We are going to move southwards to Zambia. Our intended destination is the Victoria Falls. It is 355 feet in height (in the centre). The area where this waterfall is situated covers the boundaries of two national parks in two countries: the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and the Victoria Falls National Park Zimbabwe.
The Brief Background of the Name
Before undertaking our sightseeing excursion, let’s take a look at the meaning of the waterfall’s name. A person giving its name is a Scotch missionary called David Livingstone. He named this place in honour of his leader: Queen Victoria. In fact, the original name is Mosi-oaa-Tunya which is in the Lozi language, bearing the meaning ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. By “Smoke” here it means a great deal of water vapour emitted from the waterfall.
Victoria Falls
Naturally, the Victoria Falls are created from a rugged landscape and the close location to the river. These waterfalls will reshape the widely popular nation that Africa is thoroughly arid and all desert. With an average flow rate of 1,088 cubic metres per second, it can be said that the waterfalls are the largest in the world. In addition, they consist of six major gorges. In the gorge in particular, there is also a hydroelectric power plant.
The Knife Edge Bridge
For those who are neither claustrophobic nor acrophobic, you may wish to cross the Knife Edge Bridge to generate excitement. This bridge is no narrow that only two people can walk side by side. While crossing, you will hear a loud splash of the Victoria Falls as well as feel the water vapour in the air on one side and see rugged cliffs with green woods on the other.
The Wildlife Sancturary
After being moist with the Victoria Falls, do not forget to visit other attractions and do other activities in the park. By the park here I mean the one in Zambia because it has more varied attractions. Start by going on an exciting safari holiday. For example, you can go for a drive to see various wild creatures such as zebras, warthogs, giraffes, African elephants or different species of antelopes. A species of antelopes that you should not miss seeing is the Kudu. Its distinctive feature lies in the fact that the male has two long spiraling horns. There is even a musical instrument that is made from these horns.
The Old Drift Cemetery
For those who are fascinated by the history of each destination reached (and not afraid of being haunted by ghost!), you may wish to visit the Old Drift cemetery which is situated within the park of the Zambian side. This is the place where the bodies of the early European settlers were buried. It was said that they pitched comp by a river and then died from a strange and incurable illness. Late on, the illness was identified as malaria. As for the river, it is called the Zambezi. It is 2,574 kilometres in length and considered to be the fourth longest river in the continent.
Mukuni Victoria Falls Craft Village
Let’s end the trip by appealing to enthusiastic shoppers. Seven kilometers from the park, there is a rural village called Mukuni. The villagers there have an artistic flair for creating different types of artifacts, such as wood carvings, stoneware, jewellery and musical instruments like drums and marimbas (a western-styled xylophone). All of these can be purchased and brought back as souvenirs.
Because of its scenic beauty, the area surrounding the Victoria Falls has been inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1989.
Refer: IGetEnglish