ZIMBABWE - Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls must surely be one of the most memorable sights in the world. The mighty Zambezi River expands to an incredible width of over a mile before thundering 100 metres down a sheer chasm and into the turbulent white waters below.  Before reaching the falls, the river is a peaceful place with palm-dotted islands scattered throughout the water.  The area around the falls is rainforest fed by the constant spray from the falls.  Magnificent rainbows can be seen from all angles. Viewing of the falls is done from within the Victoria Falls National Park where you can see antelope, vervet monkey, warthog and banded mongoose living amid the spray. Beyond the falls, the river fights its way down the gorge and provides some of the best white water rafting in the world. Finally, it flows under the Victoria Falls Bridge and onward along the Zimbabwe and Zambian border to Lake Kariba. The nearby Zambezi National Park runs alongside the river for over 40 km and contains a wide range of Zimbabwe’s wildlife.  The town of Victoria Falls is only a few minutes walk from the falls and is the tourist hub for a huge range of activities covering both general tourism and the adventure seekers. The town has many craft and African art shops ranging, perhaps inevitably, from the top class through to the cheap and cheerful tourist souvenirs.  This means that there is much to do in the area and it is quite possible to enjoy several excursions in the falls area.

The Victoria Falls Bridge leads to Zambia and carries both a rail and road track.  It is made of steel and has a main-arch span of 152m (500ft).  It was built close to the falls on the instruction of Cecil Rhodes who wished rail travellers to feel the spray of the falls. It was built in the UK and shipped to the site before being opened in 1905 by Francis Darwin (son of Charles Darwin). At the other end of the falls, the Zambezi Drive leads you along the river before turning inland and heading for the Zambezi National Park. One of the sights here is known as the Big Tree. It is in fact a huge baobab tree situated where early pioneers made camp before crossing the river.

One creature you are quite likely to see in this area (and around the falls) is the Banded Mongoose. These rather cute beasts are usually seen in large groups hurriedly foraging through the undergrowth.   Victoria Falls Railway Station is a very smart Edwardian station (built in 1904) with a pond and palm trees on the platform.  You can step out of the train and through the station arch before proceeding down the short palm fringed walkway leading straight into the Victoria Falls Hotel.

The Victoria Falls Hotel has been the place to stay when visiting the falls since it was first built in 1905 and remains a special place to this day. This is a grand building steeped in bygone elegance - but it was not always so. The hotel was originally a wooden construction with many verandahs and a corrugated tin roof.  Rickshaws were used to transport visitors to the falls before this became outdated and hand-worked rail trollies were introduced.  The hotel was rebuilt in brick in 1913 and today’s visitors must walk the short distance to the falls.