![]() Sipping a cocktail as sunset tints the Zambezi pink, you may feel a nostalgic connection to the early tourists, who began flocking here around 1905. The African Queen, a triple-deck, 21m/70ft sailboat, and the smaller African Princess resemble the classic riverboats of a bygone era. Over the international borders are the legendary riverside grazing grounds of Botswana’s Chobe National Park and Namibia’s Zambezi Region. Further afield, elephant-rich Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest and most popular park. Stretching west of Victoria Falls town is Zambezi National Park, where elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and various antelopes can be seen. These provide day-trip potential and trips further afield to see the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo). Victoria Falls is well positioned near four countries famous for their wildlife parks and reserves. There are many different boats and packages, so it’s worth shopping around. Rhinos, buffaloes, giraffes and antelopes may also be seen lapping in the shallows. On the wildlife-focused trips, you might spot crocodiles, herds of elephant bathing in the river and African fish eagles wheeling overhead. The falls are a dramatic dividing line between the river’s upper and middle sections. The two-hour cruises explore the channels, islands and savannah-lined shores of the Upper Zambezi. With a morning coffee, or sundowner (drink of choice while watching the sunset), in hand, you can watch hippos snorting. Of all the things to do in Victoria Falls, one of the most essential activities is a cruise on the Zambezi. There’s also microlighting in a small private aircraft, and, of course, putting in hammock time at a riverside bush lodge. Options include a one-day white-water rafting trip tackling Zambezi rapids such as Devil’s Toilet Bowl and Oblivion, which live up to their names. Lodges and tour operators in and around the town of Livingstone can fill a few days with Victoria Falls activities. For now, much of the action is still in Zambia. The Zimbabwean Government is planning to develop Victoria Falls town, with controversial ambitions to build a new theme park. There is a wide range of fun and adventurous things to do in Victoria Falls, including river boarding, zip lining, gorge swinging, fishing, canoeing and elephant-back safaris. Millions of litres of water plummet downwards, and the spray rises hundreds of metres into the air. Resurface and sit on the rocky ledge known as Devil’s Armchair. Here on the Zambian side of the river, take a deep breath and hurl yourself into the white water, egged on by the grinning guide. Across the abyss, on the far side of the chasm formed by the falls, tourists wave from a viewpoint in Zimbabwe. From here you can prepare to leap enthusiastically into Devil’s Pool, on the pulsing lip of the falls. Pick your way over rocks and through streaming water to finally come to a boulder. Fancy a cucumber sandwich in the mist? Afternoon tours include high tea.įrom Livingstone Island, brave souls and adrenaline lovers can continue towards the mighty roar of the falls. Explore the island, its trees bending beneath the constant spray, to appreciate why this roaring cascade made the list of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Today, the area is a Unesco World Heritage Site. David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer, stood here in 1855. Take a boat trip to this tiny piece of land clinging to the precipice of Victoria Falls. Christmas is also busy here, as are the winter months from June to August, when many people visit the region for wildlife watching. To see the falls at their strongest and loudest, visit between February and May, after the summer rains. Water levels in the Zambezi, which feeds the falls, are normally at their lowest in October and November, at the end of the dry winter period. Locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya, ‘the smoke that thunders’, an appropriate name for a sight that fills spectators with excitement and awe. This barrage of churning water is 100m/328ft high and 1.7km/1mi wide. It can be seen from across the spray-filled ravine on the Zimbabwean side of the border or from the eastern viewpoints on the Zambian side. Witnessing the watery spectacle should begin your itinerary of Victoria Falls activities. Seeing the world’s largest waterfall is quite simply one of the planet’s greatest travel experiences. The tourist industry dates back to the early 1900s, and offers a variety of activities, from cruises to safaris. The banks of Africa’s fourth-longest river attract a range of wildlife. However, there are many other activities on both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides of the Zambezi River. Admiring the world’s largest waterfall tops most people’s list of things to do in Victoria Falls.
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