Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE SAFARIS AND VICTORIA FALLS:

Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall around making it one of the world’s “Seven Natural Wonders”! Victoria Falls is one of the highest, widest and most powerful waterfall, especially in the winter months when the river is full! In the 1800’s Victoria Falls was described by the nearby Kololo as 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' which means "the Smoke that Thunders"- illustrating the powerful forces of Victoria Falls!

David Livingstone is believed to be the first explorer to have discovered Victoria Falls; in 1860 he spread the word about his travels to Victoria Falls. With so much enthusiasm and passion about Victoria Falls the area became a popular tourist attraction (especially on the Zimbabwean side). Today, Victoria Falls is a still a popular holiday destination for honeymooners, families and couples…

Victoria Falls has been called "the greatest known curtain of falling water" - and it is a truly spectacular site to see. Victoria Falls borders on Zambia and Zimbabwe, and can be viewed from vast distances from both sides. Columns of spray can be felt from miles away as 546 million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge (at the height of the flood season) over a width of nearly 2 km (1708 m) into a deep gorge - over 100 meters below. The spray flowing above the falls at Victoria Falls can sometimes be seen over 5 km away!

Victoria Falls thunders over the wide basalt cliff, and transform the Zambezi River from a wide placid river to a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges. Another sheer wall of basalt faces Victoria Falls, and rises to the same height. This creates a virtual 'rain forest' as the mist gathers to drench the surrounding trees and vegetation. On the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls lies a protected National Park that is home to the lushest vegetation as well as numerous safari animals, such as: elephants, buffalos, giraffes, zebras and antelope as well as many crocodiles and hippos living in the upstream areas of the Zambezi River. This Zimbabwean National Park is located 23.4 km in the north western part of Zimbabwe and covers a large part of the Zambezi River. This part of Victoria Falls is found in the Zambezi National Park and is characterised by a flourishing rainforest with palms, liana vines and magnificent trees.

Along the edge of the Victoria Falls forest is a path, which provides an inspiring vantage point, for those who brave the tremendous spray. Another impressive view is from across the Knife Edge Bridge, where visitors can see the main part of Victoria Falls, as well as the Eastern Cataract and the Boiling Pot - where the Zambezi River turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the Falls Bridge and the Lookout Tree, both of which provide amazing panoramic scenes across Victoria Falls. Most travellers, after viewing Victoria Falls from both sides, love the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls more – they all say the views are more spectacular and the forest is more vibrant!

Of the many things to see and do in this beautiful area, we recommend the following activities: white water rafting, bungee jumping, canoeing, abseiling, river boarding, horseback riding, tandem kayaking, micro lighting, jet boating, river safaris and elephant back rides. There are many hikes and casual walks around Victoria Falls, where visitors can appreciate the scenery and culture of this beautiful region.

The Victoria Falls Museum, and the Mosi O Tunya National Park are worth seeing - who can forget the local craft markets - where the curios are locally made and crafted with meticulous artistry. Victoria Falls has the most beautiful weather all year round, with most days containing 8 hours of sunshine! During summer (November to March) the weather can become unpredictable; the rainy months bring the most water to the falls making Victoria Falls even more magnificent. Victoria Falls has the least amount of water flow in November and the most around July and the weather is the best over the early months in the year!

Have a look at our Zimbabwe safaris that include the magnificent Victoria Falls. There are also other Zimbabwe attractions below that you might want to visit on your Zimbabwe Safari.

• Eastern Highlands
• Great Zimbabwe
• Wild Dog Research Station
• Matusadona National Park
• Mtarazi Falls
• Mutare
• Pungwe Falls
• Nyanga
• Save Valley Conservancy
• Rhodes Grave
• Bulawayo
• Bvumba Mountains
• Chimanimani Mountain
• Chinhoyi
• Harare
• Hwange National Park
• Lake at Great Zim Mutirikwi
• Matobo National Park & Matopos Hills
• Lower Zambezi National Park
• Masvingo
• Mana Pools
• Lake Kariba
• Chizarira Area