Tendai Moyo Victoria Falls Tour Guide

05/03/2024

19/02/2024

It is what it is. The Victoria Falls

14/02/2024

Let's go camping shall we

07/02/2024

27/01/2024

Early Tour Operators in Victoria falls

One of the roads we have in Victoria Falls is called Clark Rd, I believe named after Percy M Clark, who claimed to be the first Tour operator and resident of the Victoria Falls Town, he ran a photography business, curio shop, transport and boat trips.

Percy M Clark

Percy M. Clark, originally one of the early settlers at the Old Drift on the north bank of the river had sensed an opportunity for business and moved to the south bank in 1903 and established the first curio, or souvenir shop, Clark's Curios. The original site, known as 'The Huts' was located opposite the railway station and doubled up as his photography studio and booking office - Clark was a photographer, and with the builders of the railway making steady progress towards the Falls and with the bridge engineers preparing to span the gorge, Clark saw potential in developing his small photography business, which he had started from the Old Drift.

Clark soon designed a portfolio of photographs of the Falls, entitled 'Souvenir of the Victoria Falls', of which there were several variations produced over the years, and he sold many, many thousands; his son, Victor Clark, who took over the photography business and continued producing the album in later years.
In addition to 'The Huts', which served as his photography studio and shop, Clark established a stall at the recently opened railway station.

He made no attempt to describe the Falls in any detail, but was the first to give advice on attire

He also makes sure to mention his own claims to fame in relation to the local history of the Falls by saying that the gorge on the south side of the river was descended for the first time in February 1904 by C Beresford Fox and himself and stating he caught the first fish in the gorge, in the same month and year.

Canoes and boats

As early as 1908 Clark also ran river trips with a fleet of nine Canadian canoes, guests could be paddled across to Cataract Island from the southern bank and to Livingstone Island from the northern shore. In March 1911, Clark announced the arrival of his new motorised launch, called Inyandiza, which operated Sunday afternoon cruises from the old boathouse

Recognising the business potential, the Victoria Falls Hotel soon made Clark an offer for his boating business, which he politely declined. The hotel promptly bought their own motor-launch and as nearly all the tourist visitors to the Falls stayed in the hotel, captured the majority of his business. This was the beginning of the hotel's involvement in providing tourist activities and transport, and established the competitive nature of business in a developing tourism town.

By the late 1920's the Victoria Falls Hotel ran two motor-launches on the river, the Daphne, accommodating 10 passengers, and the larger Diana. They ran two or three times a week across the river to Livingstone, and then up the river to Kandahar Island for afternoon tea. A third launch, the Dorothy, was later introduced

Victor Clark was the son of Percy M Clark. He was born in 1903 at Livingstone and resided in Victoria Falls much of his life. Victor, nicknamed Tamatie, one who was always putting on a neck tie, was the first one to drive a car (a Model T Ford) from Victoria Falls to Hwange and back same day. The journey, which started at 6am, was completed at midnight.

Staff pushed trolleys

In 1920, the hand-worked rail trolley service first proposed by Percy Clark was built, as many guests visiting the Falls were elderly and found the existing walk, or rickshaw rides, too exhausting in the heat.

Acknowledgement

P.M. Clark. The Autobiography of an Old Drifter. Books of Rhodesia. 1972

Rev. E.D. Hamer. Locomotives of Zimbabwe and Botswana. Stenvals, Sweden 2001

https://zimfieldguide.com/matabeleland-north/rickshaws-and-rail-trolleys-victoria-falls

24/01/2024

Victoria Falls in History

One of the street/road found in Victoria Falls is called Courtney Selous. I was wondering where the name came from, I believe it's named after Frederick Courtney Selous a famous well travelled hunter. (Kindly correct if I'm wrong)

I came across an interesting scene and conversation between King Lobengula's Indunas and Selous

In November he met Harry Grant[liii] and Wynand[liv] at the Umsweswe river before returning to Matabeleland in mid-December. They were fined by King Lobengula and his indunas in the “sea-cow row” for killing hippos. Selous writes that white men resident in Matabeleland knew that the amaNdebele did not like hippo being killed wholesale, although they did not object to one or two shot for food. They believe a drought will follow the slaughter of a large number of hippo, unless their bones are thrown back into the river. In 1883, hippo hide sjamboks were in great demand in the Cape and the Transvaal and a Matabeleland trader, whose name began with M employed several Griqua hunters to shoot fifty hippo for him and cut their hides into sjamboks thinking King Lobengula would not hear of it. But the King heard of the enormous number being brought to M’s store and was summoned by him.

Selous was told by the King that he was angry that so many had been killed. He replied he had not seen a hippo in a year, but one of his wagon drivers, John Slaipstein, had shot a hippo on the Manyame river for food. The King only said: “That's nothing; there's no case against you, Selous” and shaking hands, they parted with Selous returning to his wagons at Emhlangeni. A few days later he received a summons to go to Gubulawayo. The messengers told him that four white men were to be tried by a council of headmen, including Selous, M, Piet Ostenhuisen and Harry Grant. Ostenhuisen had shot a few hippo's, but Grant had not killed a single one. The case lasted three days and they had to sit in the rain all day listening to the headmen trying the case.

When asked why he had shot the King’ sea cows, Selous said he had not done so, but they replied he sent his man to shoot them. They abused the others verbally, but to Selous said little, except that he was: “The witch who had killed all the King’s game” and that he would pay for the sea cow John Slaipstein had shot. The headman Ma-kwaykwi said: “it is you Selous who have finished the King’s game, but you are a witch, you must bring them all to life again. I want to see them – all, all. Let them all walk in at the kraal gate, the elephants and the buffaloes and the elands.” Selous stood up and said: “All right, but when the lions come in, will you, Ma-kwaykwi, remain where you are to count them?” This caused a general laugh at Ma-kwaykwi’s expense and quite stopped his flow of eloquence.

Lobengula then called out to Selous; ”why did you kill my sea-cows?” Selous denied it and he said: “well, you sent Moila (John’s native name) to shoot them…you say you will pay; what will you pay?” Selous said: “Two heifers” and Lobengula said: “you shall pay ten.” Presently the King retired and finally they had to pay. M[lv] paid £300 and Selous £60.

https://zimfieldguide.com/midlands/frederick-courteney-selous%E2%80%99-hunting-trips-1876-%E2%80%93-1885-records-his-original-game-book

17/01/2024

Exciting News🥳
Unlock in the industry by enrolling in ticketing courses.
A course opens opportunities to work as ticketing agents, executives, representatives, or consultants for airlines, travel agencies, and tour companies. is now in progress; contacts on the poster.

Kindly note I'm just sharing, I'm not offering the course those interested use the contacts on the flyer

17/01/2024

The messages we get in Victoria falls WhatsApp groups,🥶 wild, like literally

16/01/2024

Just another day of exploring 🚲💛

15/01/2024

Valentine Special $290 3 days 2 nights, accommodation bed and breakfast and Boat cruise.

15/01/2024

If you know Victoria Falls which place is this

15/01/2024

Victoria Falls Today

12/01/2024

Victoria Falls Hotel
Zimbabwe

The Victoria Falls Hotel is a historic luxury hotel at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, that offers a stunning view of the Second Gorge and the Victoria Falls Bridge from its terrace. It is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World marketing organisation and managed by African Sun Limited and Meikles.

The hotel was opened in 1904 to accommodate passengers on the newly built National Railways of Zimbabwe railway, part of the planned Cape to Cairo Railway.

Later it was a staging post for the BOAC flying boat service between Southampton and South Africa.
The hotel has hosted several royal guests, such as Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and her daughter, Princess Helena Victoria in 1904, and King George VI and his family in 1947.

The hotel has also been the site of important political meetings, such as the 1949 conference to discuss the creation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the 1963 conference that led to the breakup of the federation, and the 1975 conference to try to sort out Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence.

The hotel has been renovated and refurbished several times over the years, combining modern amenities with the traditional colonial feel of the world-renowned hotel.

It has 161 rooms, some of which offer spectacular views of the gorges and bridge below.
The hotel also has a variety of restaurants, bars, lounges, and facilities for guests to enjoy.

The hotel is a historical monument and a tourist attraction in itself, as well as being a convenient base for exploring the Victoria Falls and the surrounding area.

12/01/2024

The Old Drift Cemetery
Livingstone Zambia

The Old Drift Cemetery is a small burial site near the Zambezi river in modern-day Zambia. It includes the graves of early European settlers and visitors to nearby Victoria Falls who died of causes such as malaria and is located in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park.

The cemetery has 22 graves, some of which are marked with cast-iron plaques or stone crosses.
The settlers eventually left the area for higher ground, where the town of Livingstone was formed.
The cemetery is now a historical monument and a tourist attraction.

The name Old Drift refers to the original crossing point of the Zambezi river by the European explorers and traders
The first person buried in the cemetery was Georges Mercier, a Paris missionary who died in 1908.
Samuel Taylor Alexander, one of the founders of the British South Africa Company, was also buried in the cemetery in 1904.

The cemetery is accessible by boat or by foot from the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls.

11/01/2024

One of the best ways to tour the City of Victoria Falls is with Bamba E-Bikes environment friendliness combined with fitness benefits.
You can tour the townships, the big tree etc
These bikes are found in most lodges and hotels, you can order them with us they will be delivered to your lodge or hotel

11/01/2024

The Old Drift Settlement Victoria Falls

The Old Drift was a settlement on the north bank of the Zambezi River, near the Victoria Falls, that existed from 1898 to 1905.

It was the main crossing point for travellers and traders heading north into the Kingdom of Barotseland (Western Zambia).

The Old Drift was notorious for its high mortality rate due to malaria and blackwater fever, and many settlers died there.

As more and more tourists and visitors arrived to see the magnificent Falls, so did the number of cases of malaria.
The disease took such a toll on the town, that at the end of the century, Old Drift was moved to where it still stands today, as the town of Livingstone in Zambia.
The arrival of the railway and the construction of the Victoria Falls Bridge shifted the activity away from the Old Drift, and the settlement was abandoned and reclaimed by nature. Today, a stone cairn, a cemetery and a lodge mark the site of the Old Drift.

More on the book The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
*Picture Credit The Zambezi Book Company

10/01/2024

Heavy rains expected across the country

10/01/2024

We all know or have heard about the Big 5 Animals of the African safari, but have you ever heard about the small 5.
The small 5 of the African safari are five animals that share part of their names with the big 5, but are much smaller and less dangerous. They are:

Ant lion: A tiny insect that digs funnel-shaped traps in the sand to catch ants and other prey.

Buffalo weaver: A social bird that builds large communal nests with multiple chambers.

Elephant shrew: A mouse-like mammal with a long nose that resembles an elephant’s trunk.

Leopard tortoise: A herbivorous tortoise with a spotted shell that mimics the leopard’s coat.

Rhinoceros beetle: A strong and horned beetle that can lift up to 850 times its own weight.

10/01/2024

06/01/2024

Always majestic
Victoria falls

04/01/2024

Our food, can you relate

04/01/2024

Beautiful sunset at Chisuma village just 27km out of Victoria Falls, we had just rounded livestock, now secure in their kraal, our visitor Matt was not a passive visitor he was part of the family doing all that was done in the homestead, this is what I call Village Tours

02/01/2024

Right Holidays are over, time for a reboot holiday just for relaxing and recharging. There is something for everyone from the budget traveller to the luxury lovers.

02/01/2024

https://youtu.be/w4HyOne9jvw

Take a gorge walking tour at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, with Tobius Mupfuti, Head Coach at the Victoria Falls Boxing Academy, Vic Falls, Zimbabwe.https://www....