Victoria Falls
Described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ - ‘the Smoke that Thunders’ and in more modern terms as ‘the greatest known curtain of falling water’, Victoria Falls - one of the seven natural wonders of the world - are a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, bordering Zimbabwe and Zambia.
For many years, Victoria Falls has captured the hearts, minds and adventurous spirits of people the world over. It was David Livingstone who, after that now famous entry in this diary - “On sights as beautiful as this Angels in their flight must have gazed” - claimed it for the British crown and named it after his Queen.
From many kilometres away you can see the plume of spray rising into the air and hear the roar of the water, as the Zambezi River plummets over 100 metres down a huge chasm, in a waterfall almost two kilometres wide. The wide basalt cliff, over which the Falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a wide placid river to a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges.
Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor who is prepared to brave the tremendous spray with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls. One special vantage point is across the Knife Edge Bridge, where visitors can enjoy excellent views of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls. In the dry season it is possible to take a walk along the lip of the Falls. At low water visitors can even walk across to Livingstone Island, the place where David Livingstone had his first glimpse of the Falls. This is surely one of the most magnificent views in Africa.
The volume of water that flows over the Falls varies considerably. At its lowest, between late October and early November, as little as 20,000 cubic metres of water a minute flow into the gorge below. But when the rains are heavy, the flow increases swiftly and dramatically. Between February and May, when the Falls are at their most spectacular, more than 500,000 cubic metres of water a minute cascade over the edge.
In April and May, the peak of the flood season, the six falls, Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, Armchair Falls and the Eastern Cataract - form the largest curtain of falling water in the world. At this time of year, visibility from the Zimbabwean side is reduced due to the high level of spray. In the dry season, however, between September and November, almost no water plunges over the Rainbow and Armchair Falls or the Eastern Cataract on the Zambian side.
There are many different activities based around the Falls, including the ‘Flight of Angels’, a short flight over the Falls in a small plane, helicopter or microlight. White-water rafting is run from the ‘Boiling Pot’ downstream of the Falls, through a sequence of rapids. This provides a great opportunity to see Verreaux’s eagle and the African fish eagle, taita falcon, augur buzzard and rock pratincoles. Also on offer are bungee jumps from the bridge that spans the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, boat trips, elephant rides and the popular gorge swing. Game drives in Livingstone National Park are possible, where sightings might include white rhino, Thornicroft’s giraffe, elephant, buffalo, kudu and hippo amongst others.
Lower Zambezi National Park
Situated on the banks of the Zambezi River in the south-eastern part of Zambia, the Lower Zambezi National Park covers an area of 4,092 square kilometres.
This is Zambia’s newest Park and as such is still relatively undeveloped, but its beauty lies in its absolute wilderness state. The Park lies opposite the famous Mana Pools National Park, a World Heritage Site in Zimbabwe, which ensures that a very large area of the valley is devoted to wildlife. Much of the larger game, notably elephant and buffalo, cross the river regularly.
The Lower Zambezi National Park contains varied and picturesque scenery, combining a river frontage of about 120km, with its numerous islands, lagoons and floodplains, the rift valley itself and the rugged Zambezi escarpment to the north.
The Lower Zambezi supports all the big game you would expect, with the exception of rhino, giraffe and cheetah. Enormous herds of elephant, some up to 100 strong, are often seen at the river’s edge. Buffalo are also very common and can be seen grazing on the islands in the middle of the river. Lion, leopard and spotted hyena are the major predators plus an increasing number of wild dog. Antelope species are dominated by large herds of impala, but good populations of kudu, eland, waterbuck, bushbuck and zebra also occur. Prolific numbers of hippos and crocodiles are always present in the river.
The bird life along the riverbanks is exceptional, with over 350 species recorded in the valley. Fish eagles can be seen and heard for miles around. A wide variety of water-loving birds are to be found by the river, including pied, giant, woodland, malachite and brown-hooded kingfisher. Darters, cormorants, egrets and storks are common, whilst less common residents include ospreys, spoonbills and African skimmers. Nesting along the cliffs are white fronted and carmine bee eaters. Other residents are the red winged pratincole, crested guinea fowl, Verreaux’s eagle, and vast swarms of quelea. In summer the stunning Narina’s trogon makes its home here. Other specialities are the trumpeter hornbill, Meyer's parrot and Lilian's lovebird.
South Luangwa National Park
The Luangwa Valley, which marks the end of the Great Rift Valley, is one of
the last unspoilt wilderness areas and possibly the finest wildlife sanctuary in Africa. South Luangwa National Park covers an area of over 9,000 square kilometres through which the meandering Luangwa River runs.
The Luangwa River is the most intact major river system in Africa and is the life blood of the Park, with the concentration of game around the river and its ox bow lagoons amongst the highest in Africa. The changing seasons add to the Park’s richness ranging from dry, bare bushveld in the winter to a lush green wonderland in the summer months. Walking safaris were pioneered in this Park and are still one of the finest ways to experience this pristine wilderness.
South Luangwa hosts a wide variety of wildlife and vegetation with 60 animal species recorded. The only notable exception is the rhino, sadly poached to extinction. The Park is well-known for its huge herds of elephant and buffalo, often hundreds of animals strong, along with its high population of leopard which are commonly seen on night drives. Specialities of the area include the beautiful Thornicroft’s giraffe, Cookson’s wildebeest and Crawshay’s zebra.
The Luangwa Valley has one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa, estimated to be at least 50 per kilometre of river. The winding Luangwa River also has an extraordinarily high number of crocodiles and it is not uncommon to see several basking on the riverbanks or even floating down the river tearing at a dead animal.
Night drives are fascinating in the Luangwa. Not only for the chance of seeing a leopard but for the many interesting animals that only come to life at night such as genets, civets, servals, hyenas and bushbabies as well as owls, nightjars, the foraging hippos, honey badgers and lion.
Birdwatching is also superb with over 420 bird species recorded. Near the end of the dry season, when the river and oxbow lagoons begin to recede, hundreds of large waterbirds can be seen wading through the shallows, including pelicans, saddle-billed and marabou storks, great white egret, black- headed and goliath herons and open-billed storks. Of the most beautiful are the elegant crowned cranes with their golden tufts, which congregate in large flocks at the salt pans. At about the same time, just before the rains start in November, the migrants arrive to exploit the feeding opportunities that the warm rainy season brings. These include the red-chested cuckoo, white storks, European swallows, swifts, hobbies and bee-eaters, as well as birds of prey such as the Steppe eagles and Steppe buzzards. A special sight is the hundreds of brightly coloured carmine bee-eaters nesting in the steep sandy banks of the river. One of the birding highlights of South Luangwa is the impressive breeding colonies of yellow-billed storks in the Nsefu Sector.
|
 |
|
