The Victoria Falls
The mighty Zambezi River is home to the Victoria Falls – the greatest waterfall in the world, in terms of overall size, and volume of water. The Zambezi forms the border between Zimbabwe’s town of Victoria Falls and Zambia’s town of Livingstone.
The Victoria Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world, and when in full flow, is both mesmerising and frightening. The sound from the sheer volume of water makes conversation impossible, and although there may not be a cloud in the sky, you need to have a good rain coat in order not to get soaked!
Aptly named the Smoke that Thunders by local people (Mosi-oa-Tunya), the Victoria Falls is an incredible site, whether viewed from the Zimbabwean or Zambian sides. Indeed, you should always try to cross the border, in order to enjoy the view from both sides of the Zambezi.The Falls themselves are some 1.7 kilometres wide, and 108 metres deep. That said, the flow of water is seasonal, and from October, there is very little water flowing – which gives you a much better idea of the geology, and allows for more exploration of the area.
Victoria Falls actually has five different waterfalls. Four of these are in Zimbabwe: Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls and Horseshoe Falls; the other, the Eastern Cataract, is in Zambia, but is fully visible from the Boiling pot viewing station. The Victoria Falls is approximately twice the height of Niagara Falls on the Canadian-US border, and its thunderous roar can be heard for many kilometres around it (at high water). The force of water drives a column of spray into the air, drenching the Falls in a mist that is sometimes fine and sometimes fairly heavy.
Both the towns of Victoria Falls and Livingstone offer a good, and diverse, selection of accommodation. You can choose from hotels in town, or some wonderful Lodges set along the Zambezi itself, or in private wildlife areas.
Whichever accommodation you choose, once you are in Vic Falls or Livingstone, you have a wide variety of activities and experiences to choose from. Enjoy the best one day White Water Rafting in the world; launch yourself of the bridge which spans the Zambezi in a crazy bungee jump; enjoy a leisurely sun downer on the Zambezi River, while watching out for hippo; finish your day with an excellent meal in one of the local restaurants. You are guaranteed to go home with some extraordinary memories and photographs!
The Victoria Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world, and when in full flow, is both mesmerising and frightening. The sound from the sheer volume of water makes conversation impossible, and although there may not be a cloud in the sky, you need to have a good rain coat in order not to get soaked!
Aptly named the Smoke that Thunders by local people (Mosi-oa-Tunya), the Victoria Falls is an incredible site, whether viewed from the Zimbabwean or Zambian sides. Indeed, you should always try to cross the border, in order to enjoy the view from both sides of the Zambezi.The Falls themselves are some 1.7 kilometres wide, and 108 metres deep. That said, the flow of water is seasonal, and from October, there is very little water flowing – which gives you a much better idea of the geology, and allows for more exploration of the area.
Victoria Falls actually has five different waterfalls. Four of these are in Zimbabwe: Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls and Horseshoe Falls; the other, the Eastern Cataract, is in Zambia, but is fully visible from the Boiling pot viewing station. The Victoria Falls is approximately twice the height of Niagara Falls on the Canadian-US border, and its thunderous roar can be heard for many kilometres around it (at high water). The force of water drives a column of spray into the air, drenching the Falls in a mist that is sometimes fine and sometimes fairly heavy.
Both the towns of Victoria Falls and Livingstone offer a good, and diverse, selection of accommodation. You can choose from hotels in town, or some wonderful Lodges set along the Zambezi itself, or in private wildlife areas.
Whichever accommodation you choose, once you are in Vic Falls or Livingstone, you have a wide variety of activities and experiences to choose from. Enjoy the best one day White Water Rafting in the world; launch yourself of the bridge which spans the Zambezi in a crazy bungee jump; enjoy a leisurely sun downer on the Zambezi River, while watching out for hippo; finish your day with an excellent meal in one of the local restaurants. You are guaranteed to go home with some extraordinary memories and photographs!
