Victoria Falls: The Eden of Africa
Scottish explorer David Livingstone first recorded Victoria Falls in 1855, writing that he was struck by “scenes so beautiful they should have been gazed upon by angels of their flight.” Rising spray creates shimmering rainbows and sustains a lush rainforest microclimate alongside the basalt canyon partitions. The thundering, iridescent water is one in all Earth’s strongest shows of pure magnificence.
The Largest Curtain of Falling Water on Earth
Victoria Falls is the biggest single sheet of falling water on this planet, spanning 5,604 toes—greater than a mile throughout—and plunging 354 toes into the gorge under. The Zambezi River reaches peak stream between February and March, when greater than 150 million gallons per minute surge over the precipice. By November, throughout low water, the stream diminishes to about 2.6 million gallons per minute, and the river splits into braided channels that tumble in a number of distinct cascades. Whereas Laos’ Chutes de Khone is wider and Venezuela’s Angel Falls is taller, Victoria Falls stays unmatched for its mixed peak, breadth, and quantity.
UNESCO World Heritage Web site & Pure Marvel
Acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Web site since 1989, Victoria Falls can also be celebrated as one of many Seven Pure Wonders of the World, alongside the Nice Barrier Reef, Aurora Borealis, Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, and Parícutin volcano. The falls’ origins hint again two million years, when the Makgadikgadi Pan—one of many largest salt flats on Earth—uplifted, redirecting the Zambezi River over basalt rock. Over time, the river’s erosive pressure carved the slender gorges seen at this time. Archaeological finds, together with Early Stone Age instruments, reveal human presence right here stretching again a whole lot of hundreds of years.
© Francisco Di Poi
Midway Alongside the Mighty Zambezi River
Victoria Falls sits roughly halfway alongside the Zambezi River, which flows east to the Indian Ocean. On Nat Hab’s Secluded Botswana Safari, vacationers take a guided strolling tour alongside the rim, following a community of trails to panoramic viewpoints. Spanning the gorge is the historic Victoria Falls Bridge, accomplished in 1905 and, on the time, the tallest railway bridge on this planet. As we speak, it stays a significant connection between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The Satan’s Pool and Journey Actions
In the course of the dry season, guests can swim in Satan’s Pool, a pure rock pool proper on the fringe of the falls. This daring expertise is only one of many adventures out there—others embrace bungee leaping from the Victoria Falls Bridge, scenic helicopter flights, and world-class white-water rafting. For a quieter expertise, go to throughout a full moon to seek for a uncommon “moonbow”—a lunar rainbow created by moonlight refracting by way of the mist.
Mosi-oa-Tunya: “The Smoke That Thunders”
The encircling Mosi-oa-Tunya Nationwide Park—named for the clouds of spray seen from greater than 12 miles away—is a haven for wildlife. It’s top-of-the-line locations to come across white rhinos, and with no giant predators current, Nat Hab company can trek on foot with skilled guides and park rangers. This riverine ecosystem additionally helps elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelope, hippos, chacma baboons, warthogs, and notable birdlife, together with African fish eagles and white-backed vultures.
Expertise the ability, historical past, and biodiversity of Victoria Falls on our Secluded Botswana Safari—an intimate journey to one of many planet’s most awe-inspiring pure wonders.
