After breakfast, we popped down to see the falls – we couldn’t believe that we’d been in Victoria Falls for 3 days and hadn’t seen them yet. The falls have been hyped up since 1855 when Dr Livingstone first set eyes on them. As we got nearer the gentle rumble reminded us that this is one of the finest natural spectacles on earth. It’s a World Heritage Site and one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World – it’s the largest curtain of falling water on the planet! We weren’t disappointed – the spray covers you from head to toe – it’s actually really refreshing. The noise is amazing, the volume of water and the shear power is incredible – 9 million litres of water per second come over the falls in its height - it’s just such a fantastic site, just awesome!
The falls are located on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls is the name in use in Zimbabwe. The older, indigenous name of Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) is the name in official use in Zambia. The World Heritage List recognises both names. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width of 1,708 metres (5,600 ft) and height of 108 meters (360 ft), forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world. The falls' maximum flow rate compares well with that of other major waterfalls.
After a heavy night on a river cruise, aka booze cruise, we had fortunately not planned anything too demanding the next day. Helen and I went down to the border crossing and paid our $10 to go over to Zambia and see the falls from the Zambian side – they are supposed to be better from this side. They were, although with hangovers we didn’t completely appreciate them apart from the spray that we got – that really refreshed us temporarily. So we had seen the falls now from both the “Zim” and “Zam” sides.
The Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Livingstone, Zambia.
That afternoon we took the Flight of Angels! This is a helicopter ride over the falls – the falls were called the “Smoke that Thunders” long before Dr Livingstone came around the corner. You can see why when you’re up in the air – you can see the mist or spray of the falls from over 30km away. It was our first time in a Helicopter, it was just amazing. The flight was incredible, you got to realise exactly were we’d walked in the morning and it made us realise the enormity of the falls. It’s just like a huge gash in the land that water just seems to be falling into at a huge rate – absolutely stunning.
If you're going to Zimbabwe, you've got to do Victoria Falls (aswell as Antelope Park) and if you're coming all the way to Vic Falls, you've got to see them by Helicopter, a real must!
