African Vacation Guide
Travelers to Africa shouldn't consider their trip complete before they witness the overpowering beauty of Victoria Falls. Lying between the Zimbabwe and Zambia, the Zambezi River is thrown from 108 meters (360 feet) high, creating marvelous water wall and colorful pools.
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With an estimated width of 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) the Victoria Falls are not the highest nor widest waterfalls on planet Earth, and yet their undeniable power leaves no spectator indifferent.
In spite of political disputes and historical disagreements, Victoria falls remain a popular tourist destination and one of Africa's better-known symbols.
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The falls have a more romantic, original name - Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means the Smoke that Thunders, and looking at the foamy water gushing and flowing with rapidity like a coming train, the viewer will immediately understand why locals found this name appropriate many years back.
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Travelers that don't mind getting soaked can take a trip through the edge of the misty rain forest that surrounds the falls and admire the energetic waterway from a close distance. The path is well-marked and very safe but assume that anything you have with you might end up extremely wet.
If you grow tired of sightseeing, visit Mukuni, a small craft village that offers anything from jewelry to handmade masks and traditional musical instruments. The falls' museum tells the story of the area's evolvement and is a nice pause from the outside world.
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As long as you're visiting the area, don't miss the National Park that stretches near the river. It is not very large, but children and adults alike will enjoy the zebras, antelopes and other wildlife that can be seen from a close distance.
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If you want more information regarding the Victoria Falls there is an abundant amount of it online. Try, for example, the in depth zambiatourism.com, and you can learn much more of the area and its natural treasures.
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For tailor-made and scheduled holiday packages to Victoria Falls and other southern Africa destinations, see this page.
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Another fine walk - on the rim of the falls themselves, provides breathtaking view from above of the entire area and makes you feel as if you yourself are part of the amazing natural scenery. However, this walk can only be taken during the dry season, when water level drops.
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Built in 1900 by the British Cecil Rhodes the Victoria Falls Bridge offers a great view of one of the gorges and the falls. From this view point, visitors can fully appreciate the depth of the gorge.
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It was Rhodes wish that the water will splash passing trains and the bridge made the area accessible for white tourists and initiated the transformation of the falls into a popular sight for tourists worldwide.
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It is possible to fly over the area in a small plane or even in a rented helicopter.
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Apart from being an exhilarating ride, this will allow you to grasp the enormity of this waterway and follow the course of the wide, yet peaceful Zambezi River before seeing it turn into turbulences and avalanches of falling and rising water. This is indeed an unforgettable sight and a proclamation of nature's supremacy.