Victoria Falls National Park

I was lucky enough to visit this stunning destination a couple of years ago, and I must say that while I have been to some beautiful places in the world, this has got to be near the top of the list. The Victoria Falls, as they are known to us in the west, or "the smoke that thunders" to the local people, are amongst the biggest waterfalls in the world with a total height of over 100m. The falls are part of the Zambezi River which runs through southern Africa. The falls are almost right on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe (if you don't know your Cape Town from your Cairo when it comes to Africa geography, these two countries are just north of ...  Read the complete review

First things first - don't be put off by the political unrest in Zimbabwe. I was a little apprehensive before heading out here on my own in June 2001, but It turned out to be one of the friendliest places I've ever been. That's not to say that I didn't think I was going to die (of which more later) - but I'd paid for that experience, so I'm not complaining! The raison d'etre of Victoria Falls town is, as you would expect, tourism. When you first arrive you will get a lot of hassle from touts trying to sell you everything from rafting trips to wooden hippos. It can get a bit tiresome, but the sales pressure is friendly, not aggressive. ...  Read the complete review

Into the northwest of Zimbabwe runs the Zambezi River. This great river enters Zimbabwe from Zambia in an astounding manner. It crashes over one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world - Victoria Falls. David Livingstone was the first outsider to stumble across this incredible nature feature and reported it to the world in 1860, naming it after his Queen - Victoria. However, the 'natives' had already given it a name - Mosi-oa-Tunya - meaning The Smoke that Thunders. This is a very apt name which they gave it as the roar of the falls can be heard from the town of Victoria Falls which is situated about 15mins walk away. The spray - or smoke as ...  Read the complete review

Musi-oya-tunya - 'the smoke that thunders', is the local name for Victoria Falls, where the mighty Zambezi river plunges into a drop over a mile wide and 350 feet deep. The spray is visible hundreds of feet above the falls and remains visible and audible over 6Km upstrea. The Falls and their surrounding area have been declared a National Park to prevent over commercialisation - but don't worry - there's plenty for tourists. The Falls themselves are divided into five sections, Devil's Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls and the Eastern Cataract, The chasm the river plunges into is quite narrow and you can walk quite close to ...  Read the complete review