Helicopter Flight and Night Drive/Bush Dinner

by Sid and Jenny Heyde
(Cold Ash, Berkshire, U.K.)

Our initial helicopter flight was a bit disappointing due to the selfish people who had the window seats and would not lean back to allow me in the middle to see or take pictures - not the fault of the helicopter company, but all the same very annoying and expensive to have a very restricted view!! However, when we complained about it to Shearwater they gave me a second free flight later the same day with a guaranteed window seat, so they were very good about it. It is definitely worth doing the flight as you can see the scope and length of the Falls, particularly as the spray is so high and thick in May, it is difficult to see the force of the water from the ground.

The night drive and bush dinner in the Vic Falls Private Game Reserve was very good, particularly as we saw mother and baby rhino by infa-red light after dark! The stars are just magical and it is breathtaking to be in the bush in total darkness, no light pollution at all - something that is just not possible in the U.K.! The dinner was fairly basic and could be improved on; half a bowl of soup, small piece of very bony chicken and some melted icecream, but sitting around a blazing fire was great and the guides were very good and knowledgeable. Once of the highlights was returning to Vic Falls town and finding a wild elephant stripping someone's back garden of all their vegetables - not much fun for the homeowner, but the elephant was having a good time!!

We also saw the vulture feeding at Vic Falls Safari Lodge; very bizarre, but quite compelling to see tens of vultures suddenly appear in one very small spot to take the meat that is put out for them.