Victoria Falls - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Hotels,Towns, Activities and Wildlife in Zambia, Southern Africa

Aug 8, 2008

One of the most spectacular sights in the world, the Victoria Falls and surrounding areas in Zambia provide the nature lover with amazing natural sights and plenty to do.

Situated between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe on the Zambezi River in Africa, the Mos-oa-Tunya National Park is Zambia is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site, coupled with the Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwean side.

The Victoria Falls has a width of 1708 meters and a height of 108 meters, turning this expanse of water into one of the world's largest waterfalls. Visitors can walk along the whole width of the falls at a distance of 60m on the opposite side of the Zambezi Gorge. An average of 550 000 cubic meters of water plummets over the edge every minute, depending on the season, so the walk is on the wet side!

In April at the peak of the rainy season, the spray from the falls can rise to a height of over 400m. The rain forest that grows in this spray includes ferns, palms and a number of trees, such as mahogany which, as a rule, are not indigenous to the region.

Locally referred to as Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders), the name Victoria Falls was given by famous explorer and missionary, David Livingstone.

Although the Victoria Falls constitute the main attraction for tourists to the area, not to be overlooked is the abundance of wildlife and natural beauty in the immediate area.

The two national parks mentioned above contain a huge variety of wildlife which adds to the pleasure of a visit to this part of the world. This includes large populations of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope species and also includes predators such as leopard and lions. Game viewing by boat along the Zambezi river or in open vehicles is popular above the falls.

The Victoria Falls National Park is open to visitors throughout the year and covers an area of 23.4 square kilometers from around 6km above the falls to about 12km below the falls. Victoria Falls Town in Zimbabwe lies at the eastern side of the Victoria Falls and has many excellent hotels and facilities. The Victoria Falls Airport is 18km south of the town.

The Mos-oa-tunya National Park in Zambia covers approximately 66 square kilometers. The town of Livingstone is a historic colonial city and tourism center for Victoria Falls and it lies approximately 10km to the south of the falls, along the Zambezi river.

Victoria Falls Activities

The 'Flight of Angels' is a Helicopter flight that allows visitors to see the vista of the falls from a different perspective and include sightings of the river upstream and the many islands to be found on the Zambezi river. Micro-lighting trips are available for the adventure traveler.

Other popular activities include white water rafting in the rapids below the Falls, kayaking and fishing options are also available. Horseback safaris and guided walking safaris are also popular.

For the extreme adventurer, bungee jumping from the Victoria Falls Bridge will provide the rush required for the adrenaline junkie, for those too faint-hearted to attempt this, just watching people throw themselves off one of the world's highest bungee stations provides a great deal of 'fear factor' entertainment.

Visiting Victoria Falls is considered by many as one of the items on the 'To Do and See Before One Dies' list.