Breakaway Destination Guides (International)

The Victoria Falls constitutes one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. The Local people call it "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - the smoke that thunders and the Falls are remarkable.

Victoria Falls are a spectacular natural phenomenon

On the Zambezi River bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe 18km (11miles) south of Livingstone

'Mosi-oa-Tunya' the 'Smoke that Thunders' or 'the greatest known curtain of falling water'

Take a flight across these magnificent thundering waterfalls in a biplane or helicopter or white-water raft them.

Various adrenaline sports are offered in the area by the adventure centre of South Africa

The Victoria Falls constitutes one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. The Local people call it "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - 'The smoke that thunders' and the Falls are remarkable. There is a magic about them manifested in the towering column of spray when the river is high, the thunder of the falling water, the terrifying abyss and tranquil lagoons upstream in which hippo and deadly crocodiles lurk.

The Victoria falls is 1 708 meters wide, making it the largest curtain of water in the world. It drops between 90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge and an average of 550,000 cubic metres of water plummet over the edge every minute. Once the river has taken its plunge, things change. For those with the courage, the rapids immediately downstream offer some of the most terrifying white water rafting and river boarding anywhere in the world - the Colorado pales by comparison.

Remarkably preserved in its natural state, Victoria falls inspires visitors as much today as it did David Livingstone in the 1860's. The falls and the surrounding area have been declared a National Park and a World Heritage Site, thus preserving the area from excessive commercialisation. The Falls are spectacular throughout the year, but February onwards, after the rain season, has the heaviest flow and volume of spray.

The falls after a long drought and the falls in full flood

In November 1855, David Livingstone, a missionary from Scotland, arrived at the falls with members of the Makalolo tribe in a canoe and he named the location after his queen, Victoria. Livingstone reported the existence of the Falls to the outside world in 1860. The result was immediate and from that point, the number of foreign visitors rose steadily. People walked, rode on horseback or travelled by ox-wagon from the Transvaal along what was then called the Hunters Road (now the border between Botswana and Zimbabwe) and on reaching George Westbeech's store at Pandamatenga left their animals there, safe from the lethal bite of the tsetse fly, and walked the remaining 80 kilometres, due north to the Falls.

Rainbow over Victoria Falls

The list of organised, commercial activities has expanded dramatically. Visitors can kayak, canoe, fish, go on guided walking safaris, ride on horseback, lunch on Livingstone's Island and in addition to the well-known "Flight of Angels", for the more adventurous there is microlighting with stunning views of the Falls.

The entrance fee to the park is currently around US$10. Be prepared to get wet when you visit the Falls. Take precautions to cover your camera gear and valuables as well as wearing appropriate clothing. Along the rim of the Falls, a network of surfaced paths, laid down to limit damage to the fragile rainforest ecosystem around the falls, leads to a series of unobstructed viewpoints. One of the most dramatic is Cataract View, the westernmost point of the park, at the bottom of a steep stairway.

At Danger Point, there is an amazing view into the First Zambezi Gorge, but terraces of soaking and slippery moss-covered rocks and a sheer, unfenced 300-ft drop-off are precarious at best. You can follow a side path to the gracefully beautiful Zambezi Bridge which connects Zimbabwe with Zambia. The bungee jumping tourists can be viewed from this vantage.

While walking through the rainforest, take note of all the local flora, including ebony, ferns, and a variety of lianas and flowering plants. Also keep watch for the 'Chobe Bushbuck', a small antelope which is common here and browses right up to the lip of the gorge.

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