Bring on the highlights.
If ever there were enough water somewhere to quench the fires of Nyiragongo, Victoria Falls may be Africa’s best shot. Located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls is the widest sheet of falling water in the world. Over the centuries, the waterfalls have carved out gorge after gorge, as it is constantly changing its shape and position of flow over the block-like basalt rocks. Somewhere around 350 feet high, the flow of water changes with the seasons, as during the dry season, many sections of the falls dry up, leaving only the bare rock face showing. During the wet season, flows can be so high that the mist from the crashing water blocks any chance of actually seeing the fall itself.
Thankfully for everyone, the tourism industry has created solutions for just about all water levels.
Water levels too high? Take a scenic flight. Water levels low? White water raft in Class V rapids! Water level just right? Do it all, then bungee jump off a bridge to the river below for good measure. Adventure abounds on both sides of the falls, from both countries. We spent our first two days exploring the Zambia side, where platforms allow for viewing the falls from a distance and close up, from both back and front sides. After witnessing first hand the fires of hell on Mount Nyiragongo in the Congo, it seemed apropos that we’d start our visit to Vic Falls by visiting the Devil’s Pool, a small pool of water situated directly on top of the falls, on the very edge. Getting to the pool first required a small boat ride onto Livingstone island, the spot the famous explorer arrived to and witnessed the falls for the first time. It’s somewhat nerve-wracking riding in a tiny boat just a few hundred yards upstream from a giant waterfall, but we were just getting started. Making our way out to the pool required a bit of swimming, and a lot of nerves. There are no platforms or safety harnesses, just a guide telling you where to swim across, as we scurried and swam our way along the rocks to the falls’ edge. Upon arriving to our destination, a sunken basin of water the size of a jumbo-sized kiddie-pool, we found ourselves near the mouth of a particularly heavy flow area of the falls, standing directly in front of a double rainbow from the morning sun, with the deafening roar of the falls preventing any sort of casual conversation. Once again, as seems to be becoming a theme, I stood in complete awe of my surroundings, before sliding into the pool and working my way to the edge. When I say edge, I am more specifically referring to the last rock a drop of water touches before it plunges down to the river below. I am referring to a rock that I held onto for dear life as my lower half was submerged in the water attempting to make its way over, while my head and shoulders leaned far enough to watch the water hit 350 feet below. The word “edge” can be a bit subjective, but not at Devil’s pool. I laid there and stared for a while, doing my best to soak in an experience with so much exhilaration. Deafening waterfalls, double rainbows, cliff faces, swimming/holding on for dear life, it’s quite the cocktail of adventure.
As if Devil’s Pool wasn’t enough adventure, we opted to go White Water Rafting the next day. The trip began at the bottom of the falls, before we made the journey through the gorges and their Class V rapids. We paddled and held on as best we could as the rapids tossed us around like ragdolls. To make things even more interesting, we spotted a crocodile lurking in the water just as I was feeling the urge to hop in. There’s something about the thrill of African travel, where there’s always a possibility that you might get your head ripped off by a hyena or a crocodile, or you might fall off a ledge without any safety ropes / nets, or a volcano might erupt while you’re on it, that makes the travel so rewarding. You’ve got to earn it all, either through diligence or nerves of steel.
From the Zimbabwe side, we opted for a bit more relaxing Vic Falls experience, walking the pathways along the front of the falls, enjoying the views and getting sprayed by the mist. While the October / November timeframe saw some of the lowest flows ever recorded, the water levels have begun to rise, making for a good mix of bare rock and roaring water along the face. The trails take you to a variety of viewpoints, through an area of vegetation that has turned into a rainforest due to the constant mist, all the way out to a rocky point where you can look across to Zambia, down to where we began our rafting, and across to the Devil’s Pool in the distance.
We left no angle of the falls untouched, as we experienced its glory from above, below, and all sides. To me, this is the allure of the Falls. No single image (aside from maybe the perfect morning frame on top of Devil’s Pool), makes your jaw drop at first sight. It’s the opportunity to see it from all angles, to experience what it has to offer through a variety of mediums, that makes Vic Falls such a special place. The Falls will look different when I return, and perhaps I’ll choose a different set of experiences.
Regardless of menu choice, I’m confident it will be just as enjoyable, and that I’ll come away with a whole new appreciation for, as the local tribes called it, “The Smoke that Thunders.”