Arnoud Quanjer Wildlife Photography

Victoria falls was 'discovered' by David Livingstone in 1855. The falls were named in honor of Queen Victoria and constitute one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. The falls were formed by a deep rift in the rock that lies directly across the path of the Zimbezi River. The rift was caused by movement of the earth about 150 million years ago. The falls form the border between Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the south. The Local people call the falls "Mosi-oa-Tunya" -- the smoke that thunders. Victoria Falls is 1 708 meters wide, making it the largest curtain of water in the world. It drops between 90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge and an average of 550,000 cubic metres of water plummet over the edge every minute.

This 2km gorge is spanned by the Victoria Falls Bridge, which was commissioned by Cecil John Rhodes. The bridge was completed by 1905, but unfortunately Rhodes never lived to see it complete. It now provides easy access between Zambia and Zimbabwe and normal form filling and leisurely queuing has to be done at the border post to pass from one side to the other.

Many say they prefer the Zambian side of Victoria Falls, as it is less commercialised than the Zimbabwe tourist hub. The bridge has an amazing view of the Falls and the black shiny basalt rocks opposite, on which sits a lush green mist-soaked rain forest. One special vantage point is the Knife Edge Bridge, which affords views of the eastern cataract, the main falls, and Boiling Pot, where the river turns into the Batoka Gorge.

Activities

You can view the falls from both the Zambian and the Zimbabwean side. On the Zimbabwean side you can walk a path parallel to the full 1708 meters of the falls. If the falls are very full then actually viewing the falls can be difficult due to the spray. When I was there the falls weren't even at half of their maximum throughput so the view from the Zimbabwean side was very good. If the falls are at maximum capacity the view from the Zambian side is much better. Entrance to the Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwean side is USD20.

Besides viewing the falls from the ground you can also see them from the air. A helicopter, plane, microlight or ultralight flight over the falls will cost you about USD100 per person and it is definately worth it. I took an ultralight flight over the falls because it's the best option for photography. I booked my flight at Sheerwater Adventures in Victoria Falls. The ultra-light that Sheerwater uses is takes of from a small airstrip about 5km outside Victoria Falls. You will start from this airstrip and fly to the falls, approaching them from the west. You will then circel the falls twice and then fly back to the airstrip. While flying back the pilot will probably do a short detour to see if he can find any elephants. When I flew over the falls I saw on group of elephants. Besides flying over the falls you can bungee jump from the bridge, white water raft, abseil ect. Check one of the local operators for the best deal.

Check the photo gallery for pictures which I took during the flight.

Update March 2008

While planning a new trip to Botswana and Victoria Falls I've learned that all ultralight fligts have been suspended untill further notice from 16th June 2007 following CAAZ (Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe) restrictions on ultralight flights. This means that it is no longer possible to book ultralight flights over the falls.