The name Victoria Falls refers to both the body of water and the town of the same name in Zimbabwe, from where you can enter the national park and watch as the upper Zambezi River plunges 354 feet down to the middle level.

My photographer wife and I had been game viewing and filming in South Africa and flew from there to Livingstone, where we purchased Kaza Univisas before travelling across the border into Zimbabwe. The Univisa is issued on arrival in either country and allows multiple entries into Zambia and Zimbabwe for the duration of your stay (up to 30 days) and is also valid for day trips to Botswana. It costs US$50 and it's best to have cash available as not all entry ports have credit card facilities. It can also be purchased online.

We looked at the falls from both sides on our journey through Southern Africa but settled on the Zimbabwean side because of the opportunity to stay at the grand old Victoria Falls Hotel, pictured above and below. 

Built by the British in 1904, the Edwardian-style hotel was originally intended to accommodate workers on the Cape-to-Cairo railway. Since then it has become one of the world's most celebrated five-star hotels, playing host to visiting statesmen, royalty and celebrities, as well as myriad tourists.

Situated in acres of private garden where warthogs and baboons roam freely, the hotel overlooks the Victoria Falls Bridge and spray from the falls can often be seen in the distance. There is a pathway from the hotel and the adjacent Kingdom Hotel leading down to Victoria Falls National Park.

Local youths offer to escort you in return for a tip, to protect you from the buffalo that lurk in the bush alongside the path. How these pint-sized self-appointed guardians could protect you from anything is hard to imagine, but we indulged one of them on our first trip down to the falls. He led us on an unnecessary dog-leg detour that actually took us deeper into buffalo territory, but none of the animals seemed bothered by our presence. 

On the return journey later that day we declined an escort and, taking the direct route, we made it back to the hotel unscathed. Flippancy aside, the Cape buffalo is potentially a dangerous animal and should not be approached.

The Victoria Falls Hotel

Victoria Falls are neither the highest nor the widest falls in the world, but they are considered the largest based on their combined width and height. Whatever their size they are a magnificent sight to behold. They are about twice the height of Niagara Falls.

There is a trade-off between seeing the falls at their best without the view being obscured by spray, and at their less impressive dry-season flow. Peak flow is in May, but the spray is so intense you sometimes can hardly see the falls and you get drenched in the attempt. In November the water volume is at its lowest so visibility is excellent, but you may find the falls disappointing. Taking all factors into consideration, February/March and July/August provide a happy medium.

Chobe National Park, Botswana

While in Zimbabwe we took a daytrip to Botswana (using our Univisas) and visited the famous Chobe National Park at Kasane. Chobe is one of the best places in Africa to see elephants, particularly in the water. Some herds contain hundreds of elephants and the total number in the park is estimated at 120,000.

The park also offers amazing lion and leopard sightings, while the Chobe River has an abundance of hippos and crocodiles and an almost inconceivable wealth of birdlife, including a number of particularly rare species that are highly sought after by top wildlife photographers. From the river we could see across the Caprivi Strip to neighbouring Namibia.

Chobe National Park

Zambia

There is one Victoria Falls activity that can be undertaken only on the Zambian side and only in the dry season (mid-August to mid-January). A tour will take you on a boat to Livingstone Island and from there you enter and recline in Devil's Pool, a rock pool in the shallows that is literally right on the edge of the falls. 

The theory is that the rock lip will prevent you from being swept over the edge. Conducted by a local operator with due care and attention to safety, this activity is nonetheless strictly for thrill-seekers.

Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls

Zambia has some of the best national parks in Africa yet tends to be underrated as a game viewing destination. The closest Zambian park to Victoria Falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, but it doesn't have any predators. Arguably the best national park for comprehensive game viewing is South Luangwa in eastern Zambia, which although smaller than many of the better-known game parks in Africa is one of the most densely populated in terms of wildlife.

Visiting South Luangwa | Zambia Wildlife Camp (wildlifezambia.com)

In town

Back in Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls the town is a pleasant enough community with a number of interesting shops and restaurants. 

It's a 10-minute walk from the Victoria Falls Hotel and on the way one is accosted frequently by street vendors selling trinkets and handicrafts. When this became tiresome I found it helped to remember how poor the country is, a situation made worse by the pandemic.

There are two special dinner options to consider while you are at Victoria Falls. One is a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, where you can enjoy a gourmet dinner above the Victoria Falls, the other a cultural show at a nearby restaurant. We did both.

The dinner cruise departs from the Zambezi River cruise terminal and cruises downstream towards the Victoria Falls, giving guests a glimpse of the spray. It then cruises upstream to catch the sun before it sinks into the Zambezi River. Before the sun set we saw hippos, crocodiles, elephants – all in the river – as well as an abundance of birdlife. 

The other option is dinner at the fabulous Boma Dinner and Drum Show (above), where you can eat a variety of delicious game meat and, if you are game enough (pun intended), the mopani worm. The restaurant is a 10-minute drive from town. A local taxi driver not only took us there but waited while we dined – at no extra charge – and then returned us to our hotel.

The Boma - Dinner & Drum Show

On the way back the unmistakeable shape of a huge elephant loomed out of the darkness at the side of the road. A common enough sight in the wild during daytime, but especially thrilling at night and so close to a town.

As 19^th century English explorer and naturalist William Burchell said: "Nothing but breathing the air of Africa, and actually walking through it, can communicate the indescribable sensations."

Devil's Pool photo courtesy of Visit Victoria Falls

Other photos © Judy Barford

Victoria Falls – Largest waterfall in the world (victoriafallstourism.org)​