Victoria Falls is one among seven natural wonders in the world. It is of course the largest waterfalls of the world that pours a large amount of water during the monsoon time. It is also the most popular tourist attraction in Africa.
Location, Length And Width
The waterfall is located on the Zombie River which flows on the border of countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa. Victoria Falls is 1700 meters wide. The height is 128 meters.
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UNESCO World Heritage Site
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989 as the world’s largest waterfall during the rainy season.
Such a huge Victoria Falls also had another name as ‘Mosi Oa Tunya’. That means smoke and thunder. It was so called by the locals as it was waterlogged with thunder like sound. ‘Mosi oa Tunya’ is a word derived from the African language.
The Name Change
In later days, the name of this falls changed. David Livingston, a Scottish traveler who came to the area in 1855, changed the name as ‘Victoria’. Till today it gets the name ‘Victoria’.
5 parts of Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls consists of 5 parts: Devil’s Cataract, Main and Rainbow Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and East Cataract. The first 4 of these are in the country of Zimbabwe. East Falls is located only in Zambia.
Devil’s Cataract
This part of the waterfalls is on the border of Zimbabwe. It is so called because locals perform various rituals on the island nearby falls. The total height of the falls is 229 foot.
Main and Rainbow Falls
These are also located in the border area of Zimbabwe. Most of the water of the falls flows in this part. The height of the waterfall is 305 feet. Due to the massive flow of water, rainbows appear during sunny days and treat the eyes of tourists. Both of these waterfalls and Devil Falls are shorter than the other two waterfalls and water pour even in summer.
Horseshoe Falls
It is also in Zimbabwe province. However, it is about 6 foot taller than Main and Rainbow Falls.This means that the height of this waterfall is 311 foot. When the water recedes in the summer most of the water goes to the Main Falls due to gravity. Because of this reason it dries up in summer.
East Falls Cataract
It is on the border of Zambia. You must come here if you are curious to enjoy the total beauty of Victoria Falls. In the summer, the rainbow appears here and enchants the mind.
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Two National Parks
There are two famous national parks on the both sides of Victoria Falls. Zambia’s National Park which is also known as ‘Mosi Oa Tunya’ park locates on one side, while Zimbabwe’s National Park which is also known as Victoria Falls park is on the other side. Both the parks have many important features that attract tourists.
‘Mosi Oa Tunya’ National Park
Tourists visiting this park locates on the border area of Zambia can enjoy the beauty of the waterfall in the park environment.
Apart from the waterfall, one can also stay at nearby hotels and enjoy watching a variety of African animals and birds in their natural environment. With the ‘Game Drive’ tourists can safely see hippos, crocodiles, African elephants and white rhinos. The visitors can also see and rare birds that they have never seen before in life. On the way travelers can also taste African food and snacks during the game drive.
In addition, one can also book rooms book rooms in the hotels near the park and spend two or three days happily.
Victoria Falls National Park
It is located on the border of Zimbabwe and is less in area than the ‘Mosi Oa Tunya’ Park which is in Zambia. It covers a total area of 23 sq.km.
The highlight of the park is the rainforest fed by the scattering water droplets from the falls. The forest is the home for palm, fern, liana vines and trees not found elsewhere in the world. This is an excellent place for researchers of plants.
At the crocodile farm in the park, visitors can ride in carts or just walk to watch the animals like African elephant, the buffalo, the southern white rhinoceros, the hippopotamus and a variety of deers. You can also see crocodiles in the ponds lying there.
There are also many in this part of the falls to stay. Here we can hire vehicles and see wildlife in their habitat. We can also enjoy closely the beauty of the waterfalls by taking a walk along the constructed paths here.
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