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| Victoria Falls | . | .. | .. |
| Victoria Falls - Mosi-oa-Tunya - The smoke that thunders | |
| Situated an hour’s flight from Harare, in the north-west part of the country, the Victoria Falls are the largest and most beautiful waterfalls in the world. Here the smooth-flowing Zambezi River suddenly changes character to plunge headlong into a sheer-sided chasm over 100m deep and 1 688m wide. |  |
| The resulting spectacle is that of the biggest curtain of falling water in the world which rolls itself out in a continuous motion of thundering water and rising spray. The force of the falling water - 545 million litres per minute in the flood season sends spray clouds spinning high into the sky. These clouds of spray, which often reach heights of over 500m, give rise to the local name for Victoria Falls - Mosi-oa-Tunya - the smoke that thunders. |  |
| Local Africans took Dr. David Livingstone,
the famous explorer and missionary, to see these mighty falls on 16th November
1855, which he named after Queen Victoria. Today a large bronze statue
is opposite Livingstone Island where the great explorer first saw the falls
and where he was moved to say – “Scenes so lovely must have been gazed
upon by angels in their flight”.
Five separate falls make up this mighty spectacle: Devils Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls and Eastern Cataract. The lowest is 61m and highest 108m. The area surrounding the falls is known as the Rain Forest created by the perpetual spray. Paths, carefully blended with their surroundings, have been laid through the forest and lead to view-points poised at suitable intervals on the lip of the gorge. Collectively, they provide an uninterrupted range of views of the Falls from one end to the other. Starting from the western end, a series of steps lead down into the heart of the gorge beside Devil’s Cataract. From here it is possible to look along the line of the Main Falls past Cataract Island. Just to the east of Main Falls is Livingstone Island, from where the great explorer first saw the Falls. Beyond this is a narrow crescent-shaped fall named Horseshoe, followed by the tallest of all the cataracts, the Rainbow Falls. For the best overall view of the Falls, experience the “Flight of Angels” - an aerial tour over the chasm by light aircraft. In Victoria Falls the town itself, is the Craft Village, depicting several traditional Zimbabwean villages, and shops offering a variety of local products to take away as souvenirs of an unforgettable visit. Extending along the Zambezi River west of Victoria Falls is a National Park where tour operators conduct regular game viewing trips. The park is especially well-known for it’s herds of sable antelope. A sight not to be missed in Victoria Falls is the Big Tree, a giant Baobab 16m high and estimated to be between 1 000 and 1 500 years old. At the Crocodile Ranch, a visitor may see over 2 000 live reptiles of all sizes. There are a variety of activities that one can undertake while staying at the Falls. These include White Water Rafting or River-boarding down the rapids of the Zambezi with a professional guide, Upper Zambezi canoeing Safaris, game drives, the Sundowner Cruise, Bungi Jumping (111 meters of sheer adrenaline rush) and there is also colourful traditional dancing called the African Spectacular every evening at the Craft Village. |
Africa Adventure provides tour info for traveller and tourist visiting Zimbabwe. Information including air fares, hotels, map, art, lodging, travel agents. Visit Victoria falls for exciting adventure such as canoeing, bungi jumping also visit harare safari.
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