Best of KAZA

11/06/2022

18/10/2020

Time to Reboot KAZA's Tourism... Best of KAZA magazine Coming Soon.

09/07/2020

The Victoria Falls Hotel, of old hotels and unmatched luxury. https://www.bestofkaza.com/torchbearer/kaza-tfca/of-old-hotels-and-unmatched-luxury/

Regarded as one of the best hotels within the KAZA- TFCA, the Victoria Falls Hotel is not only a hotel but a tourist attraction in its own right. The grand Edwardian era hotel that opened its doors on 8 June 1904, was to be destroyed soon after the completion of the Victoria Falls Bridge, as it had been agreed that no building was to remain within the vicinity of the Victoria Falls. The newly founded town of Livingstone, just north of the Zambezi, was to be home to all new developments.

Originally built as staff quarters for Rhodesia railways staff working on the construction of the Victoria Falls bridge. The story of the Victoria Falls can be likened to that of an unwanted pregnancy, that eventually gave birth to a great leader.

Arrival at Victoria Falls – the original railway line ran in front of the Hotel
The arrival of the railway from Capetown to Victoria Falls in 1904, sparked the growth of Victoria Falls into a small town. The hotel’s bar soon became a popular place amongst the railway workers. This was met with much resistance by the residents of Livingstone, just North of the Zambezi, led by Robert Coryndon the Administrator of North-Western Rhodesia.

However, once established it proved impossible to stop its expansion and by 1905 traffic to the small town had increased tremendously and so was the need to expand the hotel. This prompted the Railway to dismantle two of its locomotive shed in Beira and send them to Victoria Falls. One of the sheds was converted into accommodation facilities, and the second one turned into a dining hall.

Victoria Falls Hotel Annex
Percy Clark described the hotel in one of his memoirs written in 1934 “The hotel, in the beginning, was simply a long structure of wood and iron containing a dining room and bar, bedrooms and offices. Later on, it was enlarged by the addition of two large engine sheds removed from railway headquarters. One of these was converted into a dining room and the other into bedrooms. Later still two annexes of wood and iron were put up, complete with bathrooms… In the hot weather the rooms were ovens, and in the cold, refrigerators – but nobody grumbled much. After all, what could one expect in the heart of Africa?”

The hotel was managed by Pierre Gavuzzi, an Italian who once managed the Grand Hotel in Bulawayo. Together with a French Chef, an American Barman, and Indian waiters the ran the hotel.

The prominence of the hotel was to be further bolstered in 1905 by two major events, the Zambezi Regatta which was held in June 1905, saw competitors and spectators coming from all over the southern region, resulting in overbooking of the hotel. This was followed by the official opening of the Victoria Fall bridge in September of the same year, turning the hotel into a popular watering hole.

The First Annual Zambezi Regatta , 1905
It is during this time that the railway line ran right in from of the hotel before it was swept away in a rainstorm in 1909. The railway line was then rerouted to run behind the Hotel as it is currently.

In 1920 a hand operated railway trolley service to the Rainforest entrance was built to following the original railway line. The trolley had a capacity too carry up to eight passengers. The downhill journey to the Falls was the easy part with gravity playing a major role. The return journey required the shear power of two men to push it uphill. In is 37 years of operation the trolley service had carried over 37 years. The Trolley has since found a new home at the Railway Museum in Bulawayo, were it can be viewed.

Hand operated trolley service from 1920 to 1957

The Victoria Falls Hand Trolley, now at Bulawayo Railway Museum
Over the years the hotel has grown both is size and reputation, as one of the leading hotels in the region. The Victoria Falls hotel now features deluxe suites with magnificent views of the Zambezi gorges and spray from the Falls. The Stanley Terrace overlooks the Victoria Falls Bridge and is an ideal place to relax and enjoy afternoon tea. Beautifully manicured lawns, lily ponds, and shade trees complete the picture of this leading hotel found in the heart of the KAZA-TFCA.

High Tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel
Today the hotel offers sunset river cruises for the romantic and can arrange guided game drives, as well as helicopter flights over the Falls. The Victoria Falls Hotel undoubtedly stands out as a Torch Bearer for the hoteliers in the KAZA-TFCA.

The Court Yard
Additional Information

143 Rooms(Suites 18), Business Centre, Hairdresser services, Babysitting, Fitness Center, Swimming Pool(s), Tennis Court & Wedding Chapel

Current photographs of the Luxurious Victoria Falls Hotel

Vintage photographs courtesy of www.tothevictoriafalls.com.

For more information on the Victoria Falls, you can visit them on http://www.victoriafallshotel.com/

09/07/2020

The Victoria Falls Hotel, a Torch Bearer in the KAZA-TFCA
https://www.bestofkaza.com/torchbearer/kaza-tfca/of-old-hotels-and-unmatched-luxury/

Of Old Hotels and unmatched Luxury Posted onJuly 9, 2020July 9, 2020AuthoradminLeave a comment The Victoria Falls Hotel Regarded as one of the best hotels within the KAZA- TFCA, the Victoria Falls Hotel is not only a hotel but a tourist attraction in its own right. The grand Edwardian era hotel that...

25/06/2020

Stock-out time: call to all hotels, restaurants, and lodges in the KAZA-TFCA. https://www.bestofkaza.com/torchbearer/tourism/stock-out/

20/06/2020

20/06/2020

Nature was at its best this year, with both the Victoria Falls and Okavango Delta receiving high volumes of water creating exceptional wonders in the way. https://www.bestofkaza.com/…/the-resurgence-of-the-okavang…/

20/06/2020

Nature was at its best this year, with both the Victoria Falls and Okavango Delta receiving high volumes of water creating exceptional wonders in the way. https://www.bestofkaza.com/torchbearer/kaza-tfca/the-resurgence-of-the-okavango-delta/

19/06/2020

Welcome to the Torch Bearer, Blog Site... were e share the beauty of KAZA.
https://www.bestofkaza.com/torchbearer/kaza-tfca/welcome-to-the-torch-bearer/

Welcome to the Torch Bearer Posted onMay 31, 2020May 31, 2020AuthoradminLeave a comment inspiring borderless tourism Welcome to the first blog article of the Torch Bearer Magazine. The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the Lockdown has seen the Torch Bearer brand evolve into a more effective Tourism Su...

18/04/2020

Stuart Forster talks with people living around the world to put together views on the coronavirus’s global impact from A (Australia) to Z (Zimbabwe).

22/03/2020

21/03/2020

No moment of gloom can steal the beauty of this world wonder

In this With a Local guide, tour guide Basil Mapfumo suggests places to visit, eat in and drink at while visiting Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

07/02/2020

TORCH BEARER AWARDS FOR TOURISM & HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY SURVEY

It is my pleasure to introduce to you the Torch Bearer Awards for Tourism. The Awards were established to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry within the Kavango- Zambezi Transfrontier Area .

As part of our stakeholder engagement program, we are conducting a short survey to gather operator sentiments and views on the regional tourism awards.

If you have received this email, your organisation probably operates within the KAZA-TFCA, and your opinion on the Awards is highly valued.

I hereby kindly request that you answer the 5 short questions in the survey by clicking on the link below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_twDZwd_4y7C1X_b6nj1dMelzas3Cg7rM46UMXC5uOfa5rw/viewform?usp=sf_link

05/02/2020

Great momories at Bulawayo Railway Museum with Edward Meade, Darryl Vides, Basil M Mapfumo and Stuart Forster...

14/01/2020

Michael Douglas in Victoria Falls

14/01/2020

TRAVEL ADVISORY

Tourists on safari in South Africa’s Kruger National Park have been urged to not share photos and selfies of rare wildlife on social media. Experts have said poachers are using the geotagged locations from the photos and selfies to track and kill rhinos and elephants. To combat this, officials at ...

14/01/2020

Stuart Forster is an accomplished travel writer whose articles are always honest and candid....

The Roman city of Ephesus plus beaches at Patara, Antalya on and the Bodrum Peninsula count among reasons for exploring Turkey beyond Istanbul.

14/01/2020

Special thanks to the Peace Parks Foundation, and their special role in making the KAZA-TFCA a reality. We will definitely continue to work towards making KAZA a reality despite the challenges of poaching. https://www.peaceparks.org/tfcas/kavango-zambezi/

The Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) TFCA spans an area of approximately 520 000 km² and includes 36 proclaimed protected areas across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge.

08/01/2020

08/01/2020

08/01/2020

The Leading Hotel Awards.... is awarded to any hotel that displays a higher and distinguishable standard in Amenities, Facilities, Location, Dining, and Service. The Hotels are recognised for their world class facilities and service excellence.

Three Awards are given in this category:

1. EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE AWARD (ESA)

For exceptional customer service and bench-marking standards.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AWARD (EMA)

For using environmentally friendly methods in their operations, and a constant awareness of maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

3. LEADING RUNNER UP AWARD (LRA)

Can you guess the Top 10 Nominees?

08/01/2020

Did you know ?
KAZA is the biggest Conservation Area in the World

08/01/2020

The Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA) covers an area of 519 912 square kilometres and includes 36 formally proclaimed national parks, game reserves, forest reserves and wildlife management areas. KAZA is the world’s largest conservation area, covering 5 countries with the centre lying in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins where Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge.

The Annual Best of KAZA: Torch Bearer Awards to be held for the first time in Victoria Falls, will bring together the best operators from the region in a event filled with pop and funfare, combining a classic dinner, the awards ceremony, live music and dance to cape the night.

08/01/2020

Welcome to The Best of KAZA: The Torch Bearer Awards, an excellent platform of celebration for the Tourism and Hospitality industry, offering networking opportunities for operators, corporates and sponsors alike.
The awards were established to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the tourism & hospitality industry within the KAZA TFCA.