The spectacular Victoria Falls were ‘discovered’ and named by David Livingstone in 1855. The thundering water falls over the edge of the gorge into a transverse chasm of black basalt rock, dropping nearly 108 metres down. Great clouds of mist form endless jewelled rainbows and the waters feed the surrounding luxuriant rainforest.
Although not the widest or tallest waterfall, the Victoria Falls forms the largest falling sheet of water in the world with half a million tons of water pouring over every minute with a spray cloud that can rise to 500 metres above the falls. Also known by its local name of ‘Mosi oa Tunya’, the falls form part of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe with the Zimbabwean side, traditionally known for providing better views of the falls. Due to its location, the Victoria Falls area has prospered better than the rest of the country over the last 10 years of upheaval with tourists continuing to visit the area.
Victoria Falls village offers an exciting ethnic shopping experience, rich in culture and history. There is a wide variety of curios and souvenirs and countless bargains in modern shops or at the open-air curio markets, where Zimbabwe’s famous stone and woodcarvings are a speciality. There are also two national parks: the Victoria Falls National Park and Zambezi National Park, which link together by the falls to form a conservation area that stretches as far as Hwange National Park in the south. Together they provide a vital corridor along which wildlife is relatively free to roam.