paves the way for an unforgettable adventure with useful advice, contact names, and addresses, and even a selection of helpful phrases.
James Monroe is a sophisticated American professional on mission for The World Bank in Africa during the early 1990's. Despite his worldiness, his actions betray a late twentieth century innocent abroad who embodies both the bravado and the debilitating insecurities of the modern American male. Set in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Bombay, India, Mr. Monroe's journey into authenticity results in a series of failed relationships that reveal the dark, enigmatic recesses of his complex personality and eventually land him in a hellhole prison in Bombay. His tragedy unfolds into an ending that no one, especially Monroe, could have possibly predicted or imagined. In its exploration of American male stereotypes and in its suggestion of vulnerability as a key to masculine authenticity, Victoria Falls dares to embrace those humane qualities of love, kindness and creativity that have of late been extolled as the provenance of soul searching women but have been largely ignored in American fiction about men.
Originally established in 1904 The Victoria Falls Hotel is steeped in a rich and interesting history covering the growth of tourism to the Victoria Falls. Fully illustrated with over 100 archive images and over 30 modern photographs, Corridors Through Time - a History of the Victoria Falls Hotel traces the story of the Hotel's development, from humble beginnings to luxury five-star elegance, from the arrival of the railway to the age of aviation, and from colonial administration to Independence. "Over the long period of its operation the Hotel has taken on an identity of her own, 'The Grand Old Lady of the Falls, ' matriarch of Zimbabwe's tourism industry. She has had her ups, and downs, but from modest beginnings she has a matured into a global icon, ranked among the most famous hotels of the world... 'Corridors Through Time' is more than the history of a Hotel - it is the story of the development of modern tourism to the Victoria Falls through the twentieth century." Karl Snater, General Manager, The Victoria Falls Hotel (2009-2011). [Revised Third Edition, 222 pages, 60,750 words]
Sun, Steel & Spray - A History of the Victoria Falls Bridge is a comprehensive history of the Victoria Falls Bridge. Built in 1904-5 as part of the extension of the envisaged Cape to Cairo railway north into central Africa, the spanning of the Zambezi River pushed engineering knowledge and construction techniques of the time to new heights. With over 100 period photographs, Sun, Steel and Spray is full of interesting facts, entertaining stories and information detailing the rich history of this iconic structure, from conception and construction to its ongoing management and maintenance. [222 pages, 71,200 words] Third Edition Zambezi Book Company / CreateSpace Independent Publishing (2020).
Exploring over 150 years of travel and tourism to the Victoria Falls, 'Footsteps Through Time' charts the evolution of a global tourism attraction. Discover the human heritage of this famous natural wonder and the people who have carved their names in its history - from the arrival of Dr David Livingstone in 1855, the coming of the railway and opening of the Victoria Falls Bridge fifty years later, to the development of international air travel and transformation into the modern tourism destination we know today. This book compliments and expands on the author's two previous books on the Falls, 'Sun, Steel and Spray - A History of the Victoria Falls Bridge' (first published 2011, revised second edition published 2016) and 'Corridors Through Time - A History of the Victoria Falls Hotel' (first published 2015), providing extensive background material and additional information to the story of the human history of the Victoria Falls. Fully illustrated with over 100 archive images and illustrations. [202 pages, 65,200 words]
Thrilling, heartbreaking, and, at times, absurdly funny, The Last Resort is a remarkable true story about one family in a country under siege and a testament to the love, perseverance, and resilience of the human spirit. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Douglas Rogers is the son of white farmers living through that country’s long and tense transition from postcolonial rule. He escaped the dull future mapped out for him by his parents for one of adventure and excitement in Europe and the United States. But when Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe launched his violent program to reclaim white-owned land and Rogers’s parents were caught in the cross fire, everything changed. Lyn and Ros, the owners of Drifters–a famous game farm and backpacker lodge in the eastern mountains that was one of the most popular budget resorts in the country–found their home and resort under siege, their friends and neighbors expelled, and their lives in danger. But instead of leaving, as their son pleads with them to do, they haul out a shotgun and decide to stay. On returning to the country of his birth, Rogers finds his once orderly and progressive home transformed into something resembling a Marx Brothers romp crossed with Heart of Darkness: pot has supplanted maize in the fields; hookers have replaced college kids as guests; and soldiers, spies, and teenage diamond dealers guzzle beer at the bar. And yet, in spite of it all, Rogers’s parents–with the help of friends, farmworkers, lodge guests, and residents–among them black political dissidents and white refugee farmers–continue to hold on. But can they survive to the end? In the midst of a nation stuck between its stubborn past and an impatient future, Rogers soon begins to see his parents in a new light: unbowed, with passions and purpose renewed, even heroic. And, in the process, he learns that the "big story" he had relentlessly pursued his entire adult life as a roving journalist and travel writer was actually happening in his own backyard. Evoking elements of The Tender Bar and Absurdistan, The Last Resort is an inspiring, coming-of-age tale about home, love, hope, responsibility, and redemption. An edgy, roller-coaster adventure, it is also a deeply moving story about how to survive a corrupt Third World dictatorship with a little innovation, humor, bribery, and brothel management.
Searching for even more wild places and new experiences, Dan became determined to explore 'off the map' in Africa. From the mighty Sahara Desert in the north to the dense equatorial jungles of the Congo and the open grasslands of Southern Africa, Dan turned his biggest dream into reality. Over the course of three years Dan's second major expedition spanned fifty-four thousand miles through thirty-five unique African countries. THE ADVENTURE WAS A THOUSAND TIMES BIGGER THAN HE DREAMED POSSIBLE. After exploring the Pan-American Highway from Alaska to Argentina Dan became hooked on the freedom of global overland travel, and he only wanted more. New languages, exotic foods, stunning landscapes and local people with an entirely different outlook became Dan's everyday life. As the months turned into years, through highlights and despair Dan gained a new appreciation for what it truly means to be alive. Viewing our modern world through African eyes gave Dan a new perspective, and he was pulled in by the endless joy, laughter and kindness at every turn. While the landscapes and wildlife are undeniably breathtaking, it is the natural warmth of the African people that is truly unforgettable. All across the continent Dan was welcomed with love and generosity, and now he will never be the same.
This is the first full- length historical analysis of Victoria Falls. The text offers a critical examination of Victoria Falls providing new insight into the British Southern African project and reveals how Victoria Falls became one of the first modern African tourist destinations. This book makes a case for a critical reading of Victoria Falls as much more than a localized natural wonder. Europeans with multiple and often competing agendas, as well as African leaders and laborers were brought into contact with one another at Victoria Falls. Their visions of the past and hopes for the future shared Victoria Falls as a common point of inspiration. The value these parties placed on the Falls extended far beyond its location on the Zambezi and had broad implications for the British Empire in Southern and Central Africa.
