Mystery Wonders
Victoria Falls

Home | Last Added

Victoria Falls presents a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. In more modern terms Victoria Falls is known as the greatest curtain of falling water in the world. Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as, at the height of the rainy season, more than five hundred million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge, over a width of nearly two kilometers, into a gorge over one hundred meters below. The wide, basalt cliff over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a placid river into a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges. Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height, and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor prepared to brave the tremendous spray, with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls. One special vantage point is across the Knife-edge Bridge, where visitors can have the finest view of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls as well as the Boiling Pot, where the river turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the Falls Bridge, Devils Pool and the Lookout Tree, both of which command panoramic views across the Main Falls. While it looks as if these visitors to Victoria Falls are flirting with disaster, swimming in the Devil's Pool is not quite as dangerous as it looks, thanks to an underwater lip. Located on the Zambia side of the falls, the pool is only accessible during the dry season from August to January.


Story continues below !















This legendary waterfall is among the biggest, and most awe-inspiring, on the planet. The Zambezi River is more than 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) wide when it cascades over the lip of a large basalt plateau and plunges as much as 354 feet (108 meters). The flow has been slicing slowly through this plateau for some two million years. During this time the river has slowly retreated and the remnants of earlier, ancient falls can be seen in the gorges downstream from the current cataract. The falls generate mists that can be spotted from more than a dozen miles (20 kilometers) away. Famed Scottish explorer David Livingstone dubbed this waterfall Victoria Falls; its older, Kololo name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, means "the smoke that thunders.” The mists also sustain a rain forest-like ecosystem adjacent to the falls and on the opposite cliff that faces them like a dried-up mirror image, thick with mahogany, fig, palm, and other species of vegetation. The national border between Zambia and Zimbabwe lies midstream, and national parks of both nations exist on either side of the Zambezi. The gorges and cliffs below the falls in these parks are prime territory for raptors, including falcons and black eagles. Stone artifacts from the hominin Homo habilis have been identified near the falls and show that early humans may have lived here two million years ago. More “modern” tools also evidence far more recent—50,000 years ago—Middle Stone Age settlements. Today several hundred thousand visitors from around the world trek to the falls each year; several hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, and other tourist businesses cater to them. The beauty of the falls lies in their natural state, but the area is at some risk of runaway tourism-based development—more resorts, hotels, and even a possible dam below the falls that could flood several park gorges. Operators in the area offer everything from helicopter overflights to bungee jumping, and the management of these activities while preserving a quality visitor experience for all is an ongoing challenge. How to Get There Most visitors visit from either Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) or Maramba (Zambia), where complete tourist facilities exist. Each town is accessible by road, rail, and air. When to Visit The river is typically in full flood during February and March, when as much as 540 million cubic meters of water fall over the edge every single minute. During the rainy season, however, the spray plume can obscure the view of the falls themselves. By November, when the water is at low ebb, visitors may see the curtain split into many smaller channels of falling water. How to Visit The falls are massive and invite contemplation from many different viewpoints. Trails invite you to walk around the area and enjoy vistas. Unique views are also to be had from the Knife Edge Bridge and Victoria Falls Bridge. River-level views from below the falls are a good way to experience their power up-close. At certain times of the year the daring may even swim in pools on the very crest of the cataract. One of the greatest attractions in Africa and one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world, Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River, the fourth largest river in Africa, which is also defining the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls is the only waterfall in the world with a length of more than a kilometer and a height of more than hundred meters. It is also considered to be the largest fall in the world. The noise of Victoria Falls can be heard from a distance of 40 kilometers, while the spray and mist from the falling water is rising to a height of over 400 meters and can be seen from a distance of 50 kilometers. No wonder that the local tribes used to call the waterfall Mosi-o-Tunya “The smoke that thunders”. Scottish missionary and famous explorer of Africa David Livingstone (1813-1873) named it after Queen Victoria. Livingstone who was the first European to cross Africa from south to north discovered this awe-inspiring waterfall in 1855, while preaching Christianity in Africa. That is why Livingstone wasn’t very pleased with his discovery: it was just an obstacle on his way. Despite the inconveniences, he was fascinated by the beauty of the falls. In 1857 Livingstone wrote that no one in England can even imagine the beauty of this scene. Religious Livingstone also wrote that most probably angels are admiring the scenery while flying nearby. He was accompanied by soldiers but only two of them took the risk of approaching the waterfalls with Livingstone. For centuries local African tribes had a sacral fear from the waterfall. The waterfall was hardly visited by people up until 1905, when a railway to Bulawayo was constructed. Since then Victoria Falls quickly gained popularity until the end of the British colonial rule. At the end of the 1960s the number of tourists started to decrease due to the guerrilla struggle in Zimbabwe. After Zimbabwe gained independence the region has been in relative peace and Victoria Falls started to attract a new wave of tourism. By the end of 1990 nearly 300,000 people were visiting the falls each year. Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the citizens of both Zambia and Zimbabwe no longer have fear of the “the smoke that thunders”, and are successfully developing the tourism on both sides of the river. The falls were formed in a zone of crustal faults. On the crest of the fall numerous islands divide the main flow into several branches. During floods, the water flow capacity reaches half a million liters of water per minute. The water level varies throughout the year; it is at its peak in April, at the end of the rainy season when on average 500,000,000 liters of water flow and it is at its lowest level in October and early November. Interestingly, during the dry season the water level in the Zambezi River drops sharply, and it becomes possible to walk through some parts of the waterfall. However, during the rest of the year Victoria Falls is a roaring machine that strikes anyone with its power.




you might be interested


Pompeii After Eruption

El Chupacabra

Great Pyramid of Giza

Arizona Wave

Door to Hell

Twin Town

Tutankhamun Mummy

Natural Zhangjiaje

The Great Wall of China

Area 51

3,800 year old mummy Xiahoe

Blue Belize Hole

Sailing Stones

Antarctica

Santorini

Blue Neon Waves

Underwater Pyramids of Cuba

Black Hole

Vimana Flying Machine

K2 Pakistan

Stone Forest

Ark of the Covenant

The Wonder Cave

Iron Pillar Delhi

Yellowstone Park

Timbuktu

Giant Stone Balls

Terracotta Army

GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA

Red Rain

Lighthouse of Alexandria

Victoria Falls

Taj Mahal

Borobudur Temple

Plitvice Lakes

Columnar Basalt

Valley of Love Ireland

Banaue Rice Terraces

200 yo mummy not dead

Zhangye Danxia

Reed Flute Cave

Colossus of Rhodes

Underwater Cancun

Two Headed Snake

Famous Petra

Acropolis of Athens

Bermuda Triangle

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Valley of the Kings

Grand Canyon

Colosseum Rome Italy

Memnon Colossi

Wonder Rock

Pamukkale

Sigiriya Sri Lanka

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Parícutin Vulcan

KAMPUNG KUANTAN FIREFLIES

Kukulkan Pyramid Chichen Itza

Ancient Atomic Bomb India

The Sahara Desert

Aurora

Katmai Crater Lake

Crystal Underwater Pyramid Cuba

Hitler fled to Argentina ?

Easter Island Secrets

Shroud of Turin

Mount Nemrut

Bagan Myanmar

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Lencois Mranhenses Brasil

Underwater Museum Cancún Mexico

Rio de Janeiro

Stonehenge Stones

Machu Picchu

Spontaneous combustion

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Angel Falls

Alien Skulls ?

Tunguska Explosion Russia

Leshan Giant Buddha China

Ayers Rock

Mount Rushmore

Kittiwake Shipwreck

The Matterhorn

Lost Kingdom Of Cleopatra

Waterfalls Rio Tulija

The Ancient City of Mes Aynak

Pillars of weathering

Fly Geyser

Everglades Park

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Largest Crab Ever

Angkor Wat

Lost Heracleion City

Nasca Lines



Red Rain
The Wonder Cave
Black Hole
Shroud of Turin
Columnar Basalt
Ancient Atomic Bomb India
Underwater Pyramids of Cuba
Largest Crab Ever
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Spontaneous combustion
Mount Nemrut
Mount Rushmore
Timbuktu
Bermuda Triangle
Memnon Colossi
Bagan Myanmar
Two Headed Snake
Underwater Cancun
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Borobudur Temple
Tutankhamun Mummy
Area 51
Lencois Mranhenses Brasil
The Great Wall of China
Crystal Underwater Pyramid Cuba
Blue Belize Hole
Zhangye Danxia
Door to Hell
Pillars of weathering
Wonder Rock
The Ancient City of Mes Aynak
Nasca Lines
Machu Picchu
Santorini
Parícutin
Valley of the Kings
Blue Neon Waves
Leshan Giant Buddha China
Great Pyramid of Giza
Kittiwake Shipwreck
Pamukkale
Pompeii After Eruption
Natural Zhangjiaje
Banaue Rice Terraces
Waterfalls Rio Tulija
Iron Pillar Delhi
Sailing Stones
Easter Island Secrets
Giant Stone Balls
Tunguska Explosion Russia
Aurora
Valley of Love Ireland
Paracas Skulls
Katmai Crater Lake
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Stonehenge
Plitvice Lakes
Stone Forest
3,800 year old mummy Xiahoe
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Victoria Falls
GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA
Twin Town
Colosseum Rome Italy
Everglades Park
Angel Falls
Reed Flute Cave
Sahara Desert
El Chupacabra
Matterhorn Mountain
Rio de Janeiro
Hitler fled to Argentina
Yellowstone
Underwater Museum Cancún Mexico
K2 Pakistan
Angkor Wat
Arizona Wave
Lighthouse of Alexandria
Kukulkan Pyramid Chichen Itza
Lost Kingdom Of Cleopatra
Colossus of Rhodes
Lost Heracleion City
Antarctica
Acropolis of Athens
Terracotta Army
Ayers Rock
KAMPUNG KUANTAN FIREFLIES
Sigiriya Sri Lanka
Grand Canyon
Vimana Flying Machine
Famous Petra
Ark of the Covenant
200 yo mummy not dead
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Taj Mahal
Fly Geyser










back to top


About Us | Privacy Policy