Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls, the largest waterfalls in the world, is a destination like no other. The falls are part of the Zambezi river, which forms a border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. At the falls the Zambezi river cascades an amazing 108 meters (360 feet) over a width of 1,708 meters (5,604 feet). The falls were named after Queen Victoria by the European explorer David Livingstone who is thought to be the first European to view the falls. The native name of the falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya which means ‘Smoke that Thunders’.

Victoria falls is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by roughly a million tourists per year. One particularly popular feature of the falls is Devil’s Pool, a pool at the edge of the falls where people can swim and look over the falls without being pulled over by the current due to a natural rock wall that creates the pool. This can only be done from September to December when the river flow is at a safe level. Devil’s Pool is located on the Zambian side of the falls and is accessed from Livingstone Island, while most of the viewing areas of the falls are located on the Zimbabwean side. Visitors can view the falls from both countries, but there are considerable visa charges involved in doing so, on top of the day pass charges each country assesses to visit the falls. Visitors can find accommodations in Livingstone, Zambia, and the town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.