Victoria Falls – Zambia

Victoria Falls in Zambia is often depicted in postcards and shown on TV. But there is nothing like seeing the Falls in person. It is the largest on the planet.

Location

The Falls are located near a town that bears its name. The town is at the western side of Zimbabwe along the Livingstone, Zambian border. You can fly in from abroad via British Airways and other airlines. If traveling by road, you can reach the site via Livingstone or Bulawayo.

What to See

There is nothing quite like seeing the Falls up close. You will be able to hear over 500 million cubic meters of water head down a 100 m gorge. There is also the Zambezi River over the Falls. This is best experienced on a cruise at sunset. The wonderful views aside, you can also go white-water rafting at the Victoria Falls in Zambia.

History

For the past one hundred thousand years, it has been receding upstream along the Batoka gorges. The gorges were formed when the cracks were eroded. Through the years, archaeologists have excavated the site around the Falls. Various artifacts related to Homo habilis have been discovered. These date back three million years ago.

Further excavations have revealed digging tools, adornments and weapons dating from the Middle and Late Stone Age. Eventually the Bantu tribes came and took over the land.

Among the most prominent of the tribes was the Batoka/Tokalea. They referred to the Falls as Shungu na mutitima. Other names by which the Falls was known include aManz’ aThunqay and Mosi-o-Tunya.

Cost

There is a hotel nearby where you can relax and have tea overlooking the Falls. The price is 30 USD. If you want to go white-water rafting, the charge is around 110 USD. A sunset cruise will cost about 45 USD. A helicopter ride over the Falls will cost 115 USD plus a 5 USD National Park charge.

Other Info

You can also go shopping around town. There are markets at the back of the post office. You can also browse through numerous tourist shops that sell artworks, postcards, books, knick knacks etc. You will also find people selling jewelry and pottery.

When you visit Victoria Falls in Zambia, you have several places where you can eat. Coffee shops and fast food centers are available downtown. There are also several hotels nearby. They range from budget, midrange to luxury hotels, so you have plenty to choose from.