Victoria Falls: Smoke that Thunders

Victoria Falls: Smoke that Thunders

                                             Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is a town in the western portion of Zimbabwe, across the border from Livingstone, Zambia, and near Botswana. The town lies immediately next to the falls, and they are the major attraction, but this popular tourist destination offers both adventure seekers and sightseers plenty of opportunities for a longer stay.

No doubt about it, Victoria Falls,  twice as tall as Niagara Falls, and several times longer, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (meaning “The Smoke That Thunders”) is one of the most amazing sights in the world. The Falls have the largest sheet of water for any fall in the world, although not the highest, widest or greatest volume of water, is a sight not to be missed. It took thousands of years of erosion for Victoria Falls to appear as and where it does now.

Aerial View

Two thirds of the actual Falls lies within Zambian territory, as does Livingstone Island, from where David Livingstone first famously set eyes on the Falls. The water from Victoria Falls dives into a narrow gorge running parallel to the face of the falls, with the spray going high into the air, causing permanent rain, rainbows and the famous “smoke” which is visible from a distance. So, much of the time when you are viewing the falls you are actually facing them. The gorge where the water exits is the limit on how far one can walk from either side. There is no crossing there. This limits the visibility from the Zambian side, as one can only walk about a quarter of the distance of the face of the falls. Although the view and the waterflow is impressive, you simply can’t get a perspective on the full width of the falls from the Zambian side. The walk down to below the falls is closed on the Zimbabwean side. One can only walk down on the Zambian side. The footbridge on the Zambian side gives a unique experience, with a permanent torrential rain from the wet season through to August.

Stand right on the Edge of the Falls

Travelers will have an assortment of visa charges involved in seeing both sides of the falls. The variables include your nationality, single or multiple entry, and whether you will stay longer than 24 hours. Border crossing visa arrangement have now changed, making travel between the Zimbabwe and Zambia side much easier with the introduction of the Uni Visa. This visa allows for multiple entries between the two countries for 30 days to selected nationalities for a set US$50 fee. More information can be found here. This project has been suspended and resumed several times so check before if now is available (last resumed 2016, July).

The park is open year-round, but you will get a much different experience depending on the season in which you visit.

• In the rainy season (November to March), the water volume will be higher and the Falls will be more dramatic. You are guaranteed to get wet if you cross the bridge or walk along the trails winding near the Falls. On the other hand, it is precisely because the volume of water is so high that your viewing of the actual Falls will be obscured—by all the water!

• In the dry season, (April to October), the water volume will be lower, and by October Victoria Falls might just be a trickle. You will get a clearer view of the rocky ledge beneath the Falls, which is pretty spectacular unto itself, but “the Falls” might be somewhat underwhelming.

Early morning view

British Airways and South African Airways offer daily flights between Johannesburg(JNB) and Victoria Falls Airport (VFA). Air Zimbabwe also offers flights between Victoria Falls Airport and other destinations within Zimbabwe. Cheaper flights from South Africa are often available to neighbouring Livingstone. Kenya airways have flights to / from Nairobi and Cape Town.

The classic way of reaching Victoria Falls is by the overnight train from Bulawayo, now back to running daily again. National Railway of Zimbabwe still uses lovely British 1950 s coaches for this line. Sleeper class 1st class 2-4 beds tickets are $12 per person. 2nd class 4-6 beds is $10 per person. Linen costs an extra $4. An Economy class seat costs $8 per person. The scenery is fantastic and during the first few hours after departing Victoria Falls you’re guaranteed to see a lot of wildlife. Departure from Victoria falls going to Bulawayo is at 7:00 PM every day, arriving in Bulawayo the next morning around 9 to 11 am. The ticket office at Vic Falls is open from 8 am till 7 pm on weekdays and Saturday and Sunday from 4 pm till 7 pm. Victoria Falls railway station is on Mallet Dr, opposite The Kingdom Hotel. It offers a left luggage service.

Trains from Zambia across the spectacular Zambezi Bridge have been suspended for a few years time now; however, catching a train to Livingstone and then continuing by taxi is a possibility.

If you stay in the swanky hotels downtown, or even some of the budget accommodation options just outside the downtown area, walking is manageable. Most of places are no more than 3 km away from Victoria Falls. Some of the hotels in Victoria Falls are not really in Vic Falls, but most of these have their own transfer services. Cabs are plentiful, and should not cost more than $6 for a ride.

Should it goes in your bucket list? I hope so…..

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___Dev