Victoria Falls Archives | TRAVELS WITH TAM

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe is the Home of the Smoke that Thunders

June 11, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

smoke that thunders, the smoke that thunders, victoria falls, zambezi — The Smoke that Thunders

The smoke that thunders! We loved our trip to Zimbabwe, and particularly enjoyed visiting Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The falls are known as “the smoke that thunders”; it is twice the size of Niagara Falls, and there is so much mist and fog you cannot see the entire falls at once. It is like a rainforest, green and leafy and lush. Rainbows are present beneath you on sunny days, rainbows within rainbows! If you were in a plane or helicopter you could see the entire area, and if you dare to jump into Devil’s Pool you can really get a view! You have to be in Zambia to do it though, on Livingstone Island. Check out how awesome the view is! http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-656-s&va=devil%27s+pool+victoria+falls [Read more…] about Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe is the Home of the Smoke that Thunders

Walking with Lions

June 9, 2013 By Tam Warner 8 Comments

June 19: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Today we flew from Joburg to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The airport in Victoria Falls is small. Small? Very Small, no computers, nothing technological. We are no longer in 21^st century South Africa. I’m pretty sure Botswana will be the same.

We were greeted and transported to the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge where we were met by the Zulu Chief. Baboons and warthogs and velvet monkeys are everywhere! In town as well as on the grounds of the Lodge. There are no fences keeping any animal out of any place. The lodge is beautiful with a stunning view and great balconies which we must close when we are not in our rooms, or when we have food in the room. The monkeys and baboons come in to eat any food you may have. So we were told, and I heard the truth of it: the guest above us began screaming shortly after we arrived because she opened some potato chips and immediately had guests…the monkeys swung onto the balcony and into her room…took her chips and all other food while she bolted out the door. I have advised Randy and the kids to keep the balcony doors closed!

We had a free afternoon, so we went to Lion Encounters, an African Impact program teamed with ALERT that is repopulating the bush with lions. Lion populations are down 80% in the last 30 years which endangers the African ecosystem. ALERT and Lion Encounters take lion cubs born into captivity and allow small numbers of visitors to interact with them (for a fairly large fee) until they are sexually mature, around 15 months.

When they are sexually mature they are moved into phase II, released in a pride into a large enclosure where they live as a wild pride. They are closely monitored for research purposes but at this stage there is no human contact or intervention. Stage 3 is when the pride is relocated to a larger area, where they will spend the rest of their lives. This area is big enough to have many different species in it, including competitive ones. For stage 4, the cubs born and raised in Stage 3 can be relocated into those areas of Africa that need them the most. We are happy to aid in that endeavor while having the experience of walking with lions in the wild. Alexandra, our cat lover, was beside herself with anticipation….lion cubs! I was expecting small cubs, or maybe a little bigger, but We WALKED WITH, and among, LIONS. One male and one female, not yet sexually mature….but very close! They are huge. They are beautiful beyond description. We touched them, walked in the bush with them, watched them, took photographs, and were completely inspired by them. We are all overwhelmed by the experience. Did you know that young lions have spots, and the spots disappear with sexual maturity? I never knew that until today. I cannot even begin to describe the wonder, the excitement (tinged with fear, certainly) of being close to, and walking in the bush with, these young lions….and nine rangers! Photos are worth a thousand words.

Don't pull a lion's tail! — Don’t pull a lion’s tail!

Tonight at dinner we watched a herd of elephants make their way to the waterhole in the distance. Everywhere we have been so far has been a dream come true…the food has been excellent, the service exceptional, and we are at a lodge where animals are everywhere! Tomorrow we are off to the Falls and a cruise on the Zambezi River….hippos! Crocs!

Taking off on Tam’s Travels!

May 22, 2013 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

With friends in Boulder Beach, outside of Cape Town, South Africa

My first post on Travels with Tam on May 22, 2013….and, oh, the places I have been!

I love to travel. I am an addicted scuba diver, underwater photographer, marine conservation geek, and I love to take pictures of my fishy friends. I love my fellow land animals as well. Our natural world is an amazing, magical place, and I want to see every inch of it! I enjoy traveling just about anywhere, even if I cannot dive. New places, new people, new animals, new scenery are irresistible. I have been asked by friends and family, why don’t you write a book or post a blog about all of your trips? I have kept journals, and even blogged on some trips, and I post my photos on Facebook, but I have thought about doing a travel blog. I love to write and to journal about everything so I can keep it fresh. Even as a child I loved to travel, loved animals, people, nature and history.

I travel for interest, pleasure, business, and I enjoy every trip and new adventure. I am a history buff as well, and included in this blog will be International trips, dive trips, college…any trips, really. If it interests me, I know there are others out there who will be interested as well. I travel alone, with my spouse, Randy, with my children (twenty-somethings), or with friends. One of the enduring jokes about me is that I have “fallen on every continent”. Well, that is not quite true, I have not been to Antarctica, or Australia….but I have fallen on all the others. I have always been the type of person who cannot seem to stay out of trouble…interesting things do happen to me. I have taken quite a few spectacular falls….I think family and friends want me to document my trips so they can have a written version to laugh at. I am also an empty nester, and now is my time to travel, to challenge myself, and to undertake new endeavors. This blog is one of them. I confess I am not lamenting the fact that my children have grown up, I am happy for them and happy they are starting their adult lives. As much as I loved that chapter of my life, it is now closed, and I am happy to start on the new chapter. My priorities are dive, dive, travel, dive, travel and dive!

I find it very difficult to stay in one spot for long; we own a home in Cozumel, Mexico, and we are very often there. My underwater photography serves as my Dive Log. (We also lease our villa to vacationers, so visit us at www.vrbo.com/368692. Cozumel is one of the best dive spots in the world!). I had to get that plug in there!

I think I will start Travels with Tam with my Photos and Journal of our first trip to Africa. We traveled to South Africa, Sabi Sabi in Kruger Park, Victoria Falls where we did Lion Encounters, and Chobe in Botswana to see elephants and hippos. Cape Town and environs was a special ending to our trip (especially Boulder Beach, see post photo!). In May 2009, my daughter, Alexandra, graduated from college, and my son, Wes, graduated from high school. And yes, I know it looks like it should be the other way around, but Wes is the younger! My husband and I decided to take them on a “trip of a lifetime” adventure to celebrate…we have returned to Africa and certainly plan to go back, and we have continued to enjoy “trips of a lifetime” (all trips are trips of a lifetime to me!) I hope you enjoy my adventures, trials, and (more than) occasional tribulations!

Victoria Falls

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