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About Victoria Falls |
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 In
the local language, the Victoria Falls are known as Mosi-oa-tunya,
"the Smoke that thunders".
Created by Volcanic activity, erosion and the course of the mighty
Zambezi River, the spectacular Victoria Falls has captured the hearts,
minds and spirits of people everywhere. It was David Livingstone who
named Victoria Falls after his Queen and stated in his now famous
diary entry - “On sights as beautiful as this, Angels in their
flight must have gazed”.
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Zimbabwe’s national
parks has maintained The Victoria Falls and the surrounding rainforest
virtually as they were when Livingstone first saw them almost 140
years ago.
The Victoria Falls and the surrounding rainforest are persevered as
a 23.4 kilometre National Park and form one of Zimbabwe’s four
World Heritage sites.
The sight of millions of gallons of turbulent water cascading over
a sheer precipice into a narrow gorge a hundred metres below is something
nobody can ever forget. Considered the largest curtain of falling
water in the world, the magnificent Victoria Falls draws visitors
from all over the world. The total width of the Victoria Falls is
more than one and a half kilometres. The height of the various falls
ranges between 100 and 116 metres. The width of the gorge at its narrowest
point is sixty metres.
The volume of water that flows over Victoria Falls varies considerably.
At its lowest, between late October and early November, as little
as 20 000 cubic metres of water a minute flow into the gorge below.
But when the rains are heavy, the flow increases swiftly and dramatically.
Between February and May, when the Falls are at their most spectacular,
more than 500 000 cubic metres of water a minute cascade over the
edge.
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 In
April and May, the peak of the flood season, the six falls - Devil’s
Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, Armchair Falls
and the Eastern Cataract - form the largest curtain of falling water
in the world. But in the dry season, between September and November,
almost no water falls over some sections. The Falls have a continual
mist above the surrounding area, creating a rainforest ecosystem for
2 kms. This unique nature sanctuary is rich in fauna and flora. |
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Victoria Falls
Town
 The
quaint Victoria Falls town - just ten minutes from the Falls, and
on the outskirts of the game-rich Zambezi National Park - is a bustling
hive of activity, with all the amenities necessary to act as a base
for exploring the region.
Accommodation is plentiful – from low budget campsites to luxury
hotels. |
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