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1. Victoria
Falls - Delight of the Angels
Victoria Falls is one of the world's
most outstanding natural attractions. It sits in the
exalted company of the Grand Canyon (US), Great Barrier
Reef (Australia) and Mount Everest (Nepal) in the ratings
of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. The magnificent,
awe-inspiring spectacle arises as the mighty Zambezi
River spreads over nearly 2 km and then plunges into
a narrow chasm 120 metres below.
Victoria Falls is the world's largest
curtain of falling water. It gives rise to a ferocious
torrent of mist and thunder. The mist can rise to a
height above 1.5 km, and can be seen from up to 40 km
away. When the Zambezi is in full flood- around February
and March, the flow over the falls exceeds 8 million
litres of water per second.
The Kololo people called the falls Mosi-Oa-Tunya
- 'The Smoke that Thunders'. The western world first
heard of the falls in 1855 from David Livingstone -
the Scottish missionary and explorer. The spellbound
explorer reported: "No one can imagine the beauty
of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had
never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes
so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their
flight". He named the falls after Queen Victoria,
then England's monarch.
Many others after Livingstone have been
equally fascinated. Jumbo Williams in the book "Zambezi,
River of Africa" (1988), writes: "The first
impression was unmistakable, immense power, the raw
edge unleashed with the entire Zambezi leaps wildly
into a black 2 kilometer wide abyss. The scale is massive,
the spectacle spellbinding and perpetually changing.
The falls hiss and roar as if possessed, they rumble
and crash like thunder. Vast clouds spew and billow
out from the seething cauldron of its dark impenetrable
depths."
The Zambezi River is 2,574 km long,
making it Africa's forth-longest river. It has its sources
in Zambia and before reaching the Indian Ocean in Mozambique,
flows through Angola along the Namibia border, Zimbabwe
and Botswana. The Victoria Falls are located on the
Zambia- Zimbabwe border and is the marker between the
upper and middle Zambezi.
Before reaching the falls, the Zambezi
flows along a flat basalt bed in a valley punctuated
by low sandstone hills. Along the river's course are
numerous islands, which increase as the river approaches
the precipice. At that point, the falls is not continuous,
but is broken into four parts by islands. Below the
falls, the mighty waters collect in a narrow channel
30 m wide for 120 m and then emerge into a network of
zigzag gorges that run for 80 km.
Victoria Falls is found within Mosi-
Oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and Victoria National
Park in Zimbabwe. It is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. The two parks are small- Mosi-oa-Tunya is 66 sq
km, while its Zimbabwean kin is only 23 sq km. Nature
in the area is varied and rich. Numerous antelope species,
zebras, giraffes, and hippos can be found here. Mosi-oa-Tunya
is home to Zambia's only surving rhino.
There are also several herds of elephant,
buffalo, wildebeest, klipspringer, vervet monkey, baboon
and the occasional lion and leopard. The upstream and
downstream sides of the falls each hosts distinct fish
fauna. In the waters below the falls, the fish species
count is 39, while upstream it is 84. Some of the fish
species are endemic to the Zambezi.
There is an excavation site above the
falls with stone artifacts used by early hominids that
lived in the area more than 3 million years ago. There
are also weapons and tools that point to hunter-gatherer
communities living here as far back as 10,000 years
ago. You can also visit Mukunu village, an authentic
tribal village that is home to thousands of people.
If you visit in July, you will witness the locals performing
the colorful lwiindi ceremony where they sacrifice to
the spirits of their forefathers and ask for rain. They
believe that the ancestors still repose at the falls
and have acquired such power after death.
Across the falls is a basalt wall of
the same height as the falls that is capped by a mist-soaked
rain- forest. You can discover the rainforest on foot.
Visitors can get good sightings of the falls, as there
is a pathway along the edge of the forest. You also
have the most wonderful views of the falls from the
Victoria Falls Bridge, just after the first gorge.
Victoria Falls Bridge was completed
in 1905 and was the brainchild of Cecil Rhodes- the
South African financier and politician. Rhodes actually
never saw the falls, but in his imagination, his desire
was "the railway should cross the Zambezi just
below the Victoria Falls. I should like to have the
spray of the falls on the train carriages". The
bridge today facilitates an unsurpassed 111-metre bungee
jump.
Victoria Falls is one of the highlights
in the southern African region. You can conveniently
combine a tour of the falls with a trip in Zambia, Botswana,
South Africa, Zimbabwe or Namibia. Taking into account
ease of connections and quality of experience, combining
a South African or Botswana
safari with Victoria Falls is recommended.
Most people stay over at the falls for 2 or 3 nights,
except for adventure travelers who have so much to do.
There are a myriad of things to see
once at Victoria Falls. Activities include rafting,
canoeing, elephant back trails, game safari, helicopter
flights in Zambia and lion walks in Zimbabwe. Upstream
of the Zambezi, you can go on a "sundowner"
cruise while watching wildlife. You can also take a
Livingstone Tour, which includes a museum visit to appraise
yourself on the history and culture of the area. Afterwards,
take the Victoria Falls Safari Express, which is a short
steam train excursion from Livingstone station.
Victoria Falls has in recent years developed
into a centre for extreme sports and adventure travel.
At the Batoka Gorge, you can experience 23 white water
rapids, within the high and hard basalt walls. For this
incomparable thrill, you go over the rapids in large
rubber rafts. Most visitors take the half-day, full
day or two-day option. But hardened adventurers go for
a weeklong ride to the mouth of Lake Kariba. To go over
all the rapids, you need to go between June and February.
The rest of the year water levels are high and you can
only do the last thirteen.
For a rush of adrenaline, take a helicopter
flip over the falls or down the Batoka Gorge. But no
extreme sports lover will leave without taking the world-
renowned bungee jump at the Victoria Falls Bridge. The
jump is taken in the no-mans land between Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
You can undertake river boarding to
experience some of the best fresh water surfing you
will ever encounter. There are also opportunities for
kayaking and jet boating. At the high walls of the Batoka
Gorge, more thrills can be experienced by way of abseiling,
cable swinging, gorge swinging and rap jumping.
The most stunning views of the falls
are from air. There are micro flights featuring open
cockpits that enable game- viewing upstream of the falls
over Mosi- oa- Tunya Park or an aerial perspective of
the rapids through the Batoka Gorge. Another aerial
option commonly referred to as the "Flight of the
Angels" is conducted using light aircraft. With
the angels, you will experience splendid views of Zambezi,
the tremendous spray, and the winding gorges curved
by the awesome power of the falls. In addition, you
can take a flight in a tethered balloon.
There are several hotels and lodges
in the Victoria Falls area to suit the taste and budget
of most travelers. Some hotels give you great views
of the falls, while others show off mighty Zambezi winding
its way through the gorges. There is also accommodation
for campers and backpackers. Wherever you room, you
can be able to arrange for excursions in the Victoria
Falls area.
Victoria Falls is easily accessible
from all the major travel hubs in Africa. By air, you
land at Livingstone Airport in Zambia, Victoria Falls
Airport in Zimbabwe or at Kasane Airport in Botswana.
From Johannesburg you can catch any of the five daily
flights.
The climate in the area is hot and dry
from September to October, while November to March is
hot and wet. It is advisable to go around April to May
and August to September, when the weather is mild with
little or no rain. River conditions depend on predictable
fluctuation in water levels. The Zambezi is in full
flood around February and March.
On safari, appropriate clothing is advised.
Light cottons will go well with the high daytime temperatures
and heavier garments for the nights. Sunglasses and
sunscreen will come in handy as protection from the
scorching sun. Do not forget to pack cameras and camcorders
to capture images of one of nature's masterpieces.
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