The Victoria Falls
Dr Livingstone was the first European to see the Victoria Falls in 1855. They are known locally as Mosi-Oa-Tunya or "the smoke that thunders" because of the spray made by the mass of water dropping 100 meters below in the gorges. Livingstone renamed the falls “Victoria Falls” in honour of Queen Victoria. 50 Years later, missionaries and traders settled in the small Zambian town of Livingstone and the railway bridge over the Zambezi was built.
The UNESCO proclaimed the Falls as a World Heritage Site, due to its unique nature. Nowadays, the Victoria Falls mark the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
There are currently 5 ways to enjoy the Falls:
- Guided tour to the Victoria Falls
The majority of the tour takes place on the other side of the gorge, which is the best for photographic reasons. The best seasons to see the Falls are roughly mid june to mid september (start of the dry season) or mid November to mid January (start of rainy season). Between mid January and mid June the Falls are at its highest, which also means the spray is enormous and part of the view is blocked. Mind your cameras, because you will get wet! As for mid September to mid November, those are the hot dry months and the Falls do dry up to a certain extend. During those months we do recommend to visit Livingstone Island (see below) to enjoy the grandeur of the Falls.
During the months when the spray is big and its full moon, the lunar rainbow is visible. It can be quite spectacular to see a rainbow at night! Usually this phenomena occurs from mid June to mid September and mid January to mid April. - Livingstone Island
David Livingstone saw the Victoria Falls for the first time from precisely this island. You would step into his footsteps! Livingstone Island is unique and exclusive: you can only reach it by speedboat and once on the island you are standing amidst the Falls! In the months of august to december also the Devil´s Pool is open, a natural plunge pool right on the edge of the Falls. The island is usually closed between mid april to mid june due to high water levels, but please take into account that the periods mentioned might differ according to weather patterns, for both the Devils Pool as the Island itself. In the high season (july-november) Livingstone Island is very popular, so reservations before arrival are recommended. - Helicopter Flight
Its truly spectacular to see the Falls from above. David Livingstone´s first words when he saw the Falls were “Scenes so lovely must be gazed upon by angels in their flight”. And you can do that flight! You have the option between a 15 minutes and a 30 minutes flight. The 15 minutes flight mainly focusses on the Falls themselves, but during the 30 minutes flight you also descend into the gorge (downstream) and you fly between the walls of the gorge about 6-7 meter above the water! During the high season (july-november) helicopter flights are very popular and reservations before arrival are recommended. - Microlight
A more adventurous way to fly above the Falls is with a microlight. Just you and a pilot and some wings and an engine, all out in the open! Please be aware that on a microlight you are not allowed to bring your own camera and with a microlight you do NOT go down into the gorge. - Steamtrain
The old steamtrain is running again from Livingstone! The train takes you slowly from Livingstone town to the bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe. Once on the bridge you celebrate the view of the Falls and the Zambezi River with a glass of champaign. The steamtrain only rides on certain days.