The Smoke that Thunders

What a majestic name for Victoria Falls, taken from the traditional name, Mosi-oa-Tunya. Standing at twice the height of North America’s Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls is a sight to behold. The thunderous roar can be heard for miles around, and the column of spray from the force of the water crashing down can be seen from a distance.

I was fortunate enough to visit Victoria Falls on three occasions. My first visit was when I was twelve years old, on a family vacation to Zimbabwe. This first encounter was incredible, and I will never forget how drenched we were from our tour of the Falls! The sheer mass and force of the cascading water was enough to have me hooked for life.

The second and third times were many years later, after I had started my career in the travel industry. During these visits I was able to experience the Falls on both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides. This included a visit to Livingstone Island, and swimming in Devil’s Pool! This phenomenon is adjacent to the famous Livingstone Island situated on the edge of Victoria Falls. Here you can enjoy an exhilarating and unique swim―literally to the very edge of the Falls! Devil’s Pool is usually open between mid-August and mid-January, depending on Zambezi water levels.

Victoria Falls is the perfect start or finish to your safari. Both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides offer fantastic accommodation options that can be easily combined with safari options, such as Hwange or Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, or the South Luangwa or Lower Zambezi in Zambia. Combining your safaris in this region is ideal and we will assist you with all the nitty gritty, and in’s and out’s! Check out my blog on Zambia posted a few months ago.

Botswana is also just a quick 1.5 to 2 hour road transfer from Victoria Falls, so combining Botswana is easy too.

Victoria Falls offers brilliant activities, such as touring the Falls, very-popular sunset cruises on the Zambezi river, fishing excursions, elephant encounters, and Chobe safari day trips. For the adventurous traveler, there is an abundance of activities such helicopter rides over the falls, white-river rafting, bungee jumping, and zip-lining.

Accommodation in Victoria Falls and Livingstone ranges from hotels to more intimate lodges located on the banks of the Zambezi.  Both family accommodations and romantic options for honeymooners are available.

We are able to offer the perfect option based on your requirements and guide you accordingly.

Special thanks to The River Club, Wild Horizons and Pangolin Photographic Saris for the use of their pictures