Victoria Falls

Vic Falls 1 smallPatrick one of our Zimbabwean guides has been to Victoria Falls many times and has this to share about this magical place on the African continent.

 

When you try to explain to people what to expect from Victoria falls, telling them it's twice the height of Niagara falls at 108 meters, or that it is named Mosi-oa-Tunya or "the Smoke that Thunders" doesn't do it justice. On arriving at the car park, locals approach the bus with rain ponchos, when members of the group ask "do I really need one?" I find it hard not to laugh, my wicked side wants to say "no don't bother!" but fortunately for them I'm not that mean.

You hear the water thrashing & feel the spray before you even approach the edge, being able to get so close is a rare treat people often comment on. At the start of the path people are backing away & trying to avoid the spray, by the end they are literally dripping, smiling & laughing! Rainbows stretch across the falls making it unbelievably beautiful.

Vic falls 4 smallTurn around and you are faced with a stretch of lush green 'rain forest' a stark contrast to the dry planes of the Delta & something you almost miss whilst being swept away by the enormity of the falls.

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People arrive at the bridge view point & watch bungee jumpers with a combination of fear & delight, when the guide tells them we are going there next everybody shies away & goes silent then the relief washes over them as they realise he is joking. Persistent male warthogs offer extra entertainment on the way out of the falls, chasing female warthogs around the lawns & paths.

After seeing the falls for themselves many people cannot resist the chance to go on a helicopter flight to view the falls & river from above, an experience that never disappoints.

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