Victoria Falls is one of the world's most outstanding natural attractions. It sits in the exalted company of the Grand Canyon (US), Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and Mount Everest (Nepal) in the ratings of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. The magnificent, awe-inspiring spectacle arises as the mighty Zambezi River spreads over nearly 2 km and then plunges into a narrow chasm 120 metres below.
Victoria Falls is the world's largest curtain of falling water. It gives rise to a ferocious torrent of mist and thunder. The mist can rise to a height above 1.5 km, and can be seen from up to 40 km away. When the Zambezi is in full flood- around February and March, the flow over the falls exceeds 8 million litres of water per second.
The Kololo people called the falls Mosi-Oa-Tunya - 'The Smoke that Thunders'. The western world first heard of the falls in 1855 from David Livingstone - the Scottish missionary and explorer. The spellbound explorer reported: "No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight". He named the falls after Queen Victoria, then England's monarch.
Many others after Livingstone have been equally fascinated. Jumbo Williams in the book "Zambezi, River of Africa" (1988), writes: "The first impression was unmistakable, immense power, the raw edge unleashed with the entire Zambezi leaps wildly into a black 2 kilometer wide abyss. The scale is massive, the spectacle spellbinding and perpetually changing. The falls hiss and roar as if possessed, they rumble and crash like thunder. Vast clouds spew and billow out from the seething cauldron of its dark impenetrable depths."
The Zambezi River is 2,574 km long, making it Africa's forth-longest river. It has its sources in Zambia and before reaching the Indian Ocean in Mozambique, flows through Angola along the Namibia border, Zimbabwe and Botswana. The Victoria Falls are located on the Zambia- Zimbabwe border and is the marker between the upper and middle Zambezi.
Before reaching the falls, the Zambezi flows along a flat basalt bed in a valley punctuated by low sandstone hills. Along the river's course are numerous islands, which increase as the river approaches the precipice. At that point, the falls is not continuous, but is broken into four parts by islands. Below the falls, the mighty waters collect in a narrow channel 30 m wide for 120 m and then emerge into a network of zigzag gorges that run for 80 km.
Victoria Falls is found within Mosi- Oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and Victoria National Park in Zimbabwe. It is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two parks are small- Mosi-oa-Tunya is 66 sq km, while its Zimbabwean kin is only 23 sq km. Nature in the area is varied and rich. Numerous antelope species, zebras, giraffes, and hippos can be found here. Mosi-oa-Tunya is home to Zambia's only surving rhino.
There are also several herds of elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, klipspringer, vervet monkey, baboon and the occasional lion and leopard. The upstream and downstream sides of the falls each hosts distinct fish fauna. In the waters below the falls, the fish species count is 39, while upstream it is 84. Some of the fish species are endemic to the Zambezi.
There is an excavation site above the falls with stone artifacts used by early hominids that lived in the area more than 3 million years ago. There are also weapons and tools that point to hunter-gatherer communities living here as far back as 10,000 years ago. You can also visit Mukunu village, an authentic tribal village that is home to thousands of people. If you visit in July, you will witness the locals performing the colorful lwiindi ceremony where they sacrifice to the spirits of their forefathers and ask for rain. They believe that the ancestors still repose at the falls and have acquired such power after death.
Across the falls is a basalt wall of the same height as the falls that is capped by a mist-soaked rain- forest. You can discover the rainforest on foot. Visitors can get good sightings of the falls, as there is a pathway along the edge of the forest. You also have the most wonderful views of the falls from the Victoria Falls Bridge, just after the first gorge.
Victoria Falls Bridge was completed in 1905 and was the brainchild of Cecil Rhodes- the South African financier and politician. Rhodes actually never saw the falls, but in his imagination, his desire was "the railway should cross the Zambezi just below the Victoria Falls. I should like to have the spray of the falls on the train carriages". The bridge today facilitates an unsurpassed 111-metre bungee jump.
Victoria Falls is one of the highlights in the southern African region. You can conveniently combine a tour of the falls with a trip in Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe or Namibia. Taking into account ease of connections and quality of experience, combining a South African or Botswana safari with Victoria Falls is recommended. Most people stay over at the falls for 2 or 3 nights, except for adventure travelers who have so much to do.
There are a myriad of things to see once at Victoria Falls. Activities include rafting, canoeing, elephant back trails, game safari, helicopter flights in Zambia and lion walks in Zimbabwe. Upstream of the Zambezi, you can go on a "sundowner" cruise while watching wildlife. You can also take a Livingstone Tour, which includes a museum visit to appraise yourself on the history and culture of the area. Afterwards, take the Victoria Falls Safari Express, which is a short steam train excursion from Livingstone station.
Victoria Falls has in recent years developed into a centre for extreme sports and adventure travel. At the Batoka Gorge, you can experience 23 white water rapids, within the high and hard basalt walls. For this incomparable thrill, you go over the rapids in large rubber rafts. Most visitors take the half-day, full day or two-day option. But hardened adventurers go for a weeklong ride to the mouth of Lake Kariba. To go over all the rapids, you need to go between June and February. The rest of the year water levels are high and you can only do the last thirteen.
For a rush of adrenaline, take a helicopter flip over the falls or down the Batoka Gorge. But no extreme sports lover will leave without taking the world- renowned bungee jump at the Victoria Falls Bridge. The jump is taken in the no-mans land between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
You can undertake river boarding to experience some of the best fresh water surfing you will ever encounter. There are also opportunities for kayaking and jet boating. At the high walls of the Batoka Gorge, more thrills can be experienced by way of abseiling, cable swinging, gorge swinging and rap jumping.
The most stunning views of the falls are from air. There are micro flights featuring open cockpits that enable game- viewing upstream of the falls over Mosi- oa- Tunya Park or an aerial perspective of the rapids through the Batoka Gorge. Another aerial option commonly referred to as the "Flight of the Angels" is conducted using light aircraft. With the angels, you will experience splendid views of Zambezi, the tremendous spray, and the winding gorges curved by the awesome power of the falls. In addition, you can take a flight in a tethered balloon.
There are several hotels and lodges in the Victoria Falls area to suit the taste and budget of most travelers. Some hotels give you great views of the falls, while others show off mighty Zambezi winding its way through the gorges. There is also accommodation for campers and backpackers. Wherever you room, you can be able to arrange for excursions in the Victoria Falls area.
Victoria Falls is easily accessible from all the major travel hubs in Africa. By air, you land at Livingstone Airport in Zambia, Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe or at Kasane Airport in Botswana. From Johannesburg you can catch any of the five daily flights.
The climate in the area is hot and dry from September to October, while November to March is hot and wet. It is advisable to go around April to May and August to September, when the weather is mild with little or no rain. River conditions depend on predictable fluctuation in water levels. The Zambezi is in full flood around February and March.
On safari, appropriate clothing is advised. Light cottons will go well with the high daytime temperatures and heavier garments for the nights. Sunglasses and sunscreen will come in handy as protection from the scorching sun. Do not forget to pack cameras and camcorders to capture images of one of nature's masterpieces.
