Victoria Falls Viewpoints

Views of Victoria Falls
Mosi-oa-tunya 'the smoke that thunders'

Victoria Falls lies between two countries Zambia and Zimbabwe and can be viewed from both sides both sides offer spectacular views of the falls from different angles, in the dry season it is possible to walk along the top of the falls from the Zambian side of Victoria Falls.

Zambia side has the advantage of being able to gaze down the length of the gorge

View from Zambia in the dry season

While from the Zimbabwe side there is always more water to see (making the walk wet all year around) but here is no view down into the gorge.

View from the Zimbabwe viewpoint dry season

Take the time to gaze upon this awesome site without any time constraints, soak it up, get soaked, see what Mother Nature is fully capable of… and for the more adventurous, fly over top to view the numerous gorges and fully comprehend the power of 'Mosi-oa-tunya'.

During low water (August-December) it is almost a trickle compared with the mighty thunderous clouds of smoke that appear during high water season (February-June).
When the water is at its peak, you will most certainly be drenched from head to toe.

View from the air of Victoria Falls and nearby towns of Livingstone (Zambia) and
Victoria Falls Town (Zimbabwe)

How the Falls came to be
Think back, way back, now go back in just a little bit further … to a time before bungy, before dinosaurs and even before Coca-cola had come to Zambia (I know it's hard to imagine!). About 200 million years ago, the super continent that was once the Earth's landmass began to separate. Cracks appeared throughout the Earth's crust which allowed molten lava to flow towards the surface and cool into soft loose-joined basalt.
The Batoka Gorge was formed as the Zambezi slowly, slowly, ever so slowly, over millions of years, carved its way through this basalt. Amazing how persistent water can be!
Perhaps the most notable point in history was the 'discovery' of the mighty waterfall. As we all know, the falls had been there for millions of years, but David Livingstone was the first white man to view what the locals call 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' (The Smoke That Thunders).
The experience moved him so much that he famously quoted in his journal 'on sights as beautiful as this, angels in their flight must have gazed', and named them after his reigning monarch.
So today, we all know this great waterfall as The Victoria Falls (but the local beer is now called Mosi if that's any compensation).

Victoria Falls and Livingstone
Livingstone town was the original capital of Northern Rhodesia and still carries a decidedly colonial feel that the people are incredibly proud of. Purple jacarandas and flaming red flamboyant trees line the streets. The architecture brings forth memories of days gone by. The women sit by their stand of tomatoes and other assorted goods in the market and attempt to make a living. The blue taxis zoom by. The locals stop and chat about the weather - it is always too hot. The kids skip home in their pressed school uniforms. The church bells ring and the people laugh and sing as they walk down the street.
It's just another typical day "Somewhere in Central Africa"...
Livingstone is considered the gateway between Central and Southern Africa. If you've come up from the South, you will notice the potholes in the roads, that the shops only sell what is in season and that everyone is chattering away in Nyanja, Bemba, Tonga or one of the other 73 languages of Zambia. If you've come down from the North, you will probably notice that the locals have a much more western attitude… the men wear suits to the office, the beers are cold and the showers (usually) have hot water. This is the place where travellers meet to swap stories of their different experiences before they venture forward, again into the unknown. Livingstone is an essential stop on any traveller's route: even without the National Park, even without the river, and even without the mighty Victoria Falls. But the point remains that we do have an excellent National Park (with Zambia's ONLY 5 white rhino), we do have the mighty Zambezi and we do have one of the most spectacular (if not the MOST spectacular) waterfalls on the planet! And to top it off, Livingstone and the Victoria Falls area is most certainly the adrenaline capital of Africa - if not the world! Suffice to say, there's a bit of something for everyone here… whether you want to mingle with the locals, soak up the African atmosphere or brave the waves of some of the best white water on Earth!
History of the town
The original settlement north of the Zambezi at Old Drift is now within the confines of the present day Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Due to the prevalence of malaria and its effects, the settlers chose to move to the higher ground (less mosquitoes) of Constitution Hill where the town of Livingstone remains today.
Established in 1904, Livingstone is significant to the history of colonial rule in Africa and its eventual independence. Several buildings from this bygone era still exist and a concerted effort is in place to maintain these beautiful structures. In 1935, the capital was moved to the more central Lusaka. The once bustling town of Livingstone fell into disrepair but has, in the last decade, risen again to be the hub of tourism and industry that it once was. Today, Livingstone has seen a new surge of life. With the advent of tourism and its accompanying infrastructure, the town is once again bright and cheerful yet has been able to keep its laid back, African way of life. Various manufacturing companies from timber mills and textiles to farming and food processing have returned with their associated employment. There is a real sense of community with everyone working together for the better good.