Livingstone – Victoria Falls
The historic town of Livingstone is Zambia’s gateway to the Victoria Falls. A colonial flair with buildings from the beginning of the 20th century is combined with a rapidly growing tourist industry. The town is named after the missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone, who apparently was the first European to set eyes on what the locals called ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ meaning ‘the smoke that thunders’.
Your Holiday in Victoria Falls
Book Accommodation Livingstone and Victoria Falls
View the different Activities in Victoria Falls
Mosi-oa-Tunya
The Victoria Falls are often considered one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and rightly so, since Mosi-oa-Tunya is 1.7 kilometres wide and the water falls 100 metres, creating the largest sheet of falling water on this planet. Awe-struck David Livingstone remarked that “scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”. Since then the mighty Vic Falls have lost none of their fascination, but the experience varies with the amount of water rushing down the gorge.
Seasonal Changes
The flow of the Victoria Falls varies considerably according to the seasons. The flow peaks in April towards the end of the dry season, when the water is so powerful, that it creates a cloud of mist above the gorge. The mist can be seen and felt from far away and illustrates the name ‘water that thunders’. It is this time of year that the falls are most impressive, even though the mist can impair the view and you are unlikely to stay completely dry.
The dry season with the flow minimum in November allows for better views down the gorge: however the waterfall isn’t nearly as impressive, declining to a tenth of the maximum flow.
Activities at Victoria Falls
The wonder of the Victoria Falls is sure to leave you as stunned as David Livingstone himself. Still there is much more to experience around Livingstone and Vic Falls. For adrenaline junkies it is easy to get a fix. The extreme activities include:
- Abseiling
- Bungee Jumping
- Kayaking
- Jet Boats
- Quad Biking
- Microlight Flights
- Rafting
- River-Boarding
You don’t have to be a daredevil – getting an experience of a lifetime is as easy as watching the cloud of mist during a full moon light when a lunar rainbow forms. You could also opt for some scenic flights, amazing hikes, do an elephant or a horse ride or just take a cruise down the river. To appreciate the historical meaning of this place, gain some insights at the Livingstone Museum or take a boat to Livingstone Island, where Livingstone himself first set sight on Mosi-oa-Tunya.
Getting There and Away
Vic Falls is one of the major tourism hubs in Southern Africa. Most overland tours make stops here and the airport is connects to Lusaka and Johannesburg. Self-Drivers often travel via Namibia and the Caprivi Strip and travel on to the national parks of Botswana and Zambia.
If you want to see Vic Falls from the Zimbabwean side, you only need to cross the Victoria Falls Bridge. Other than Zambia Zimbabwe does not issue day permits: so you will have to buy a regular visa.
