From Botswana the Fab 5 flew to Livingstone, Zambia with a quick stop in Kasane, Botswana, to clear immigration. Departing Kasane by air you can see the spray coming from Victoria Falls, whose local name translates to "the smoke that thunders".

Our guide, Fred, explained that the Presidents of Zambia, the Congo, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe were holding a meeting at our hotel, The Royal Livingstone. He added that all were staying at the hotel except Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who was staying at an adjacent hotel (a good thing---I am not a fan of Mugabe at all!)

When we arrived, we found dozens of men in suits with a coiled cord attached to their ears and unusual lumps bulging from their suit jackets, a fleet of Mercedes Benz sedans, hotel staff thick as swarm of bees, and many junior  dignitaries, some with attitude.

I was amazed the hotel wasn't closed to regular guests. But, then again, because we're known as The Traveling Kings, the resort probably thought we were on the official guest list!

Some quick tips:

Skip the Zambezi River cruise-touristy! "Well duh," I heard you mutter! The view of the sun setting was great, the crocodile we saw was huge, sitting in the exclusive Captain's suite (thanks to our friends at Wilderness Safaris) was the only way to travel; however, do you really need a multiple hors d'oeuvres, all you can drink environment to see the sun set? I think our clients enjoyed the event, but nobody said it was something they would rush to do again.

When you tour Victoria Falls, DO take a knowledgeable guide. You will miss so much rich background information if you DIY. Also, prepare to get soaked. The water is warm and we joked we should have brought some shampoo with us. Depending on your hotel, you will be given or rented a rain poncho. While it may keep some parts dry (like your camera-if you tuck it on your side), you will still get wet. Finally, wear shoes that firmly grip the pavement. The walkway is very slippery at times. This was my 3rd visit to Vic Falls and I love it more and more.

The last word:

While we enjoyed knowing the hotel hosted this meeting of political power brokers, we suffered from some lack of service. The staff was friendly but their  priority, as it should have been, was to make the politicos experience seamless. They apologized profusely and we found it completely understandable. So, all things considered, we would stay at The Roval Livingstone again.