Victoria Falls
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Victoria Falls Accommodations and Tours
Victoria Falls is one of the wonders of the natural world. It
is called "Mosi-oa-Tunya", meaning, in the local language, "the smoke that
thunders", which describes the spray and the roar as the Zambezi River drops 300
feet into the narrow gorge below. The Falls have fascinated travellers since
David Livingstone was the first European explorer to see the Falls in 1855. A
visit to Victoria Falls is a definate MUST if doing a safari in nearby Botswana,
Zambia or in Zimbabwe. We will arrange all necessary transfers, accommodations
and activities for you.
Created in turn by Volcanic activity, erosion and the course of one of Africa’s
greatest rivers, the Zambezi, the Victoria Falls has captured the hearts, minds
and adventurous spirits of people the world over. It was David Livingstone who,
after that now famous entry in this diary - “On sights as beautiful as this
Angels in their flight must have gazed” - claimed it for the British crown and
named it after his Queen.
The sight of millions of gallons of turbulent water cascading over a sheer
precipice into a narrow gorge a hundred metres below is something nobody can
ever forget. Considered the largest curtain of falling water in the world, the
magnificent Victoria Falls draws visitors from all over the world.
In spate, between February and May, the Victoria Falls resounds as the waters of
the Zambezi River, pulverised to vapour, rise 457 metres (1,500 feet) into the
sky. Bank to bank the total width of the Falls is more than one and a half
kilometres. The height of the various falls ranges between 100 and 116 metres.
The width of the gorge at its narrowest point is sixty metres.
The volume of water that flows over the Victoria Falls varies considerably. At its
lowest, between late October and early November, as little as 20 000 cubic
metres of water a minute flow into the gorge below.
But when the rains are heavy, the flow increases swiftly and dramatically.
Between February and May, when the Victoria Falls are at their most spectacular, more
than 500 000 cubic metres of water a minute cascade over the edge.
In April and May, the peak of the flood season, the six falls, Devil’s Cataract,
Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, Armchair Falls and the Eastern
Cataract - form the largest curtain of falling water in the world. But in the
dry season, between September and November, almost no water plunges over the
Rainbow and Armchair Falls or the Eastern Cataract on the Zambian side.
Victoria Falls are extremely popular and we urge you to start planning your visit at least one year in advance in conjunction with your safari.
Taga Safaris have been specialising in Victoria Falls since 1994 and we look forward to planning your trip for you.
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