Sneaking into Zambia

I reached Zambia on a Tour with a friend in Southern Africa that also took me to Botswana, Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa. Wishing to visit the famous Victoria Falls but unable to enter Zambia officially, because my travel companion did not have the Yellow Fever vaccination booklet, mandatory for returning to the Republic of South Africa as our flight plan required, we decided to stay on the Zimbabwe side. Once here, however, we discovered with pleasure that it was possible to cross the bridge over the Zambezi and go onto the Zambian bank as far as the border post. This allowed us to avoid needing a Zambian visa, and Zimbabwe would not ask us for any further payment on re-entry.

So we calmly crossed the Victoria Falls Bridge, one of only three bridges that cross the Zambezi along its long course (one of them, among other things, is a footbridge), entering Zambia to watch, from a viewpoint on a hill, the leaps of the brave bungee jumpers, young people who throw themselves into the void held by an elastic cord. From here you can see part of the mighty waterfall and the impetuous gorge that follows, sipping a cold beer comfortably seated while little monkeys try to steal food and objects from unaware tourists. After a bit of relaxation we walked back across the bridge to Zimbabwe. Two days later we returned to Zambia the same way and, leaving my friend at the bar near the bungee jumping viewpoint, I went alone into the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, the Victoria Falls Park on the Zambian side.

In fact, to enter you should cross the Border Post, pay for the visa, reach the entrance and buy an admission ticket, but having found a gap in the fence just after the bridge I decided to take advantage of it. In practice I found myself clandestinely in Zambia, and I can't even imagine what would have happened to me if they had caught me without either an admission ticket or a visa; I risked not only an administrative offence but also a more serious criminal one. Not without fear I walked part of the park's trails, seeing new perspectives of the Falls without, however, venturing as far as the main area. After this "escapade" I went back through the gap in the fence near the bridge, where I rejoined my friend at the bar. After a bit of relaxation we crossed the bridge again, returning to Zimbabwe. For a detailed description of the Falls I refer to the "Victoria Falls" Tour.