Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls is a fairly non-descript
town with one major drawcard; its proximity to the thundering smoke
of the waterfall by the same name. Victoria Falls is also the name
given to the National Park surrounding this seventh wonder of the
world. The local Batonga people named the falls Mosi-Oa-Tunya, “the
smoke that thunders”. This was renamed Victoria by Livingstone
after the queen of the day as he marvelled at “scenes so lovely
(they) must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.”
The town has also been renamed
the “Adrenaline Capital of Africa”. Adventure sports
such as bungee jumping, white water rafting, canoeing and bodyboarding
at the base of the falls offer visitors an alternative African experience.
For those less adventurous souls, there are sundowner cruises that
pass by hippopotami whilst the guests sip their "G&Ts".
You can also have the view of an angel in a tandem microlight, helicopter
or light aircraft.
Victoria Falls, at a width of
1708 meters, is the largest curtain of water in the world, over
which the Zambezi River flows a vertical distance of 90m to 107m.
In peak season over 500 000 cubic metres of water plummet over the
edge into the Zambezi Gorge every minute. The river also narrows
dramatically at this point making it ideal for white water rafting.
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