Joanna James
A truly awe-inspiring natural wonder, the Victoria Falls in Africa is a sight to behold and will leave you spellbound. To get a better understanding of this waterfall, here are some fun facts that will amaze and might come in handy for quiz nights too!
Victoria Falls is the world's largest waterfall and spans a massive 1,708 metres wide with a height of 108 metres (more than twice as tall as Niagara Falls). That said, it is neither the widest or highest waterfall in the world but does lay claim to having the biggest sheet of falling water on the planet! Of course, more than reading about it, one needs to actually see it in person in order to understand its sheer magnitude.
Not surprisingly, Victoria Falls has earned its place in the select group of being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world. Apart from its enchanting beauty and raw power, it also features what is known as a "moonbow"; this beautiful natural phenomenon takes place when the rays of a full moon hit the cascading water causing the creation of a lunar rainbow. In case you're curious, the other six natural wonders of the world are Mount Everest, the Rio de Janeiro Harbour, the Aurora Borealis, the Great Barrier Reef, Parícutin and the Grand Canyon!
Victoria Falls is in fact, part of not one but two national parks which provide captivating backdrops to this stunning site; these are namely the Victoria Falls National Park and the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park provides access to ideal vantage points and is where one will also find The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara. Of course, this park is also an ideal place for a wildlife safari since it's home to zebras, antelopes, elephants, wildebeests, white rhinos, hippos, giraffes and a variety of bird species too.
Apart from the two national parks, Victoria Falls can even be viewed from two countries. Around 75% of the falls can be taken in from Zimbabwe, while the remaining part which offers no less impressive vistas can be enjoyed from Zambia. In fact, you can even stay at a Livingstone hotel on the Zambian side which can be found within a five-minute walk from the falls! It should be noted, that this waterfall is also part of the Zambezi River which flows across six countries.
The famous British missionary and explorer, David Livingstone came across this site in 1855 and was the first European to do so. He named it Victoria Falls in honour of the English monarch at the time, Queen Victoria. Originally, the locals called this site "Mosi-oa-Tunya" which is apt since it translates to "the smoke that thunders"! It is a testament to the great respect the people had for Mr Livingstone that the falls retained its English name.
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