The Victoria Falls and Zambezi National Parks

Victoria Falls and Zambezi National Parks are both close to the town of Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls National Park includes the Victoria Falls and facing cliffs. National Parks has preserved the area very much the same as it was when Livingstone came upon this amazing spectacle. Perhaps the only change are winding foot paths allowing visitors to view the Falls from vantage points along the cliff edge. Here the veil of mist rising from the gorge rains down creating conditions that nurture a luxuriant forest of giant Mahogany, Ebony and Fig trees, ferns, mosses orchids and tangled creepers all viying for light filtering through the canopy of vegetation. (Go with a pac-a-mac and water-proof camera case!). The intensity of spray varies from light mist to dense rain.

Many ancient trees have sagged sideways in the soggy ground, some have sent up new trunks from the old, particularly the Waterberry. Deep, rich humus from fallen leaves and rotting stumps on the forest floor would normally deaden sound but the Victoria Falls rainforest is and has been from the beginning of time, pervaded by the thundering sound of falling water.

The Victoria Falls have been part of local people's lives for generations. The Kololo's charming name for them is 'mosi oa tunya', (the smoke that thunders). David Livingstone was so overwhelmed by his first sight of the Falls that he stopped to write as the spray soaked him and his notebook, "It had never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight." To measure the depth of the Falls the missionary-explorer tied some bullets and a length of calico to a line and lowered it over the edge of the cliff but they caught on rocks about 91m below.

Some facts about Victoria Falls:

	The precipice over which the Zambezi falls is not the first, but the 8th. The Falls are moving upstream as the constant pounding of water over millions of years cuts through rock faults and fissures. The 9th has begun. It is carving through Cataract Island. Thousands of years from now a new gorge will follow this line across to Zambia, replacing the present falls.
	The lowest volume of water falling is between late October and early November - as little as 20,000 cubic metres a minute.
	The highest volume is betwen February and May when more than 500,000 cubic metres a minute fall.
	The length of the Falls is 1.5km.
	The average height is 100m.
	Views into the bottom of the gorge are rare; they are obscured by billowing spray.
	The veil of mist rising from Victoria Falls reaches a height of 76m and can be seen many kilometres away.
	Victoria Falls is 880m above sea level.

For a wealth of information on the archaeology, vegetation and history of exploration try and secure the booklet 'Victoria Falls Information Guide' from the Tourist Information Centre 412, Parkway.


Zambezi National Park About 6km up-stream from Victoria Falls National Park, the Zambezi National Park begins. Covering approximately 50,000 hectares it is divided into two game viewing sections, the Zambezi River Game Drive with an extensive road network accessed through the main gate, and the 25km Chamabonda Game Drive in the southern part of the Park. Access to this section is 5km outside Victoria Falls Town along the Bulawayo road. Many species of game may be seen. National Parks Zambezi Camp provides comfortable cottage and lodge accommodation alongside the Zambezi river.

Groups of attractive little Banded Mongooses are a feature round the accommodation area, while nocturnal animal activity adds excitement to this peaceful and beautiful place. National Parks does not provide transport for game drives, but visitors who fly in are able to join a safari or hire a car.

Three exclusive fishing camps: Kandahar, Sansimba and Mpala Jena are attractively situated on the banks of the Zambezi. Upstream along the Zambezi River Drive there are 25 picnic/fishing sites for day visitors.

Visit the National Parks website at www.zimparks.com for more details.

Current accommodation and vehicle entry prices can be obtained from their website.