The Victoria Falls is known locally as "Mosi-Oa-Tunya" which means the smoke that thunders. It offers some of the most breathtaking and magical sights in the world: a soaring spray, waters thundering down a terrifying gorge and peaceful lagoons upstream where hippos stretch out and deadly crocodiles lie in wait. To enjoy all that is on offer at this well known location, book your stay in one of the Victoria Falls hotels so as not to miss anything.
The Victoria Falls, with a width of 1708 metres, is the biggest water curtain of the world. It falls down the Zambezi Gorge from a height of between 90 metres and 107 metres. An awesome 5, 50,000 cubic metres of water plunge down each minute.
The Falls and surrounding areas have been classified as a World Heritage Site and National Parks, respectively. This has protected the region from the ravages of commercialisation and its natural beauty has been preserved well. The Falls continue to inspire thousands of tourists just as they inspired David Livingstone in the eighteen sixties.The Victoria Falls are magnificent throughout the year but the volume of spray and flow of water is the heaviest from February onwards, just after the monsoons and book your Victoria Falls hotel around this time if you are after the big rush of water
There are a number of things to see and do in and around Victoria Falls as well as a variety of places to stay. You can get a scintillating bird's eye view of the waterfalls, the Zambezi River and its numerous islands, from the helicopter that takes you on a ‘Flight of the Angels'. If you are adventurous, then you can fly in a micro light aircraft with an open cockpit!
The wild rapids under the Victoria Falls are one of the best in the world for river rafting. Then there are canoe and kayak rides, horse ride safaris, walking safaris with guides, all this with a lunch buffet on Livingstone island. Anglers can also try their luck in the rivers.
The Falls lie across Zambia and Zimbabwe. The two countries are linked to each other by the hundred year old bridge that spans the Zambezi River. There are beautiful riverside lodges on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River.
The Victoria Falls is known as the 'Adventure capital of Africa' and the thrill seekers will feel like they've reached heaven. There is a variety of adrenaline pumping sports like micro light flying, tandem sky diving and white water rafting down the frightening rapids of the Zambezi River. The ultimate in adventure is the bungee jump off the famous Victoria Falls Bridge. Nothing can be as thrilling as jumping down 360 feet (111 metres) and dangling in mid air over the raging Zambezi River!
For the sedate and the sober, there are the laid back sundowner cruises down the river, where you can relax with a gin and tonic and spot crocodiles, hippos and rare colourful birds as the boat glides on. To be able to enjoy all these activities, the best thing to do is book your hotel in Victoria Falls close enough to it all and use our map of Victoria Falls when making the selection.
While the Falls remain the main draw, there are interesting short game drives along the Zambezi River inside the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. If you are alert, you can spot rhinos, elephants, elands, zebras, sable and buffaloes. There are numerous ways to experience Victoria Falls but one that might make things easier for you without having to go around looking for the best way is by taking a Victoria Falls tour which our local connection has carefully selected for your enjoyment.
The River gets flooded between February and May, peaking sometime in April. During this period, the spray of the waterfall scales a height of almost 1300 feet and sometimes touches even double this height. The Falls are visible from a distance of around 30 miles (50 kilometres). The cliffs opposite the waterfall have rain and are enveloped in mist and it is quite impossible to see either the foot or the frontage of the waterfall. At the Knife Edge Bridge on the Zambian side, the spray looks like rain in the opposite direction as it shoots up.
The town of Victoria Falls is affectionately called 'Vic Falls' by inhabitants and visitors alike. It lies at a distance of just one kilometre away from the Falls, inside the Victoria Falls National Park.
The town still retains its rural atmosphere. Everything revolves around the commercial quarter of the town, where you can find Victoria Falls tour operators who are there to help cater to your needs and for the lovers of a keepsake there are souvenir shops and an African curio market. There are also numerous restaurants in Victoria Falls for the tourists who feel like tasting the local food. While here you also need a nice place to be able to rest after a day out and you can do this in one of the Victoria Falls hotels, safari lodges, and there are even a variety of campsites catering to the backpackers and the budget travellers.
[more info]
