Victoria Falls Budget

Total Amount Spent in Victoria Falls: 1,498 Botswana pula + 405 South African Rand + $404 (about $666)

Exchange Rate: In Zimbabwe all prices were in dollars, though you could pay with pretty much any hard currency (i.e. anything but their own currency).

Number of Days Spent at Victoria Falls: 2 (April 30 – May 1, 2009)

Average Per Day Spending: 749 Pula + 202.5 Rand + $202 (about $333)

BREAKDOWN BY CATEGORY

• Transportation: 560 Pula + $130
• Accomodations: $30
• Food: 248 Pula + 5 Rand + $2
• Activities: 320 Pula + $240
• Shopping: 10 Pula
• Communication: $2
• Visa Fees: 360 Pula + 400 Rand

FURTHER EXPLANATION

• You’d think that Zimbabwe would be rather inexpensive because of the state of their economy, but it’s not, at least not in the tourist town of Victoria Falls. You’ll pay at least as much as you’d pay elsewhere, if not more.
• Though we still had the rental car and were still paying $25/day for it, we weren’t allowed to take it into Zimbabwe or Zambia, so we had to pay for a transfer, which was not cheap: $40 or 280 pula per person each way. We did have friends with their own car, and they didn’t save any money by taking it over, as they were hit with all kinds of taxes.

SAMPLE PRICES

• Zimbabwe Visa: 180 pula per person
• Zambia 1-day visa: 200 rand per person
• Admission to Victoria Falls (Zim. side): 160 pula per person
• Microlight flight over Victoria Falls (Zam. side): $120 per person
• 250 trillion Zim. dollars: 10 pula