That Time I Almost Died At Victoria Falls (Plus How To Visit Them On A Budget)
Life brought me to Zambia more or less randomly, and while my time in the country was limited, I knew I had to make it south to finally see Victoria Falls in the flesh.
On this post, I will tell you all about my time here, including how I almost died in the most embarrassing way ever and how I managed to visit Victoria Falls on a budget more or less officially!
I met Sarah, an awesome German girl the night before at the hostel I stayed at in Livingstone and we decided to visit Victoria Falls together.
After entering Victoria Falls, we walked the length of the trail until we reached the end. While the falls were amazing, we felt a bit disappointed. “Where are the rainbows???!”, I squealed to Sarah. “The waterfalls looked much better in pictures”, I told her disappointedly.
I had read on several blogs that the falls were not that impressive during the dry season, so I vowed to return at some point in my life when there was… you know… more water falling.
We were both a bit down. We were hoping for something more… jaw-dropping? Don’t get me wrong, the falls DID look mind-blowing even in dry season, but I was hoping for a Jurassic Park-like view.
We began walking back to head to town.
And then I told Sarah. “I am sure there is more to this. Let’s walk OVER the falls and see what is there.”
I think it wasn’t technically allowed without a guide, but I chose to ignore the sign that clearly stated, in capital letters and all, “DO NOT WALK OVER THE WATER WITHOUT A TOUR GUIDE.” I had come all the way down to Livingstone from Monze, and I wanted to get the epic experience everyone was gushing about.
We began walking over a small man-made edge. I could feel the rush of the water pushing me slightly, but I kept on walking. Sarah was close behind me and I could hear her squealing while fretting the words “oh my god” a hundred times. “Come on, just keep moving. It will be fine!”, I reassured her.
Seconds later, I learned that warning signs are placed for a reason.
I lost my balance war against the water. I began wobbling my body in an awkward dance, tumbling from right to left. I realized I was going to fall inevitably, the question was: to which side? I decided the left would be better as I thought to myself it couldn’t be THAT deep and the water wouldn’t go further up my knees.
I do realize that is a whole lot of thinking. The whole affair lasted a few seconds according to Sarah, but from my perspective, everything happened in slow motion.
And then I fell. I couldn’t even touch the ground with my toes.
A guy appeared from nowhere and pulled me out of the water. While he was doing so, I yelled “FUCK! MY CAMERA!”, while Sarah was probably worried that I was about to die. At the same time, havoc was happening on the other side of the falls. Everyone saw the scene, and I heard incessant screams from my audience.
“Well, shit. That was embarrassing”, I chuckled to Sarah once I was back on the ground, trying to act like everything was okay. My body was intact, but my pride hurt like hell.
The mysterious guy held both our hands as he walked us to the other side. I was almost in tears as I revised my dead electronics. I hid them under a tree in hopes that they would dry and *maybe* at least one of them would make it.
The guy told us he would take us to “Angel’s Pool”. We had no idea that even existed or what to expect, but so much had happened that day that I was sure my bad luck was over. We followed him.
“Do you think he is an official guide?”, I whispered to Sarah.
“I don’t think so”, she mouthed.
At that moment, we were both concluded he had been able to wade through the water in a matter of seconds to save my life. He had skills and he knew what he was doing. Who cared if he was official or not?
We walked barefooted through the water. Our newly-found guide, Herman, held our hands the whole way like kindergarten students on a field trip. He held my left one as Sarah clutched the right one so tight that I wasn’t sure what hurt more: my bones that felt like they were crushing under her grasp, or the sharp rocks under my feet.
We landed in sand-filled pieces of land every once in a while. Each time we reached one, Sarah and I stared at each other while we blurted long sighs of relief.
And at last, we reached one of the most beautiful sights I have ever witnessed.
We were at the edge of the falls.”Maaaaaaaaan!”, Sarah yelled.
“Fuuuuuck!”, I exclaimed.
We stared in awe at the scene before us. The mist of the water grazed our toes and rainbows formed bridges across the gorge. “Worth it”, I claimed conclusively.
We took photos of ourselves, perfectly aware that a small trip would mean we would plummet to our deaths.
I am not even sure I would mind falling. Right then, it felt as though my life was complete. I secretly decided that, if I ever decide to kill myself, it would be by jumping off this exact spot. A dark thought, I know, but if I die, I want to die happily. Hell, I would probably decide life is worth after all as soon as I saw how magical the world can be.
We just sat there for a good twenty minutes, still in disbelief of what stood before our eyes.
We continued our trek, unsure anything would be able to top what we had just witnessed.
After another treacherous walk over the wobbly terrain, we reached Angel’s Pool!
We were so in disbelief. Herman and I jumped into the water from a 5-meter height and there we were: on the edge again, this time IN the water.
We couldn’t believe it! I had wanted to experience the more well-known Devil’s Pool on the Zimbabwean side, but for $130 + visa costs to Zimbabwe (my passport doesn’t qualify for the KAZA visa, which allows you to visit both countries in one go), so I would have to end up paying an extra hundred just to get into Zimbabwe and back to Zambia. It was way out of my budget if I wanted to do other things while on this continent.
But here we were, in a great alternative, with no one around. We had this piece of paradise all to ourselves.
It was SO damn epic.
We swam for an hour before heading back. In the end, we both gave Herman a tip that felt like a very low price to pay for such an awesome day. As we left, we saw him secretly handing money to a park ranger.
“Oops, he was definitely not an official one”, I denoted.
“Who cares!”, Sarah giggled.
I came back to find my camera and phone. I had such a great time that I had forgotten what had happened earlier. Miraculously, they both returned back to life!
On the ride back to Livingstone, we spotted a group of young elephants on the highway. We asked our taxi driver to stop, perplexed. The day was getting better and better by the second.
Unfortunately, accidents can happen while on vacation. To protect your family and loved ones while you are on vacation, make sure you always have a will done before traveling.
How To Visit Victoria Falls on a Budget
You probably shouldn’t be taking travel advice from someone who almost died while visiting Victoria Falls, but if you’re still interested, here’s how I managed to visit Victoria Falls on a budget.
In total, I spent less than $100 including activities, accommodation, transport, and food. Victoria Falls on a budget achieved!
To be exact, here is a budget breakdown of my costs while visiting Victoria Falls:
Two nights at Livingstone Backpackers: $22
The beds are cozy, there is a pool, and even a kitchen to cook your own meals. I always like to stay in places that look like there was some love put into them and this was exactly it!
The sofas to chill out on were covered in gorgeous African fabrics, there were statues of animals made out of twigs, and tons of small details that made the place feel like home rather than just a bed to sleep on.
Entry fee to Victoria Falls: $20
Shuttle bus to Victoria Falls from our hostel: $0
I stayed at Livingstone Backpackers the night before. It was only $11 for a dorm bed and they provide free shuttles every day to the falls.
Our newly-found guide to Angel’s Pool: $50
Taxi from Victoria Falls back to Livingstone: $2
We bargained down to $4, so we split the cost by two.
You can also walk back to the city. It’s only 8 kilometers away, but be aware of baboons (they like stealing stuff, especially food) and elephants – they can get aggressive during hot season!
Very happy you survived and it sounds and looks like you had a mind blowing time. Am so glad you did not pay for a visa into Zimbabwe to see Devils pool, all you would have seen is the Falls from the Zimbabwe side, which I must say at the dry time of the year is a good idea as there is a lot more water flowing on the Zim side. But both Devils Pool and Angles pool are on Zambian islands and only accessible from the Zambian side.
Stay safe. Warm regards Lorrie
Very happy you survived and it sounds and looks like you had a mind blowing time. Am so glad you did not pay for a visa into Zimbabwe to see Devils pool, all you would have seen is the Falls from the Zimbabwe side, which I must say at the dry time of the year is a good idea as there is a lot more water flowing on the Zim side. But both Devils Pool and Angles pool are on Zambian islands and only accessible from the Zambian side.
Stay safe. Warm regards Lorrie