DESTINATIONS — AFRICA DESTINATIONS ALSO IN
IRELAND PAGE 53
THE SMOKE THAT THUNDERS
L
ocals call it ‘the smoke that thunders’. Missionary and explorer David Livingstone
said it was ‘the most wonderful sight in Africa’. Victoria Falls is a curtain of water more than a mile wide where the Zambezi River plunges 105 metres into gorges below. Its deafening roar can be heard 18 miles away and the spray generated rises high into the air, often creating mist and beautiful rainbows. A few nights here on the way to or from a safari
camp can prove a welcome contrast to the dust of the bush, and few will turn down the chance to see one of the Natural Wonders of the World. “Victoria Falls is one of the most iconic sights in Africa,” says African Pride reservations manager Carole McFadden. “The views from both sides are absolutely incredible.” The falls straddle Zambia and Zimbabwe,
and airports on each side make it easy to build a visit into a wider tour of the region. And with a new international hub opening in Zimbabwe in September, and talk of direct flights from Europe, it’s about to get even easier.
Emily Bamber looks at Victoria Falls from both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides
l THE FALLS It may look like one body of water, but the falls is made up of five waterfalls. Four of these are in Zimbabwe – the Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls and Horseshoe Falls – and one, the Eastern Cataract, in Zambia. Like a beauty queen, the falls has no ‘bad side’. However, from the Zimbabwean side of the river visitors get a year-round full frontal, whereas from Zambia the view is side-on. It’s also best to visit the latter side when the river is at its highest in April and May, and to avoid it during the dry season, September and October. From both sides, the easiest and best way to view the falls is on foot. Clear paths through the rainforest lead to viewing points along the water’s edge, with the noise and spray getting
25 June 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 43 UK &
AFRICA
travelweekly.co.uk/destinations
PICTURE: ISTOCK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76