Why Victoria Falls
The greatest curtain of falling water in the world
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.
*As of December 2016, the KAZA visa for entry into both Zimbabwe and Zambia is available at all major ports of entry into both countries, making it easier than ever to experience both sides of the falls. To find out more, click here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ZIMBAMBWE
- typhoid,
- hepatitis A,
- hepatitis B,
- cholera,
- yellow fever,
- rabies.
The following currencies are legal tender in Zimbabwe:
1. United States dollar 2. South African rand 3. Botswana pula 4. Pound sterling 5. Euro 6. Australian dollar 7. Renminbi 8. Indian rupee 9. Japanese yen
Legal tender is any currency creditors are legally obliged to accept from debtors. An example of one such debtor is the Tax Authority. In Zimbabwe it’s not uncommon to buy in a supermarket with one currency (South African Rand for instance) and get your change in another currency (the US Dollar for instance). Every bank account holder has a bank account in one foreign currency. You can walk into the bank with any of the legal tender currencies and deposit any of the currencies that are legal tender into your bank account. If the currency you are holding is different from the currency your bank account is in, the bank does an automatic exchange for you.