VICTORIA FALLS
Named after Britain's Queen Victoria, the Victoria
Falls is one of the most impressive natural wonders of the world. This
waterfall was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. Victoria Falls - the
biggest waterfall in the world - are a spectacular sight of awe - inspiring
beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The falls span the entire width of the river, a
distance of 1700 meters, and plunge 108 meters down the sheer rock face,
creating a cloud of spray that can be seen up to 30km away on a good day; a
spectacle that leaves visitors from all over the world in awe of its power,
grace and beauty.
At the bottom, the water leads into a gorge which
is 64 meters wide and 120 long ending in a deep pool called the Boiling Pot.
The wide basalt cliff, over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi
from a wide placid river to a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of
dramatic gorges.
During the flood season - March to May - the
waterfall can be seen at its peak, although it can't be approached by foot, the
aerial views are spectacular. During November and December, very little water
runs over the river and in some sections no waterfalls at all, but one can get
really close to the cliff faces where the water falls in other times in the
year. The Victoria Falls give the visitor all kind of experiences, all year
long.
This area is rapidly becoming known as the
'Adventure Centre' of Southern Africa, with various adrenaline sports,
unmatched scenery of breathtaking proportions, and many other leisure options
for outdoor lovers.
ATTRACTIONS:
- The
Victoria Falls Bridge - The bridge affords a magnificent view both down
the gorge on the one side and through to the falls on the other. The
immense depth of the gorge can be fully appreciated from this perspective
and combined with the sea green river below, the shiny black rock face and
lush green foliage, the 360 degree view from the bridge is breathtaking.
- Devil's
Cataract - Here from several viewpoint, you will see the green white water
roaring two metres from your feet in a maelstrom of ferocity and
magnificence into the abyss below.
- Micro
light and helicopter flights - To fully appreciate the incredible size of
the Falls, and the awesome power of the water as it carves into the deep
zig zagging gorges for eight kilometres, one must see it from the air. Go
on an air safari over the falls and the Zambezi River. The breathtaking
sight of this magnificent natural phenomenon, seen in all its glory from
the air, is unforgettable.
- Mukuni
Victoria Falls Craft Village - this is the best place for a wide range of
crafts and curios.
- Mukuni
Village is an authentic tribal village where thousands of people live and work.
- Mosi
Oa Tunya National Park (or 'Smoke That Thunders') - It is situated along
the upper Zambezi. This reserve is densely populated with game and it is
home to numerous antelope species, zebra, giraffe, white rhinos - the only
rhinos to be seen in Zambia-, crocodiles, hippo, elephant and an uncounted
variety of bird species. Since there are no predators, they are very
relaxed and afford some excellent photo opportunities.
- Game
Safaris - it can be done by 4x4 safari vehicles, jet boat, canoe or luxury
cruiser, on the back of an elephant or by horseback.
- Walks
- On the cliff facing the falls. Every so often the path will open out
into a clearing for a view of the falls. Here one will find the Knife Edge
Bridge which affords an impressive panorama.
- White-water
Rafting through Batoka Gorge. This is considered the wildest one-day white
water rafting in the world and it is a must for the adventurous ones.
- Bungee
Jumping off the 111m high Victoria Falls Bridge, one of the highest
commercial jumps in the world.
- Canoeing
on the upper Zambezi.
- Abseiling
off the sheer cliffs of Victoria Falls Gorge.
- Kayaking
through the raging rapids of the Zambezi.
- Jet
Boating - hi speed jet propelled boats take you down the rapids of the
Zambezi River.
NORTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK
The Wilderness is both the glory and the curse of
the North Luangwa. Stretching from the west bank of the Luangwa River up to the
top of the Muchinga Escarpment, North Luangwa protects the same habitats and
wildlife as South Luangwa. The park has tremendous potential as a major
wildlife sanctuary. For the moment, it is still completely undeveloped. It is
really only suitable for visitors who wish to do most, or all, of their
explorations on foot and for those who crave a wilderness experience more than
easy game viewing. The crystal clear Mwaleshi River, which is situated at the
heart of the park, trickles down the escarpment in a series of small
waterfalls. The Mwaleshi River thus makes a convenient route for traversing the
park.
ATTRACTIONS:
- Guided
game viewing and explorations conducted on foot
SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK
Experts have called South Luangwa one of the
greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and not without reason. The
concentration of game around the Luangwa River and its ox-bow lagoons is among
the most intense in Africa. The park area of 9 050 square kilometres, is host
to a wide variety of wild game, birds and vegetation. The now-famous 'walking
safari' originated in this park and is still on of the finest ways to
experience this pristine wilderness first hand.
The changing seasons add to the park's richness,
ranging from dry, bare bushveld in the winter to a lush green wonderland in the
summer months.
ATTRACTIONS:
- The
Luangwa River also has an extraordinary high number of crocodiles, and it
is common to see several basking on the riverbanks. River Safaris are
frequent during the rainy season
- 4 x 4
game drives.
- Night
drives are a delights in the Luangwa Valley - not only for the chance of
seeing a leopard but for the many interesting animals that come to life
mainly at night - genets, civets, servals, hyenas and bushbabies as well
as owls, nightjars, foraging hippos, honey badgers, and lions.
- Guided
game walks.
- Bird-watching
in Luangwa is superb. The most elegant among them are the golden-tuffed
crowned cranes, which congregate in large flocks at the saltpans in May
and June for mating dances.
- With
about 400 of Zambia's 732 species of birds appearing in the valley,
including thirty-nine birds of prey and forty-seven migrant species, there
is plenty for the bird-watcher to spot - whatever the season.
- TAFIKA
CAMP:
This eight-bed bush camp, with its rustic, grass-thatched chalets, has
good access to both the Nsefu sector and the main body of the park by
means of a nearby "pontoon" ferry across the Luangwa. Tafika
offers two unusual activities in addition to the normal walks and game
drives: scenic micro light flights and canoe safaris. The highly
adventurous canoe trips on the Luangwa take place only when the river is
in its high-water stage.
NYIKA NATIONAL PARK
Nyika plateau, a striking highland area, lays on
the Malawian border at the eastern most tip of Zambia. Atop the Nyika is a
world of grassy bald hills, where pockets of yellowwood forest are tucked into
hidden valleys. It is not big game country, although roan antelope, eland, and
reedbuck range its wide grasslands and leopard is not all uncommon. Rather
these uplands are a good place to explore on foot, savouring distant views,
displays of wildflowers and cool mysteries of mountain forests.
ATTRACTIONS:
- Game
viewing on the plateau is enhanced by the varying vegetation and panoramic
views. Some of the larger animals include zebra, roan, eland, bushbuck,
reedbuck, warthog, and leopard. Nyika is also known for its duiker,
including the rare red duiker.
- Night
drives offer much in the way of nocturnal activities: honey badgers, bush
pigs, servals, civets, genets, and bush babies along with nightjars, who
take up their nightly position in the middle of the dusty roads, hunting
insects in the open space.
- Walking
is a delight in Nyika because of the views and the great variety of
wildflowers.
- There
are small patches of forest with huge buttress-rooted trees, yellowwoods,
ebony, red-barked Hagenia and many others, some of which are draped with
lianas. Often blue monkeys can be heard calling in the woods.
- Chisanga
Falls is a short hike through the Brachystegia Woodlands, with their new
spring leaves emerging in rich burgundy. The falls vary from dry season to
wet but a good rush of water is always falling.
- Bird
watching is excellent all year round but best between October and January
when migrant birds are present.