We walked less than a mile from the Avani Hotel to the Zambia/Zimbabwe border crossing. It was just a stamp in Zambia, but it costs $30US for a Zimbabwe visa. The actual border is on the bridge.
View downstream:
This is part of the whitewater rafting in low water.
View up Batoka Gorge to the Falls:
The Zimbabwe walk is how nearly all tourists view Victoria Falls, particularly before there was much infrastructure on the Zambian side ~20 years ago. In 2002 I strolled from the Kingdom Hotel in Zimbabwe to the viewing path at 6AM. Now the entire area is fenced off with just this gated entrance where you pay a $50US entry fee.
Beyond the gate are some informative exhibits. I loaded these at full resolution so they should be easy to read when enlarged. Geology:
History:
Zambezi River details and stats from Africa’s 4 major rivers:
By comparison, the Mississippi catchment basin is about the same as the Nile’s, but its average discharge of 600,000 cfs is far higher though less than half that of the Congo. The #1 Amazon has twice the Congo’s catchment basin and average discharge of 7.9 million cfs. All of the African rivers have radical seasonal variation in discharge.
Map of Zimbabwe rainforest walk:
About 80% of the 1.7km width of the falls faces the Zimbabwe rainforest walk.
Livingstone statue:
Devil’s Cataract at the Zimbabwe edge is the low point of the Falls and so always flows in volume.
In profile with view into the gorge:
Cataract Island is in the center of this view:
The fall on the left is a new gorge being slowly cut, very slowly as it’s dry during low water. The geology page estimates that in 10,000 years it will reach the Zambian bank, retreating the falls farther upstream.
Main Falls:
Slightly clearer view when the breeze pushed the spray farther east:
Zoom:
As we move east, view is obscured by the mist.
This is the best direct view we got of Livingstone Island.
Devil’s Pool is at high volume dead center. Angel’s Pool is the narrow cascade at right.
We are now in a steady rain from the spray.
East side of Livingstone Island:
Zoom of Angel’s Pool:
Horseshoe and Rainbow Falls:
Ovals may be from water spots on the camera.
A cleaner view:
I’m now at Danger Point.
Same spot in November 2002:
One of those lucky shots with wet bird taking off at lower left:
Zambian Knife Edge and Batoka Gorge at right.
View into the gorge of the Boiling Pot:
This is where the whitewater rafts launch in low water.
Bungee jumper in action as we cross the bridge back to Zambia:
View downstream:
This is part of the whitewater rafting in low water.
View up Batoka Gorge to the Falls:
The Zimbabwe walk is how nearly all tourists view Victoria Falls, particularly before there was much infrastructure on the Zambian side ~20 years ago. In 2002 I strolled from the Kingdom Hotel in Zimbabwe to the viewing path at 6AM. Now the entire area is fenced off with just this gated entrance where you pay a $50US entry fee.
Beyond the gate are some informative exhibits. I loaded these at full resolution so they should be easy to read when enlarged. Geology:
History:
Zambezi River details and stats from Africa’s 4 major rivers:
By comparison, the Mississippi catchment basin is about the same as the Nile’s, but its average discharge of 600,000 cfs is far higher though less than half that of the Congo. The #1 Amazon has twice the Congo’s catchment basin and average discharge of 7.9 million cfs. All of the African rivers have radical seasonal variation in discharge.
Map of Zimbabwe rainforest walk:
About 80% of the 1.7km width of the falls faces the Zimbabwe rainforest walk.
Livingstone statue:
Devil’s Cataract at the Zimbabwe edge is the low point of the Falls and so always flows in volume.
In profile with view into the gorge:
Cataract Island is in the center of this view:
The fall on the left is a new gorge being slowly cut, very slowly as it’s dry during low water. The geology page estimates that in 10,000 years it will reach the Zambian bank, retreating the falls farther upstream.
Main Falls:
Slightly clearer view when the breeze pushed the spray farther east:
Zoom:
As we move east, view is obscured by the mist.
This is the best direct view we got of Livingstone Island.
Devil’s Pool is at high volume dead center. Angel’s Pool is the narrow cascade at right.
We are now in a steady rain from the spray.
East side of Livingstone Island:
Zoom of Angel’s Pool:
Horseshoe and Rainbow Falls:
Ovals may be from water spots on the camera.
A cleaner view:
I’m now at Danger Point.
Same spot in November 2002:
One of those lucky shots with wet bird taking off at lower left:
Zambian Knife Edge and Batoka Gorge at right.
View into the gorge of the Boiling Pot:
This is where the whitewater rafts launch in low water.
Bungee jumper in action as we cross the bridge back to Zambia:
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