To understand the awesomeness of Victoria Falls – or Mosi-Oa-Tunya, as it is known locally – you have to know a few facts about this natural wonder. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989, the falls boast the largest sheet of falling water in the world.
Straddling the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, the falls’ local name means “the smoke that thunders.” When you see the mists created by the roaring falls, you’ll realise how the name was inspired.
With the mighty Zambezi River stretching for two kilometres where it pours over the edge of a plateau, plunging for more than 100 metres, having an adventure at Mosi-Oa-Tunya is, to say the least, extreme. Here are eight activities of derring-do you can try when visiting Victoria Falls.
Search for flights to Victoria Falls1. Swim in Devil’s Pool
Swimming may not seem like anything extreme, but it is when you’re going for a dip on the edge of the Victoria Falls. With the devil in the title to boot, you know this will be no ordinary swim. It’s so extreme that you’re only allowed to descend into Devil’s Pool when the levels are low enough for swimming, which is usually during the dry season between September and December. Sitting on the edge of the pool and looking down the 100-metre drop into the gorge will give living on the edge a whole new meaning.
2. Bungee jump
Throwing yourself off the Victoria Falls Bridge – attached to a bungee cord, of course – is another way of enjoying the thundering natural marvel. Freefalling from a bridge located 111 metres above the Zambezi River, it’s needless to say you won’t be taking a selfie. Clamping a GoPro to your forehead is a great way to capture this exhilarating adventure.
3. Swing and slide
The bridge offers more than one way to appreciate its lofty heights: such as swinging from side to side above a gorge, right next to the rumbling falls. You can even take a partner with! Another fun way to enjoy the bridge is zip lining: hurtling across the gorge while suspended more than 100 metres in the air. A great way to build up a nerve for bridge swinging or zip lining is a cable slide. This sees you hanging horizontally above the gorge, surveying the boiling rapids beneath you.
4. Head to the water
The rapids of the great Zambezi River offer various death-defying ways to enjoy the swirling waters, and it’s a popular destination for white water rafting. Including journeys that take you over rapids with names like Stairway to Heaven, The Terminator, The Washing Machine, Judgment Day, Devil’s Toilet Bowl and Oblivion, it’s easy to understand why. If it sounds a bit too intimidating, fear not. There are many trips to choose from – varying from half a day to five – and depending on what option you pick, no experience is needed. As with Devil’s Pool, the best time to go is when the water is low, which is usually between July and February. If you’d like to try something else out for size, you can go canoeing, kayaking and river boarding as well.
5. Fly with angels
When Scottish explorer David Livingstone first beheld the awe-inspiring Vic Falls, he described them as “scenes so lovely they must be gazed upon by angels in their flight.” This description is precisely why helicopter rides over the falls are known as the Flight of Angels. These airborne trips will give you an angel’s eye view of the natural splendour, as you marvel at the falls whose heights scrape heaven. Besides the beautiful views, you’ll discover a different way to spot wildlife. Helicopters are not the only option: you can also travel in a microlight aircraft, which has an open cockpit.
6. Embark on a horseback safari
For those who’d rather be on the ground for their wildlife watching, a horseback safari is a great way to search for species in the national parks surrounding the falls. It’s perhaps not the zaniest of experiences, but it’s very different to the regular routine of climbing into a vehicle to explore Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia, or Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe.
7. Dive with predators
Many are familiar with shark cage diving, but what about crocodiles? The surprising news is you can dive with the reptile, just as you can with the fish. Like sharks, crocodiles are much maligned by their vicious misrepresentation in pop culture. Now we’re not suggesting you hug a crocodile, but a cage dive is a great way to get close to the animal, while learning more about them.
8. Abseil
Thanks to the precipitous Batoka Gorge, there are plenty of opportunities to do extreme things around and about Mosi-Oa-Tunya. Requiring a little more exertion than a freefall off a bridge – but not too much – is abseiling 53 meters down the wall of the gorge above the rapids of the Zambezi. The plus side to scaling down all that rock is the chance to glimpse leaping klipspringers, crashes of rhino and soaring black eagles. To place a slightly different spin on it, you can try rap jumping, which is basically abseiling, but facing forwards.
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