The African state of Zimbabwe is located in the southern part of the African continent and belongs to the list of countries with the lowest living standards of the population. But there is a landmark in the former Southern Rhodesia, thanks to which thousands of tourists come here every year. This is the famous waterfall in Zimbabwe and Zambia, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest in the world.
Victoria and World Heritage
The authoritative organization UNESCO did not ignore the famous waterfall in Zimbabwe. Named by its discoverer David Livingstone in honor of Queen Victoria, the waterfall is listed as a World Heritage of Humanity:
- The width of the water stream is 1800 meters, which is an absolute world record for its height.
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The jets of Victoria rush down from a hundred meters and the local population calls it Thundering Smoke in their own language.
- Victoria Falls was discovered in November 1855 during Livingston's journey from the headwaters to the mouth of the Zambezi. It is formed by this African river.
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Victoria is twice the height of Niagara Falls and more than twice the width of its Horseshoe, the main part of the North American natural wonder.
- During the rainy season, Victoria spews up to 500 million liters of water every minute, which is more than 9100 cubic meters per second.
The natural notch at the top of Victoria is called the Devil's Font. In September-December, when a period of drought begins in Zimbabwe, the current in it is rather weak and extreme swimmers take advantage of this.
Another local attraction is the Victoria Falls Bridge in Zimbabwe. An arched railway bridge spans a gorge downstream of the Zambezi River. It is a quarter kilometer long and 125 meters high. The bridge is crossed by regular trains Livingston - Bulawayo and Livingston - Lusaka.
After the most famous waterfall in Zimbabwe, a section of the river with rapids begins, on which kayaking and rafting is organized for tourists.
How to get to Victoria?
You can go to the waterfall located on the border of the two countries from both Zimbabwe and Zambia. Both countries allow day trips and issue visas to visit neighbors right at border posts. The issue price is from $ 50 to $ 80.
The waterfall is located in close proximity to the city of Livingstone in Zambia, where the tourist infrastructure and the safety of guests are at an incomparably higher level than in Zimbabaw. The city has an airport that is capable of receiving light aircraft.
The easiest way to get to the famous Zimbabwe Falls is by plane from the Kenyan capital Nairobi to Lusaka. Then, in the main city of Zambia, you should change to a bus or plane to Livingstone. Travel time between Lusaka and Livingstone is about 7 hours by land and about 40 minutes by air. An air ticket will cost about US $ 150-180.
All prices in the material are approximate and given as of April 2016.
