Victoria Falls
The smoke that thunders. Victoria Falls, Mosi-oa-Tunya, on the Zambezi between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is one of the largest waterfalls on Earth. Facts, seasons and visiting.
Victoria Falls from the Zambian side: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0
A curtain of water
Victoria Falls is where the Zambezi River plunges into a deep, narrow chasm along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. About 1.7 km wide and around 108 metres high, it forms one of the largest sheets of falling water in the world. Its local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, means the smoke that thunders, describing the spray that rises high above the gorge.
How it formed
The falls cut through a basalt plateau along cracks in the rock. Over many thousands of years, the waterfall has moved upstream, carving a zigzag series of gorges below the current falls. The Victoria Falls Bridge, completed in 1905, crosses the second gorge.
Seasons
Flow depends on rainfall upstream. From about February to May, the falls are at their fullest, with so much spray that views can be hidden and visitors get soaked. In the dry season, later in the year, flow drops, rock faces appear on the Zambian side and some natural rock pools can be visited with licensed guides.
Visiting
You can visit from Livingstone in Zambia or Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe; both sides have national park paths with different views, and many visitors see both. Activities include sunset river cruises, helicopter flights and walks along the rainforest paths fed by spray. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989.
Did you know?
During full moon nights in the high-water season, the spray can create a lunar rainbow, sometimes called a moonbow, a rare sight that draws night visitors. By day, rainbows appear in the mist almost constantly when the sun shines. The Zambezi above the falls is wide and calm, dotted with islands, which makes the sudden drop even more dramatic. Downstream, the gorges host some of the world's best-known white-water rafting, run by licensed operators in suitable seasons.
Stay safe
Paths can be slippery, so wear good shoes and protect cameras from spray. Only swim where licensed operators allow it, with guides, and follow local advice about water levels.
- Victoria Falls from the Zambian side: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0
Text written by Bongara Bongara.
