Victoria Falls
Described by the Kololo tribe, who lived in the area in the 1800’s, as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ or ‘the Smoke that Thunders’, the 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.
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.
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 - “scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight” - claimed it for the British crown and named it after his Queen.
The Falls and the surrounding rainforest have been preserved as a national park, ensuring that they remain virtually as they were when Livingstone first saw them in 1855. Although small in size, the unique nature sanctuary that overlooks the Falls is rich in wildlife, bird life and botanical glories and is a tranquil setting from which to view the cascades of water thundering over the cliff. The spray can be considerable, so protect your camera and take a raincoat.
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. The Falls are at their most spectacular between February and May, when 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. In addition to an adrenalin kick, rafting 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.
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Victoria Falls