By Roxanne, Travel Dudes
Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River is a spectacle that will take your breath away!
It's a must-see if you venture to the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when planning your visit:
1. Although you can take a guided walk to see the falls, I don't think this really adds much value. The path from the entrance gate is clearly marked and you can read about the salient points on the info boards just inside, so explore Victoria Falls on your own and save your money for something else. A guided tour is a choice on many packages that offer two, three, or five activities for a reduced fee; my advice would be to walk the Vic Falls footpath under your own steam and choose one of the other activities instead.
2. Take your passport with you to the entrance. If you live in Southern Africa, you’ll get a nice fat discount on what overseas visitors have to fork out.
3. Although the falls are spectacular at high water in the wet season (February to May/June), the spray can obscure the waterfall, making it difficult to see and photograph. It’s not the sort of environment you want to expose your camera to anyway, so keep this in mind when planning your trip.
4. You can view the Falls from both the Zambian (Livingstone) and Zimbabwean (Vic Falls) sides of the river, but Zimbabwe gives a better view of the Main Falls. The views are better from Zimbabwe in the dry season (August to October), when not much water flows over the Zambian side.
5. The dry season is also better for some activities like white-water rafting and river-boarding because the currents are just too strong in the wet season for these activities to be safe.
6. If you have time, walk all the way past the Eastern Cataract and Danger Point to the historic iron bridge. Completed in 1905, it was constructed in England, shipped to Beira in Mozambique and then traveled by train on the newly constructed railway to Vic Falls. Today, it’s the site of bungy jumping and other adrenalin sports – definitely the place to go if scaring yourself is your idea of fun.
7. For a completely different view of the falls, sign up for a helicopter flip that buzzes over the falls in a number of stunning sweeps that give fabulous photographic opportunities.
8. A number of operators offer activites at Vic Falls. Some companies to try are: Afrizim, Shearwater Adventures, Wild Horizons and Zambezi Safari Tours.
It's a must-see if you venture to the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when planning your visit:
1. Although you can take a guided walk to see the falls, I don't think this really adds much value. The path from the entrance gate is clearly marked and you can read about the salient points on the info boards just inside, so explore Victoria Falls on your own and save your money for something else. A guided tour is a choice on many packages that offer two, three, or five activities for a reduced fee; my advice would be to walk the Vic Falls footpath under your own steam and choose one of the other activities instead.
2. Take your passport with you to the entrance. If you live in Southern Africa, you’ll get a nice fat discount on what overseas visitors have to fork out.
3. Although the falls are spectacular at high water in the wet season (February to May/June), the spray can obscure the waterfall, making it difficult to see and photograph. It’s not the sort of environment you want to expose your camera to anyway, so keep this in mind when planning your trip.
4. You can view the Falls from both the Zambian (Livingstone) and Zimbabwean (Vic Falls) sides of the river, but Zimbabwe gives a better view of the Main Falls. The views are better from Zimbabwe in the dry season (August to October), when not much water flows over the Zambian side.
5. The dry season is also better for some activities like white-water rafting and river-boarding because the currents are just too strong in the wet season for these activities to be safe.
6. If you have time, walk all the way past the Eastern Cataract and Danger Point to the historic iron bridge. Completed in 1905, it was constructed in England, shipped to Beira in Mozambique and then traveled by train on the newly constructed railway to Vic Falls. Today, it’s the site of bungy jumping and other adrenalin sports – definitely the place to go if scaring yourself is your idea of fun.
7. For a completely different view of the falls, sign up for a helicopter flip that buzzes over the falls in a number of stunning sweeps that give fabulous photographic opportunities.
8. A number of operators offer activites at Vic Falls. Some companies to try are: Afrizim, Shearwater Adventures, Wild Horizons and Zambezi Safari Tours.
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