Travel and Tourism

TRAVEL GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VICTORIA FALLS

Zimbabwe is bouncing back and will be a huge holiday destination in 2018.

Victoria Falls is a must-do Zimbabwean destination. It‘s home to one of the largest waterfalls in the world, it’s the adrenalin capital of Africa, and has hotels to satisfy every taste. Go white-water rafting, bungee jumping, and abseiling – all around the magnificent Zambezi River.

If you’re a wildlife lover, you can go on a range of safaris, from canoe-based safaris, to the conventional open vehicle 4 x 4 safaris or horseback excursions. You can fly above the falls in a helicopter or go on a sunset river cruise. All visitors to Victoria Falls will share one thing: the unforgettable exhilaration of being in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Here is a guide to everything you need to know to plan your visit.

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is the biggest sheet of falling water in the world: twice as high and 1.5 times wider than Niagara Falls. It is 1.7 km wide, over 100 metres high, and the spray of the water is visible from up to 70 km away.

Confusingly, “Victoria Falls” is the name of the waterfall itself, and the town on the Zimbabwean side of the falls, and the National Park on the Zimbabwe side. Victoria Falls (the waterfall) forms the border between two countries.

Visitor numbers to the Zimbabwean side are increasing, Zimbabwe has the best view of Victoria Falls. 15 out of the 19 viewing points are in Zimbabwe – that’s 80% of the waterfall.

The town of Victoria Falls is compact and easily accessible, visitors can stroll between the shops, lodges and craft markets at their hearts’ content. The town is tourist-oriented, there are take-aways, supermarkets and cafes in town, as well as superb restaurants in the hotels dotted around the area. Some accommodation, such as Victoria Falls Safari Club can easily be reached by shuttle buses and taxis.

Victoria Falls Town statistics
Altitude: 915 metres | Size: ~31 square kilometres (11 square miles) |Population: 35,761 | Nicknames: Vic Falls, The Falls, Mosi-oa-Tunya. Dominant languages: English, Ndebele and Shona, among others | Province: Matabeleland North | Location: North-West Zimbabwe

Best time to visit Victoria Falls
May to November are the best months for most visitors.

If you want to see the Victoria Falls in full power, go between March and May.

If your main reason to visit is for the white water-rafting, go between August and early January when the rapids are at their best.

If a safari is your priority, go between May and October when the vegetation is low and animals are more easily spotted.

Weather in Victoria Falls
May to September are the cooler and dryer months, where temperatures will reach 25 to 27°C (77 to 81°F) during the day and descend to 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F) at night.

October to April are the hotter and wetter summer months: highs of 32 to 34°C (90 to 93°F) during the day, and lows of 15 to 19°C (59 to 66°F) at night.

Victoria Falls

Things you have to do while traveling to Victoria Falls

1.Visit the Falls

It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and is something that no traveller to Africa should ever pass up. The locals know it as Mosi-Oa-Tunya, and this means “the smoke that thunders”.

2.Devils Pool

A favourite spot and for those who are adventurous and courageous, it’s possible to take a swim. Though the water requires a bit of strength, those who dive into its depths are rewarded with what is perhaps one of the most exciting sites in all of Victoria Falls.

3.Bungee Jumping

Plunge off of the Victoria Falls Bridge, and glide down for 111 metres, head-first towards the Zambezi River.

4.Sunset Cruises

The Zambezi River is remarkable on its own, but when the sun goes down in Victoria Falls, the river comes to life under the gentle African sunset.

5.Whitewater rafting

For the more adventurous, rafters sometimes have the chance to get up close to hippos and crocodiles.