wiches and pastries ($25) — all while gaz-ing at the mist exploding around the Vic-toria Falls Bridge as a pianist plays nearby.

•3 8 P.M. DINE WITH THE ELEPHANTS

On the deck of the Victoria Falls SafariLodge, the MaKuwa-Kuwa Restaurant hasa prime view over a watering hole whereelephants, impala and warthogs regularlycongregate; if you come around sunset, youcan watch the full spectacle of an animalkingdom’s procession to its banks. Then set-tle in to dine on ostrich carpaccio, Zambezibream or sirloin steak — Zimbabwean beefis highly regarded among carnivores theworld over — while listening to elephantstrumpeting in the dark. Dinner should cometo around $50 for two.

Saturday•4 9 A.M. GET WET

Arrive at the gates of the Victoria FallsRainforest bright and early for an up-closeview. Admission is $30, and $20 more willget you a guided tour — but you don’t reallyneed one. What you do need is a poncho andwater-friendly, closed-toed shoes, as you’realmost guaranteed to get soaked, especiallyif you visit during the rainy period, approxi-mately between mid-November to mid-May. (The drier season offers a clearer viewof all the sections of the falls, while the wetmonths are better for experiencing the fallsat their most thunderous.) You’ll be per-fectly dry on much of the boardwalk facingthe falls, but just a step or two toward the 16lookout points might have you momentarilyenveloped in behemoth clouds of mist and

In 1855, after first glimpsing what the localKololo tribe called Mosi-oa-Tunya — “thesmoke that thunders” — the Scottish mis-sionary and explorer David Livingstonepromptly set about renaming it for hisqueen. Today, Victoria Falls straddles theborder between Zimbabwe and Zambia,transforming the placid Zambezi River intowhat is perhaps the most majestic waterfallin the world. Since Livingstone’s day, the re-gion has recast itself as the adventure capi-tal of Africa, a hub for white-water rafting,bungee-jumping, zip-lining and more.While you can fly into either the newly re-done airport in the town of Victoria Falls inZimbabwe or its Zambian counterpart inLivingstone and cross back and forth fairlyeasily (usually in 30 to 45 minutes), Ameri-cans should keep in mind the visa feesassociated with multiple crossings: $80 forZambia, and $45 for Zimbabwe. Many saythe views are better from the Zimbabweanside, and the country’s 2009 adoption of theUnited States dollar means you won’t haveto worry about exchanging money, so itwould be easiest to spend most of your timein the town of Victoria Falls. Withadrenaline-pumping activities galore, thereare countless ways to experience one of theseven natural wonders of the world.

Friday•1 3 P.M. FLIGHT OF ANGELS

It’s difficult to fully comprehend the magni-tude of Victoria Falls from up close: Thoughit’s neither the tallest nor the longest water-fall in the world, at 355 feet high and a milewide, and with an average flow of 33,000 cu-bic feet per second, it’s certainly impres-sive. The best way to get some perspectiveis an eagle-eye view during a late-afternoonhelicopter flight, when the lush landscapeglows in the descending sun and the preci-pice shimmers with rainbows. Book a 12-minute ($150) ride with Flight of Angelsthat glides over the falls from bothZimbabwean and Zambian vantage points— a sight so stunning it was surely “gazedupon by angels in their flight,” Livingstonewrote. You will have ample opportunity toadmire what a structural feat the 1905 Vic-toria Falls Bridge, which linked the twocountries sharing the falls, was. A 25-minute outing ($284) allows you some aeri-al game viewing above Zambezi NationalPark; keep your eyes peeled for elephants,wildebeest and zebras.

•2 4 P.M. OLD WORLD AMBIENCE

One of Africa’s most legendary retreats isthe venerable Victoria Falls Hotel. It wasconstructed in 1904 as a key stop along animagined Cape-to-Cairo railway that theBritish politician and diamond magnateCecil Rhodes hoped to build someday, withthe bridge part of his plan. The “grand oldlady of the falls” retains much of her rar-efied colonial-era charm, and the best wayto experience it is with a proper afternoontea on Stanley’s Terrace, where two canshare a tiered stand brimming with sand-

monsoon-worthy gusts. You will also expe-rience the unusual phenomenon of an up-pour: the powerful spray of the falls comingat you from below.

•5 11 A.M. ADVENTURE HOUR

Thrill-seekers won’t be satisfied by old-fashioned ways of seeing the falls — theyprefer to glimpse them as they bungee-jump off the bridge ($160), zip-line nearly1,000 feet across a gorge ($45), or take abridge swing that has them dangling overthe Batoka Gorge ($160). The area’s mainadventure draw is found on the water. Thethrashing falls and narrowing gorges trans-form the otherwise tranquil Zambezi Riverinto Grade 5 rapids that are consideredamong the best white-water rafting spots inthe world. But that requires almost a full-day’s commitment (about $150 per person),so plan your visit accordingly. Most activi-ties can be arranged via Wild Horizons orShearwater, either through your hotel or di-rectly through their websites or offices.

•6 1:30 P.M. CHIC EATS

Shearwater Café, in the center of the smalltown of Victoria Falls, doesn’t have much tooffer by way of views, but it does have acheery, stylish interior and a creative menuthat recently included tempura prawnswith cucumber and avocado purée andcrayfish from Lake Kariba ($9), and a croc-odile wrap with wasabi aioli ($13).

•7 3 P.M. SOUVENIR SHOPPING

Victoria Falls is a town built up entirelyaround its tourism industry, so local authen-ticity can be hard to come by. Many of the

masks, bowls and beaded animal figurineson offer at the Elephant’s Walk Shopping &Artist Village, an atmospheric thatched-roof arcade, are the same stock you’ll find attourist markets across the continent, butthere are a few worthy stops. Prime ArtGallery, for instance, showcases local art-work (that they can ship overseas); Cultur-al Vibes offers music from across Africa;and Chitenge Tenga carries funky clocksmade from recycled packaging and chande-liers fashioned from bottle caps and scrapmetal. If you want to haggle, walk aroundthe corner to the open curio market, wherea labyrinth of stalls hawk similar souvenirs.It’s worth a visit for the quirky shop namesalone: Mr. Pay Less, Mr. Beat Price, Mr. BigDiscount, Walmart, Los Angeles Lakers.

•8 4 P.M. CRUISE THE ZAMBEZI

After a jam-packed day, you’ve earnedyourself a relaxing trip down the Zambezi.There are many companies through whichyou can reserve a seat on a not-quite-sunsetcruise (boats have to be docked by sun-down, which isn’t such a bad thing when youconsider that that is when the mosquitoesdescend in full force). But for a more in-timate, old-school ambience, book with Ra-Ikane — the luxury boats hark back to thecolonial era, with cane chairs and wood-paneling. A maximum capacity of 14 meansyou won’t be jostling with crowds for a viewof hippos breaching in the water orelephants meandering along the shore. At$75 per person, Ra-Ikane is a touch pricierthan other, larger boats, but that includesunlimited drinks along with snacks likeminipizzas and crocodile kebabs.

•9 8 P.M. GAME FOR DINNER

Head to Ilala Lodge, an elegant thatched-roof pile across the street from the VictoriaFalls Hotel, for a refined dinner on the PalmRestaurant’s terrace or in the garden. Youcan be safe and opt for a beef tenderloinwith gnocchi ($20), or you can try the sous-vide warthog fillet ($20), crocodile andporcini risotto ($21) or kudu Wellington($24).

Sunday•10 8 A.M. LIVING ON THE EDGE

Livingstone Island in Zambia is whereLivingstone first set eyes on Mosi-oa-Tunya. It is an island perched quite literallyatop the precipice of the falls. If the seasonand water levels allow it, you can set sailfrom the Royal Livingstone Hotel on theZambian side to witness what he did. Dur-ing the three-hour excursion ($100, includ-ing breakfast, plus the cost of transfer fromZimbabwe), you’ll hike across the island,get heart-stopping views from the top of thefalls, and, if it’s still accessible (the trip isoffered only in the driest months), take anerve-racking dip in the Devil’s Pool, at thevery edge. Celebrate afterward over break-fast under a tent — an assortment of eggsBenedict with creamed spinach and bacon,scones, muffins, and tea and coffee.

36 HoursV I C T O R I A FA L L S ( Z I M B A B W E S I D E )

On the Zimbabwe-Zambia border, one of the world’s most enthralling natural wonders offers adrenaline-pumping adventures.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN STEVEN CHIKOSI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

By SARAH KHAN

From left: the Victoria Falls Bridge, built in 1905 as part of Cecil Rhodes’s imagined plan for a Cape-to-Cairo railway; part of the falls as seen from the Chain Walk in the rain forest; night life can include an African drum show.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

TR 9THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

C M Y K Sxxx,2017-04-02,TR,009,Bs-4C,E1

1 Flight of Angels,zambezihelicopters.com.2 Stanley’s Terrace, VictoriaFalls Hotel, 1 Mallet Drive;victoriafallshotel.com.3 MaKuwa-Kuwa, Victoria FallsSafari Lodge, 471 Squire Cum-mings Road; victoria-falls-safari-lodge.com.4 Victoria Falls Rainforest,zimparks.org/index.php/parks-overview/national/national-parks.5 Wild Horizons, wildhorizons.co.za. Shearwater, shearwatervictoriafalls.com.6 Shearwater Café, Corner ofLivingstone Way and ParkwayDrive, shearwatervictoriafalls.com/victoria-falls-restaurants.7 Elephant’s Walk Shopping &Artist Village, 273 AdamStander Drive; elephantswalk.com.8 Ra-Ikane, raikane.com.9 Palm Restaurant, IlalaLodge, A8; ilalalodge.com/the-palm-restaurant.10 Livingstone Island, Bookthrough Tongabezi, tongabezi.com.

IF YOU GO

Our interactive map:nytimes.com/travel

ONLINE: AN OVERVIEW

Everything served at Dok,from the rosé wine to the icecream, is made from ingredi-ents grown in Israel. O.K.,

almost everything: Sugar and wheat flourare exceptions. But Asaf Doktor, the chefwho owns the Tel Aviv restaurant with hisbrother, Yotam, is working on it.

Call the restaurant moshav (Israeli co-operative farm) to table.

Take its gin and tonic, for example. The“tonic” is a caramel syrup that Asaf makesusing the juice of bitter oranges that grow afew blocks from the restaurant. Whencombined with gin from Jullius Distillery inGalilee, it evokes the assertive astringencyof quinine, but is rounder and richer.

The micro-restaurant, which opened inMay 2015, has a counter that seats eight,plus two little tables. Sidewalk seatingdoubles the capacity. There’s no kitchen,just chefs assembling dishes in the open,sushi-bar style. The place is so tiny thatwhen I asked about the bathroom, I wassent outside. “It’s a small place,” Mr. Dok-tor said, shrugging.

Though the ingredients are almost alllocal, the food reflects Israel’s polyglot

culture, with influences from across theJewish diaspora. The phenomenal macker-el, quick-cured in salt and sugar, slicked inolive oil and served simply with boiledpotatoes, sour cream, grated horseradishand chopped parsley, is pure Russian. Beeftartare takes its cues from Lebanese raw

kibbe, with quenelles of minced raw beefand freekeh, dotted with herbs, plenty oflemon zest and fruity harissa, sitting atopslices of pickled turnip. Each nugget dis-perses on contact with your tongue, like themost skillfully formed nigiri.

Some expected ingredients are missing,like tahini, the sesame paste that is ubiqui-tous in Israel, but is usually made fromEthiopian seeds. “It’s very cliché to usetahini in Israeli cuisine,” Mr. Doktor said.

Sesame ice cream does appear, though,as a cool foil to the warm toffee medjooldate cake. Mr. Doktor uses sesame seedsthat are “baladi,” an Arab word that trans-lates, more or less, to “heirloom.” In fact,most of the produce served at Dok is fromArab farmers in Israel.

The restrictions the chef imposes mightsound like a gimmick, but in his hands, it isan organizing principle. “That’s what’s funabout it,” he said. “I’m not limited in what Ido, only in what I use.”GABRIELLA GERSHENSON

Bites Dok TEL AVIV

Local Ingredients, Global Influences

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Dok, Ibn Gabirol Street 8; 972-3-609-8118. Anaverage dinner for two, without drinks or tip, isabout 300 shekels, about $82.

SARIT GOFFEN

Roasted kholrabi in cheese,sesame seeds and thyme, adish at the restaurant Dok.

Philadelphia Boutique Hotel from $119Great downtown location with designer rooms, private bath,Direct TV with 8 compmovie channels, comp 24hr fitnesscenter, breakfast buffet. Alexander Inn, Spruce at 12th St.

Toll Free (877)ALEXINN www.alexanderinn.com

PENNSYLVANIA