WE flew to Victoria Falls, where we were taken first to The Kingdom hotel, but they knew nothing of our supposed reservation, so we were then taken to Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, a highly regarded hotel.

The change in plans was representative of the fluidity of our itinerary on the entire tour. Many times our itinerary changed without explanation or reason, and travel trade personnel must be prepared for this (The other thing to note is the wonderful disregard that tourism trade officials in Zimbabwe had for meeting times).

Victoria Falls is simply wonderful, which is no surprise, given that it is frequently featured in the many lists of Natural Wonders of the World. A walk along the edge is a must, and something that tourists will always remember.

Known by the locals as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders), the falls are neither the highest nor the widest but they are claimed to be the largest ,by virtue of its width of 1,7 kilometres and height of over 100m.

It therefore forms the largest falling body of fresh water in the world, with a peak recorded flow of 12,800 cubic metres per second, more than both Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina, and Niagara Falls in the United States of America.

Surrounding the falls is Victoria Falls National Park, comparatively small in relation to Zimbabwe’s other parks, but still containing elephants, buffalos, lions and leopards.

That evening we went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, and saw three elephants crossing the river, not twenty metres from our boat. The sun went down in typically spectacular African fashion, and everything seemed perfect. No-one ever talks of an American, Chinese or Australian sunset ... but there's plenty of literature about African sunsets (and sunrises). It’s all my personal perception of course, but the colours are that much diverse and brighter ... and older.

Jumbo surprise ... Elephants swim a few metres from a boat cruising on the Zambezi

And my attempt at an admittedly sentimental analogy is this: sunrises and sunsets have always represented hope -- the forgetting of the day’s tumult, the mental and physical peace and coolness that everyone feels in the early stages of an African evening or morning.

My analogy is this: that in Africa, despite the many failures, there is always more hope here than anywhere else – and the sunrises and sunsets are commensurately spectacular. And maybe this hope has carried the continent many times to various important successes, despite plenty of problems.

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is a superb hotel with superb views of the woodlands near the falls. There is a waterhole in front of the dining and pool area, and elephant, buffalo, kudu and hyena were spotted while we were there.

The food is very good, and the service too. Rooms are clean and comfortable, and most have views over the plain below. A highlight is a visit to The Boma, an outdoor restaurant, where guests are entertained by Zimbabwean music, and everyone is invited to an impromptu dancing session with the band. The food comprises, among other things, buffalo and warthog, while mopane worms make a tasty snack. It’s well worth a try!

Overall, our stay at Safari Lodge was a highlight, and is a fantastic symbol of what the rest of Zimbabwe could be like when things get better.

Majestic ... A rainbow cuts across the Victoria Falls gorge

(Don't miss Ramsay's diaries throughout this week)