FREE falling at Victoria Falls, whizzing at crazy speeds on a zip line and drinking a sundowner on a cruise. This is what great holiday memories are made of.

A recent getaway to neighbouring Botswana and Zimbabwe ticked all the right boxes for this travel neophyte - fun, adventure, tranquillity and something close to a religious experience.

It was a perfect four-day minibreak that started off with a flight from Joburg to Kasane Airport in Botswana, a country famed for its wildlife safaris.

We spent our first afternoon on a game drive in Chobe National Park. Being a person who is more comfortable in the concrete jungle than with vast expanses of red earth and green trees, I was taken aback by the beauty of the animals and the views.

It was dry, so we were able to see through bush and let our eyes drink in as many animals as possible. There were lazy lumbering elephants, graceful grazing giraffes, sprinting squirrels, Zen zebras and more. There were Kodak moments galore, but as a city slicker with little interest in wildlife, the best moment for me had to be the sundowners surrounded by curious giraffe. That's what I call a safari.

The next day we were up and ready for a 70km drive across the border to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The drive was refreshing and the grassy expanse resembled some kind of Out of Africa travelogue.

Arriving at Vic Falls and going for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi was the highlight of my trip.

Look, I have seen many sunsets in my life, but nothing compares. The hot German tourists were a bonus.

The boat comes complete with serene ambience, offering a state of complete shutdown from the outside world.

The Zambezi Explorer boasts three five-star decks, flowing canapés, pink drinks and scenery that stars hippos, crocodiles and bathing elephants. It was magical.

The next day was designed for die-hard adventurers, which I am (depending on the challenge). We did a nine-swing zip line (foefie slide), which I loved.

The swing drops in a zigzag pattern - you start at the top of the gorge and finish right at the bottom, meaning you have to hike about 2km back uphill in scorching heat.

But it was the 70m free fall from the Victoria Falls gorge swing that had me feeling like a superhero.

A harness is attached to your middle and you are dropped down the rocky gorge towards the crocodile-infested Zambezi. The fall feels like an hour, but the whole thing is over in 2.5 seconds.

You're then left suspended in the air for five minutes to take in the surroundings. It's an unbelievable experience.

But the best was yet to come. On the last morning before we left for Joburg, we made the trip to the falls. Nothing prepares you for such splendour.

They have been called the mighty Victoria Falls, but they are beyond mighty. Standing on that bridge and being soaked by the spray is a spiritual encounter. This is something everyone has to experience at least once.

And to think, it's closer to Joburg than Cape Town.

• Khumalo travelled as a guest of Take Note Reputation Management.