Grandeur Curtain of Water Fall

Described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ - ‘the Smoke that Thunders’ and in more modern terms as ‘the greatest known curtain of falling water’, Victoria Falls are a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and brilliance on the Zambezi River, bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe.The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are some of the largest in the world.The Zambezi river, which is more than two kilometres wide at this point, plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges raising an iridescent mist that can be seen more than 20 km away.

 The older, indigenous name of Mosi-oa-Tunya is the name in official use in Zambia. The World Heritage List recognises both names. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width of 1,708 metres (5,600 ft) and height of 108 meters (360 ft), forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world. The falls' maximum flow rate compares well with that of other major waterfalls.



Location

The site straddles the Zambezi River in southern Zambia and northwest Zimbabwe. Mosi-oaTunya National Park in Zambia follows the north bank from the Sinde River to Songwe River Gorge below the falls; all islands up to Kandahar Island are within the Park including Lwaandi Island. The town of Maramba (formerly Livingstone) and Dambwa Forest Reserve lie just north. The national border runs in mid-stream. On the south bank Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe runs from 6 km above the falls to Batoko Gorge 12 km below them. It adjoins the town of Victoria Falls on the west. Within the site, a riverine strip of Zambezi National Park extends 9km upstream along the right bank of the Zambezi. The site’s center point is 17° 56' S and 25° 51' E.  

Features

The Park covers both banks of the Zambezi River above Victoria Falls where the river falls off the edge of a plateau into a series of deep gorges below. The falls are the heart of the Park, and when the river is in full flood in February and March, it is two kilometers wide, and forms the world’s largest sheet of falling water. During these months some 540 million cubic meters of water per minute pour over the edge, which is 1,690m wide and drops 108m at Rainbow Falls. The spray plume, which may quite obscure the view of the falls in the rainy season, can rise 500m and become visible 20km away. At low water before the rains in November the flow may be reduced to around 10.5 million cubic meters per minute, and the river divides into a series of braided channels that descend in many separate falls.

 

Since the uplifting of the Makgadikgadi Pan some two million years ago, the Zambezi River has been cutting through the basalt plateau, cutting into east-west fissures in the basalt, forming a series of retreating falls. Below the present falls the river enters a zigzag series of narrow gorges, relicts of seven past waterfalls. The Devil's Cataract in Zimbabwe is the start of the cutting back to an eighth waterfall that will eventually leave the present crest high above the river in the canyon below. 16 km of the Batoka gorges border the Parks and the gorge system continues for some 110 km downstream to the east, the cliffs becoming at one point 140m high.

History



 

Archaeological sites around the falls have yielded Homo habilis stone artefacts from 3 million years ago, 50,000-year-old Middle Stone Age tools and Late Stone Age (10,000 and 2,000 years ago) weapons, adornments and digging tools. Iron-using Khoisan hunter-gatherers displaced these Stone Age people and in turn were displaced by Bantu tribes such as the southern Tonga people known as the Batoka/Tokalea, who called the falls Shungu na mutitima. The Matabele, later arrivals, named them aManz' aThunqayo, and the Batswana and Makololo (whose language is used by the Lozi people) call them Mosi-oa-Tunya. All these names mean essentially "the smoke that thunders".

The first European to see the falls was David Livingstone on 17 November 1855, during his 1852–56 journey from the upper Zambezi to the mouth of the river. The falls were well known to local tribes, and Voortrekker hunters may have known of them, as may the Arabs under a name equivalent to "the end of the world". Europeans were sceptical of their reports, perhaps thinking that the lack of mountains and valleys on the plateau made a large falls unlikely.

Formation of Gorges



 

 

The principal gorges are (see reference for note about these measurements):

• First Gorge: the one the river falls into at Victoria Falls
• Second Gorge: (spanned by the Victoria Falls Bridge), 250 m south of falls, 2.15 km long (270 yd south, 2350 yd long)
• Third Gorge: 600 m south, 1.95 km long (650 yd south, 2100 yd long)
• Fourth Gorge: 1.15 km south, 2.25 km long (1256 yd south, 2460 yd long)
• Fifth Gorge: 2.55 km south, 3.2 km long (1.5 mi south, 2 mi long)
• Songwe Gorge: 5.3 km south, 3.3 km long, (3.3 mi south, 2 mi long) named after the small Songwe River coming from the north-east, and the deepest at 140 m (460 ft), at the end of the dry season.
• Batoka Gorge: The gorge below the Songwe is called the Batoka Gorge (which is also used as an umbrella name for all the gorges). It is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) long (the straight line distance to its end is about 80 kilometres (50 mi) east of the falls) and takes the river through the basalt plateau to the valley in which Lake Kariba now lies.

The walls of the gorges are nearly vertical and generally about 120 metres (400 ft) high, but the level of the river in them varies by up to 20 metres (65 ft) between wet and dry seasons.



Best Times  to See

The river's annual flood season is February to May with a peak in April. The spray from the falls typically rises to a height of over 400 metres (1,300 ft), and sometimes even twice as high, and is visible from up to 50 km (30 miles) away.

During the flood season, however, it is impossible to see the foot of the falls and most of its face, and the walks along the cliff opposite it are in a constant shower and shrouded in mist. Close to the edge of the cliff, spray shoots upward like inverted rain, especially at Zambia's Knife-Edge Bridge.

As the dry season takes effect, the islets on the crest become wider and more numerous, and in September to January up to half of the rocky face of the falls may become dry and the bottom of the First Gorge can be seen along most of its length.The minimum flow, which occurs in November, is around a tenth of the April figure.

Climate

Average Rainfall - 730 mm

Month - December- March

Sustains rainfall conditions in the splash zone.

Maximum Temperature Ranges -26°C to 37°C

Minimum Temperature Ranges - 6°C to 19°C

Annual Temperature - 20°C

Vegetation -  Mopane Colophospermum mopane woodland with small areas of teak and miombo woodland, scrubland, savanna and a narrow band of riverine forest along the Zambezi with species of ebony Diospyros mespiliformis, Natal mahogany Trichilia emetica and sumac Rhus.

Fauna - Herds of elephant Loxodonta africana (VU) live in Zambezi National Park, crossing to the islands above Palm Island and into Zambia during the dry season when water levels are low. others include buffalo,giraffe, bushpig, zebra, monkeys,
 

Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor who is prepared to brave the tremendous spray with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls.

One special vantage point is across the Knife edge bridge, where visitors can have the finest view of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls as well as the Boiling Pot where the river turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the Falls bridge and the Lookout Tree which commands a panoramic view across the Main Falls.

Fabrication

Over at least 100,000 years, the falls have been receding upstream through the Batoka Gorges, eroding the sandstone-filled cracks to form the gorges. The river's course in the current vicinity of the falls is north to south, so it opens up the large east-west cracks across its full width, then it cuts back through a short north-south crack to the next east-west one. The river has fallen in different eras into different chasms which now form a series of sharply zig-zagging gorges downstream from the falls.

Ignoring some dry sections, the Second to Fifth and the Songwe Gorges each represents a past site of the falls at a time when they fell into one long straight chasm as they do now. Their sizes indicate that we are not living in the age of the widest ever falls.The falls have already started cutting back the next major gorge, at the dip in one side of the "Devil's Cataract" (also known as "Leaping Waters") section of the falls. This is not actually a north-south crack, but a large east-northeast line of weakness across the river, where the next full-width falls will eventually form.

Livingstone (in Zambia) is a historic colonial city and tourism centre for Victoria Falls lying 10 km south on the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls. The Airport has connections to Lusaka and Johannesburg in South Africa.

National Parks



Two national parks are available which are relatively small.
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park - 66 sq.km.

Victoria Falls National Park - 23 sq.km.

Open to visitors throughout the year, the Victoria Falls National Park in north-western Zimbabwe protects the south and east bank of the Zambezi River.A notable feature of the park is the rainforest which grows in the spray of the falls, including ferns, palms, liana vines, and a number of trees such as mahogany not seen elsewhere in the region.

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia is an UNESCO World Heritage site and is twinned to the Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwean side.It froms the south-western boundary of Livingstone and has two main sections, a wildlife park at its north-western end and the land adjacent to the Victoria Falls.The national parks contain abundant wildlife including sizable populations of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, and a variety of antelope.

Places To See

The bridge affords a magnificent view both down the gorge on the one side and through to the falls on the other. The immense depth of the gorge can be fully appreciated from this perspective and combined with the sea green river below, the shiny black rock face and lush green foliage, the 360 degree view from the bridge is breathtaking.

 

• Historical tour
• White Water Rafting (day trips and expeditions)
• River Cruises (Breakfast cruise, Sundown cruise, Lunch cruise, Ornithologist's cruise)
• Game drives (half and full day, night drives)
• Bunji jumping
• River boarding
• Tours (Traditional, Cultural, Zambezi Nature Sanctuary, Falls Tour)
• Aerial trips (Helicopter, fixed-wing, and microlight)
• Upper Zambezi Canoeing (if you want to see the "wild side", look at canoe safaris on the lower Zambezi River)
• Walking Trails (if you want walking safaris - look at some specific spots in Zimbabwe, Zambia or Botswana)
• Horse and Elephant Trails
• The Snake Park

Historic tour gives a wonderful experience of learning about the life of David Livingstone and history of Africa. It clearly gives a gist of heroes and villians that have shaped the destiny of a continent which is both fascinating and highly entertaining.

Flight of Angels - scenic flight with airtime of 12 - 13 minutes.An exhilarating experience with great views of the Victoria Falls, the gorges and views upstream of the Zambezi river.Excellent photographic opportunitiesCoined by David Livingstone when he first documented discovering the Falls; "A sight so wonderful that angels must have gazed down on it in flight", the “Flight of Angels” is the most popular of the flight options.
 The view os sunset along the Zambezi river is simple awesome and no can stops looking at the beauty and thus the name Sunset Cruise which  is a water ride that  gives the pleasant view of the sun being swallowed by the river.

Definitely water activities  is a must do activity in such a amazing river as the main beauty of the place is water there is no option for rejecting water activities. Several water activities like white water rafting and river boarding are available that will make the trip more adventurous.A wonderful way to experience true African untamed wilderness is to embark on an overnight or multi-day adventure rafting holidays on the Zambezi River.Enjoy white water rafting the Zambezi river and at night set up camp on sandy beaches and sleep under the stars.A minimum of four people is needed to confirm a trip, so they are ideal for groups of friends.

River boarding is funfilled activity similar to rafting but without boats.Originally started as a means of rescue, riverboarding is the latest innovation in adrenalin sports.Like rafting but without the raft, riverboarding is a three-dimensional white water experience.Swim the rapids and surf the waves, armed with nothing more than an oversized bodyboard, wetsuit and flippers.The most fun you can have on your stomach! Our trips combine rafting and riverboarding, so that you can safely navigate the flat water sections and the few rapids that are considered unsafe for river boarders.

Trip around the Batoka gorge is yet anther awestruck corner of the river.A world heritage site, with its steep cliffs, churning deep waters and abundant bird life, the Batoka gorge is a spectacular site to behold.Forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the gorge is too steep for much animal life, but birdlife is abundant with one of the most concentrated populations of avian raptors in the world, including the rare, African Taita Falcon.

Kayaking is again another type of rafting with well known kayak riders.An experienced white water kayaker who steers the boat through the rapids acts as River Guide.Kayaking the Zambezi is suitable for intermediate and advanced paddlers in all types of craft.THE most awesome times for the perfect standing wave that just won't end, is created in January high waters and for 2 weeks in June when the water levels drop.

Where else can you find yourself in a specially designed high speed jet boat, travel through a uniquely formed gorge which is a world heritage site, power up some of the most famous white water rapids in the world, pass beneath a bridge of great historical & engineering value, and then find yourself at the foot of the most spectacular of the seven natural wonders of the world? This is the worlds greatest jet boat adventure.

Apart from these other activities include wildlife safaris for fauna lovers, adrenaline activities like Gorge Swing,  Abseil , Rap jump , The Whoopie foofie slide,  Flying Fox , Mountain Climbing and several other victoria falls events like marathon,Zambezi challenge which includes rafting and kayak exhilaration,skydive and lots more.

Different times of the year will provide completely different experiences of the Falls region. Peak flood season is around March and April and the full power of the falls can be experienced in all its glory. But due to the masses of spray rising from the fallen water the full width of the Falls cannot be seen on foot. The aerial view at this time however is spectacular, with clouds of spray rising high into the sky.

As the floods abate the view of the falls gets better and better through the year, but at it’s lowest, around November and December the Falls become little rivulets running over the edge and in some places along the 1,7km width no water falls at all. This season’s gift is the view of the impressive cliffs that form the Falls wall and the magnitude of the abyss can be fully appreciated. Sobek and Safari Par Excellence do trips by raft to the base of the Falls in low season called ‘the float of angels".

 

Bungee Jumping In Victoria Falls
 

Sources
www.unep-wcmc.org
en.wikipedia.org
zambiatourism.com
/www.zambezi.com
www.places.co.za
www.afrizim.com