Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park

About this place

Victoria Falls on the Zambezi is one of the world's largest waterfalls, 1,708 metres wide on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Its local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, means the smoke that thunders, an exact description of the column of spray seen from far off. From the Zimbabwean side you walk a path facing most of the wall of water. Local people knew the falls long before Europeans, and sources record older names. The Scottish missionary David Livingstone reached them on 16 November 1855 and named them after Queen Victoria, and the World Heritage list recognises both names. Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwean side covers only 23 square km, with Zambezi National Park next to it. The path runs through rainforest kept alive by constant spray, opening onto a chain of viewpoints. From west to east the falls divide into the Devil's Cataract, the Main Falls, the Rainbow Falls, which are the highest, and the Eastern Cataract on the Zambian side. Spray typically rises more than 400 metres, and rainbows are common on sunny days. The viewpoint is about 2.3 km in a straight line east of the town centre. The flood peaks in April, when spray can hide the view and soak everything, so bring a jacket and a phone cover. From September to January part of the wall may run dry, though the rock and gorge then show. Keep to the path, as edges are slippery and some have no barriers.