water Wonder

The majestic beauty of the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe bring to mind nature’s vivid and awesome presence

BY SANDIP HOR

As a nation Zimbabwe may have lost its credibility in the world, but the spectacular Victoria Falls, the jewel in it’s crown, has not lost the slightest of its glory to connoisseurs of natural wonders. Located in southern Africa between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the majestic fall of water from the Zambezi River lay hidden from the world till discovered by Scottish explorer David Livingstone in the 1860s. Mesmerised he said, “No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.”

Livingstone named the falls ‘Victoria’, honoring the Queen, but the locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning “smoke that thunders”, because when the huge volumes of water plunge over its rocky edge with intense vigor, it hits the bottom and springs up into the air as a huge cloud of watery mist, actually rising high enough to be seen from kilometers away.

I had earlier seen several images of the Victoria Falls, but nothing could have prepared me for that awesome first glimpse of the real thing, which instantly made me realize why it is listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

A five-year old boy standing next me remarked, “Wow daddy, that’s lots of water!” Yes, you simply see incredible amounts of water falling ceaselessly as far as your eyes can go, and you can hear roaring thunder, like when forceful storm is coming.

The sight of the Niagara Falls in Canada flashed through my mind. Viewing that spectacular natural monument, an African visitor told me that beauty of Victoria Falls is much superior to its North American counterpart. I pocketed that as a loose comment of nepotism, but standing before Victoria Falls, I realized what he meant.

Physically, Victoria Falls is different to Niagara; it is much longer and higher. But the striking distinction is the setting. Victoria Falls is extraordinarily preserved in its natural state surrounded by expansive rainforest, unlike the Niagara where you turn back and see McDonalds and Pizza Hut.

Here we were totally wrapped by nature, even when hopping from one viewing point to the other to get different sights of 1700 meters wide and 110 meters deep waterfall, making it the largest sheet of falling water in the world.

WWe were also totally soaked to the skin. Being there during the rainy season meant that high volumes of rising watery mist created a state of high winds and intermittent bucketing rain, at times so heavy, that a waterproof and umbrella becomes useless. And taking a snap becomes challenging, unless your camera is waterproof.

However it was fun to play hide and seek with nature, snatching opportunities to capture views of the falls whenever the sun intermittently broke through the hazy envelope created by cloud, mist and rain. One of the unique aspects of this natural grandeur is the flashing of consistent rainbows that kept appearing as a result of the play between the sun and the rain.

Geographically two thirds of the Falls lie in Zambia, including the small island from where Livingstone first sighted it. However, the main viewing areas sit on the Zimbabwean side with a kilometer long pathway leading along the edge of the Falls. There is a 200 metre long steel bridge across the Zambezi which connects the two countries. From the Zambian end of the bridge, where you can easily go by obtaining a gate pass from the Zimbabwe border checkpost, we glimpsed part of the Falls on the Zambian side, as spectacular as on the other side.

An excellent but expensive option of viewing the entire span of the Falls covering both countries is by helicopter. A fifteen-minute flight costing around US$120 per person, will give you the best scenic view of Victoria Falls.

Aside from the spectacle of seeing the largest curtain of falling water on earth, other activities that entice tourists are bunjee jumping from the bridge, white water rafting and cruising the Zambezi, where if luck favors, you may see hippos and crocodiles.

A great charm of the sojourn is the stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel, affectionately called the ‘Grand Dame’ of Victoria Falls. For over a century visiting members of royal families, international statesmen, and celebrities have chosen to stay at this elegant landmark hotel, and so did I without any hesitation. The architecture reflects Edwardian style at its height with numerous corridors, archways, and columns, and extensive wood panelling.

The terrace, which offers fabulous views of the bridge and the rising mist, is a perfect place for morning coffee and fresh pastries, a casual lunch, afternoon high tea or a drink in the evening. For a more traditional colonial experience, guests are invited to don appropriate evening wear and enjoy a special dinner with dancing in the gracious Livingstone room. Stanley’s refectory room and the Bulawayo Room make discreetly luxurious and cosy after-dinner retreats.

The small and shabby Victoria Falls town doesn’t have much to offer other than its hotels and a local market where you can buy some nice handicraft items. Its airport is worn out and reflects the economic state of the nation. Luggage is dropped on the floor, instead of on carousels. Taxis are easily available, but appear to be from the time of Livingstone. The moment you step outside the hotel, you will be surrounded by locals, either trying to sell you something or touting their services to show you around. Some, wearing a sort of a uniform, identify themselves as tourist police and come in for a rescue, but their motive is no different. However they are all harmless; all of their doings are driven by poverty. From earlier visitors I knew they accept with gratitude used clothes, so I carried some and when handing these over, the smile on their faces were no less divine than the Falls.

Travel notebook

ZIMBABWE

GETTING THERE

South African Airways (www.flysaa.com) have flights from Sydney (code-shared with Qantas) and Perth to Victoria Falls, via Johannesburg. There are flights from Johannesburg to Mumbai, so a feasible option to tour Victoria Falls can be en-route to India.

ACCOMMODATION

There are a few top-end places to stay, however Victoria Falls Hotel (www.africansunhotels.com/ victoriafall) is the most popular. While there do not miss having dinner at their Jungle Junction Restaurant, where entertainment by locals epitomise spirit of Africa.

TOUR OPERATOR

Contact Sydney-based Wildlife Safari Consultants (Tel: 0418443494) for all your travel arrangements in Victoria Falls

VISA

All Australian passport holders require a visa to enter Zimbabwe, which is available upon arrival

CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE RATE

It’s perhaps the only country where the US Dollar acts as the official currency; the earlier Zimbabwe Dollar is of no value, other than as a souvenir.