On the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, on the Zambezi River, there is Victoria Falls, which exceeds Niagara in width and height. The height of the waterfall is 120 meters, width - 1.8 km.
The Zambezi itself is a very calm river that changes dramatically on a cliff of a basalt plateau. The river is overthrown by five powerful streams, dumping into the gorge per minute about 550 million liters of water. The force of impact of the water mass on the rock below is so strong that it seems as if the spray turns into "steam" and forms columns of "smoke" of enormous height.
The waterfall was discovered by D. Livingston, a Scottish explorer who gave it a name in honor of Queen Victoria. The local population calls it "Mosio-ao-Tunya" (or "Thundering Smoke") and "Seongo" (translated as "Rainbow").
A trip to Victoria Falls is one of the main tourist routes in Africa. This natural attraction is on a par with the Egyptian pyramids and the Cape of Good Hope.
Victoria Falls is an unusual natural phenomenon. It was formed when the basalt was split into blocks by the tectonic forces of the Earth, as a result of which a crack formed across the channel of the Zambezi River, which was then expanded by powerful water flows. River waters squeezed by a narrow gorge boil and boil, creating a rumble and a rumble. Victoria Falls is just the beginning of the river bed, which zigzags through the narrow gorge along the cracks of basalt rock for almost 70 km.
The strength of the water flow varies with the season and season. In the spring, during floods, the water level in Zambezi becomes higher, and the waterfall is poured by force, it becomes powerful, fast and fast. During a drought, the nature of the waterfall tames, on the river and on the edge of the cliff, islands of land appear.
If you swim to the waterfall with the stream, you get the impression that the water goes into the ground, because in front of you along the river you can see the "shore". Opposite the waterfall there is another cliff covered with a continuous rainforest.
Victoria Falls is famous for its rarest phenomenon: magnificent “moon rainbows”. They are formed upon refraction not only of the sun's rays, but also in the moonlight. Night rainbows are especially attractive on the full moon, at a time when the Zambezi River becomes full-flowing.
All tourists who decide to visit this attraction need to bring umbrellas, waterproof clothes and shoes. All equipment also requires protection from the splashes that Victoria Falls creates. Photos taken here will cover all these chores with interest. After all, only in this case will the memories remain captured.
Victoria is a waterfall that can be observed from several viewing platforms. One of the most successful is the bridge called “Knife Blade” - here you can see powerful streams of water and a place called “Boiling Cauldron”, where the river turns and leaves into the Batok gorge. It is very convenient to evaluate this beautiful place from the railway bridge, thrown over the waterfall, as well as at the "Tree of Observation". Here the waterfall appears in all its frightening power and beauty.
Not far from the parking lot, where tourists begin their tour, there is a Museum of the History of the Waterfall. His expositions tell about the changes that Victoria Falls has undergone during its long history, and how the water laid and continues to work out all the new areas in the rock.
From the side of Zimbabwe near the waterfall is the city of Victoria Falls with the reserve of the same name, as well as another national park called Mosi oa Tunya.
During the excursion to the waterfall you can go canoeing or rafting down the river, visit a safari, go horseback riding or elephant trekking. For fans of adrenaline, bungee jumping is offered - jumping from the highest point of the waterfall on a rope.