Victoria Falls: three days that will leave your ears ringing

 

The local name Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders, captures Victoria Falls better than any photo. A wall of water over 1,700 metres wide drops into a gorge on the Zambezi River, throwing up a column of spray visible from tens of kilometres away on a clear day. It is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with neighbouring Zambia.

 

Three days that add on easily to a longer trip

For us, Victoria Falls works as a short, self-contained add-on, three days and two nights, ideal at the start or end of a longer trip through southern Africa. Flights go directly from Johannesburg or Cape Town, so there is no need to change your route or deal with complicated logistics, you simply add a few extra days onto the main trip.

What you will see from the Zimbabwean side

The Zimbabwean side offers the longest view of the falls, fifteen viewpoints along the rainforest facing the falling wall of water, from where you can see roughly three-quarters of the full width of the falls. Devil's Cataract is the closest direct view, loveliest at dawn. Main Falls offers changing views along the whole walk through the rainforest. And over Rainbow Falls, the deepest part of the gorge, a rainbow arches almost constantly.

When to go depends on what you want to experience. April to June means the falls at full force, but also a spray shower that means you can barely see through on parts of some viewpoints. September to November, by contrast, is the season of clearer views and better photos, though there is less water, especially on the Zambian side. July and August tend to be the compromise.