South Luangwa National Park - Near the North-eastern border of Zambia lies the Luangwa Valley - twice the size of Wales it supports one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife to be found anywhere in the world. The Luangwa River, which meanders down the middle of this valley, is the lifeblood of the wildlife. It is a dynamic river which constantly changes its course as it winds through the flood plain. When the river's flow is reduced to a trickle at the height of the dry season and otherstreams and pools have given up their moisture to the thirsty tropical sun, the Luangwa attracts animals from far and wide. Elephants have to balance the energy expenditure of long hikes to food sources against the imperative of daily refreshment at theriverside.

The Victoria Falls is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. It was first discovered by the European missionary called David Livingstone on 17 November 1855. Being the first foriegner to see the falls, he gave it the English name in honor of Queen Victoria, who was the Queen of England during that time.

The Victoria Falls

More About The Falls

The Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River, and flows on the Zambezi river between the Zambia and Zimbabwe border. Although it is not the highest or widest waterfall, it forms the largest sheet of falling water in the world. It has a maximum mean monthly flow of up to 105, 944 cubic feet per second. Thats a lot of water! The recent geological history of Victoria Falls can be seen to form gorges below the falls. The basalt plateau over which the Zambezi River flows has many large cracks filled with weak sandstone. Over at least 100,000 years, the falls have been receding upstream, eroding the sandstone-filled cracks to form the gorges. The river has fallen in different eras into different chasms which now form a series of sharply zig-zagging gorges downstream from the river. The falls has already started cutting back the next major gorge, at the dip in one side of the 'Leaping Waters' section of the falls. This is where the next full width falls will eventually form.

Wildlife and Vegitation

The Victoria Falls is also home to a wide range of wildlife and vegitation. There are two National Parks in the region. On the Zambian side there is the Mosi-o-Tunya National Park, and on the Zimbabwian side there is the Victoria Falls National Park. Both parks have similar species of wildlife and are located on the banks of the river. Some of the wildlife include elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, antelope, lion and leopards. The river also has large populations of hippos and crocodiles, and a viriety of fish.

The Falls and National game parks make the Victoria Falls a huge tourist attraction. Almost 300,000 people visit the falls anually, with this number only expected to grow in the following years.

For Tourists

Viewing the Falls is a must. To get the best view of the Falls, one must walk over the "Knife Edge" Bridge, which is easily accesible from the Zambian side. From here, one can feel the force and power of the Falls first hand. In addition, along with the National Parks, there are a large variety of miscallaneous activities tourists can enjoy during thier visit. Examples include:

Masai Mara & Lake Nakuru National Parks   South Luangwa National Park Safari   Day Trip To Liwonde National Park   Zambia Safari - South Luangwa and Victoria Falls   The Spicy Island of Zanzibar   Northern Tanzania & Zanzibar   Kilimanjaro Mountain Climb - Machame Route (5 Nights / 6 Days)   Kilimanjaro Mountain - Marangu Route (4 nights / 5 days)
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