On my first safari trip, I stayed in three camps in Botswana and then made the (short) trek to Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls. I was told that May and June, when I was there, would be a great time to visit the falls because it would be flowing with its maximum amount of water during that time of the year. And it didn't disappoint.
The day started with some shopping. Some of the guests in our camp hadn't come prepared with wet-weather footwear, so while it delayed the start of our time at the falls it gave us a great opportunity to explore the town of Victoria Falls first. It was quite funny to me that people traveled from all around the world to be here, and were prepared to come face-to-face with some of the world's largest predators, but were ill-prepared for getting their clothing wet at the largest waterfall in the world.
Victoria Falls isn't the tallest, widest, or fastest waterfall, but it is the largest waterfall in the world by volume of water flowing over it. It is immensely long, and the Zambezi River is so wide just before the falls that it looks like an entire lake falling into a gorge.
Our walking tour lasted about an hour, and took us to many different vantage points along the long length of the falls. However, from ground level, the incredible amount of water creates such a plume of mist that it's nearly impossible to see the falls themselves. Indeed, the local name of Victoria Falls is "The Smoke That Thunders," due to the mist that can be seen from miles away and the roaring sound of the waterfall itself.
Because I wanted to see what the falls looked like in totality, I easily knew even before leaving home that I would be taking a helicopter tour of the falls. While expensive and short, it is not to be missed. There is literally no better way to see the entire falls without being up above it. And it was an added bonus that it was my first helicopter ride ever.
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