Majestic beauty and power, incessant hum for a second, a million splashes forming a cloud of steam and fog, a sense of danger when standing on the edge, and a dazzling rainbow above all this grandeur — this is exactly the picture you can observe at Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world.
In the local dialect, the waterfall has two names at once — Mosi-oa-Tunya, which translates as “thundering smoke”, and Chongue, which means “place of the rainbow”. In general, both names accurately characterize the waterfall.
It is located on the Zambezi River, which flows on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. It was discovered by Englishman David Livingston, who quite rightly called the waterfall the most wonderful sight in Africa, and later gave it the name of his queen.
Almost along its entire length, the Zambezi is a calm river, but its character changes dramatically when, quite unexpectedly, the basalt plateau along which it flows breaks, and the river rapidly falls down from the height of the cliff, dividing into several streams. And the height there is really rather big — 108 meters, which is a lot for waterfalls of this width. Opposite the waterfall rises another basalt cliff, completely covered with tropical forest.
When to watch
The speed and strength of the waterfall flow varies depending on the time of year and season. In spring, when the water level in the Zambezi rises, the stream becomes mighty, fast and impetuous. During the period of drought, the temper of the waterfall becomes more meek, the islands on the river and along the edge of the cliff are exposed. So you can choose how you want to see it and come at this time of the year.
Viewing platforms
It is possible to view the waterfall from several points. One of the most successful viewing points is on the bridge, which is called the “Knife Blade” — here you can see the East Stream, the Main Waterfall and the Boiling Cauldron, a stormy place where the river turns and goes down into the Batoka Gorge.
There are no less convenient places on the railway bridge spanning the waterfall, and at the “Observation Tree”. Here you can fully appreciate the Main Waterfall in all its terrible beauty and look into its boiling emptiness.
The functions of Victoria Falls, however, are not limited to just delighting the eyes of millions of tourists, it also has a practical application — to supply energy to many cities in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The most unforgettable impressions can be obtained, of course, only by seeing the entire waterfall completely. Unfortunately, this cannot be done from a ground platform, but if you are not too limited in funds, you can resort to the help of many local companies offering excursions to the waterfall by helicopters, paragliders and small private planes. The route of such excursions, as a rule, runs along the river and, in addition to Victoria, opens up many other local beauties. Just be careful, you won’t have much time to look at the waterfall.
Victoria Falls Museum
In the waterfall area, not far from the parking lot, where tourists and travelers are brought, there is a museum dedicated to the history of the waterfall. The museum’s exposition tells about how the waterfall has changed over its thousand-year history, how the water has gnawed through and continues to gnaw through new areas in the soft and malleable rock for itself.
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
Once near the waterfall, be sure to visit the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Thundering Smoke), its area is small, but here you can see a large number of local animals — antelopes, zebras, giraffes, rhinos. The animals here are extremely peaceful and not timid, since there are no predators here. On the Zimbabwe side there is another natural park, “Victoria Falls”.
In the waterfall area, not far from the parking lot, where tourists and travelers are brought, there is a museum dedicated to the history of the waterfall.
Entertainment and excursions
During your stay at the waterfall, you can make other absolutely unforgettable excursions — for example, a canoe or rubber raft descent, a boat trip on the Zambezi River, a jeep safari in a national park or a horse ride, and if as a child you were always interested in what it’s like to ride an elephant, here you will have a great opportunity to find out everything on your own experience.
For fans of adrenaline therapy, there is another great entertainment here — bungee jumping. Just imagine this mind-blowing jump from the highest point of the waterfall on a rubber rope… Scary, but definitely worth a try.
Well, at the end of the trip, you can buy souvenirs for your friends who stayed at home. It will be more convenient to do this in the village of Mikuni located near the waterfall. For a complete list of hotels (both in Zambia and Zimbabwe) near the waterfall, see the Victoria Falls Hotels page.